Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §8.2.1

Examining Actions as a Rational and Social Being

Passage 273 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author urges self-examination at every action, asking whether it fits a rational and social being who shares the same law with God, while keeping the imminence of death in mind.

§8.2.1Καθ’ ἑκάστην πρᾶξιν ἐρώτα σεαυτόν·
At every action ask yourself: "How does this stand with respect to me?
πῶς μοι αὕτη ἔχει; μὴ μετανοήσω ἐπ’ αὐτῇ;
Shall I regret it?
μικρὸν καὶ τέθνηκα καὶ πάντ’ ἐκ μέσου·
A little while and I am dead, and all things are out of the way.
τί πλέον ἐπιζητῶ, εἰ τὸ παρὸν ἔργον ζῴου νοεροῦ καὶ κοινωνικοῦ καὶ ἰσονόμου θεῷ;
What more do I seek, if the present action is that of a rational, social being, subject to the same law as God?"

Notes

  1. §8.2.1πῶς μοι αὕτη ἔχει; — The construction combining ἔχω with an adverb and the dative of interest (μοι) expresses "how things stand with respect to someone." The feminine pronoun αὕτη refers back to the preceding noun πρᾶξιν, meaning "how does this action stand with respect to me?"
  2. §8.2.1μὴ μετανοήσω — An independent clause featuring μὴ with the aorist subjunctive in the first person singular, expressing apprehension, caution, or a hesitant question ("might I regret it?" or "will I not regret it?").
  3. §8.2.1μικρὸν καὶ τέθνηκα — A paratactic idiom ("a little while, and I have died/am dead") used to express with brevity and urgency an imminent future event ("soon I shall be dead").
  4. §8.2.1ζῴου νοεροῦ καὶ κοινωνικοῦ καὶ ἰσονόμου θεῷ — The entire phrase is in the genitive case (genitive of description or possession), modifying an implied predicate noun ἔργον ("the present action is the work of a..."). The adjective ἰσονόμου ("sharing equal law") takes the dative θεῷ, meaning "sharing the same law with God."

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §8.2.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.2.1

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