Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §8.17.1

Futile Blame and the Need for Correction and Purpose

Passage 288 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author argues that whether an event depends on oneself or on another, there is no use in blaming anyone, and one should instead correct the situation if possible, acting always with a purpose.

§8.17.1Εἰ μὲν ἐπὶ· σοί, τί αὐτὸ ποιεῖς;
If it is in your power, why do you do it?
εἰ δὲ ἐπ’ ἄλλῳ, τίνι μέμφῃ;
If it is in the power of another, whom do you blame?
ταῖς ἀτόμοις ἢ τοῖς θεοῖς;
The atoms or the gods?
ἀμφότερα μανιώδη.
Both are madness.
Οὐδενὶ μεμπτέον.
You must blame no one.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ δύνασαι, διόρθωσον· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο μὴ δύνασαι, τό γε πρᾶγμα αὐτό· εἰ δὲ μηδὲ τοῦτο, πρὸς τί ἔτι σοι φέρει τὸ μέμψασθαι;
For if you can, correct him; but if you cannot do this, correct at least the thing itself; and if you cannot do even this, to what purpose does blaming still lead you?
εἰκῇ γὰρ οὐδὲν ποιητέον.
For nothing should be done without a purpose.

Notes

  1. §8.17.1ἐπὶ σοί — The preposition ἐπί followed by the dative case means "in one's power" or "dependent on someone." Here, the third-person singular present indicative of the copula (ἐστί) is omitted.
  2. §8.17.1Οὐδενὶ μεμπτέον — The verbal adjective μεμπτέον is derived from the deponent verb μέμφομαι (which takes a dative or accusative object meaning "to blame"). Οὐδενί functions here not as the dative of agent, but as the dative object governed by the verb. The agent ("by anyone") is omitted as it refers generally to anyone.
  3. §8.17.1πρὸς τί ἔτι σοι φέρει τὸ μέμψασθαι; — The subject is the articular infinitive τὸ μέμψασθαι ("blaming"). The verb φέρει is used intransitively to mean "to bring advantage" or "to be of use," and σοι is a dative of interest ("for you"). Combined with πρὸς τί ("to what purpose"), it means "to what purpose does blaming still benefit you?"

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §8.17.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.17.1

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