Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §8.32.1

Building Life Action by Action and Overcoming Obstacles

Passage 303 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The text advises constructing life action by action and maintaining inner harmony by accepting external obstacles, turning them into opportunities for alternative rational actions.

§8.32.1Συντιθέναι δεῖ τὸν βίον κατὰ μίαν πρᾶξιν καὶ εἰ ἑκάστη τὸ ἑαυτῆς παρέχει ὡς οἷόν τε, ἀρκεῖσθαι·
One must construct one's life action by action, and if each action performs its own part as far as possible, be content.
ἵνα δὲ τὸ ἑαυτῆς παρέχῃ, οὐδὲ εἷς σε κωλῦσαι δύναται. —ἀλλ̓ ἐνστήσεταί τι ἔξωθεν. —οὐδὲν εἴς γε τὸ δικαίως καὶ σωφρόνως καὶ εὐλογίστως, ἄλλο δέ τι ἴσως ἐνεργητικὸν κωλυθήσεται, ἀλλὰ τῇ πρὸς αὐτὸ τὸ κώλυμα εὐαρεστήσει καὶ τῇ ἐπὶ τὸ διδόμενον εὐγνώμονι μεταβάσει εὐθὺς ἄλλη πρᾶξις ἀντικαθίσταται ἐναρμόσουσα εἰς τὴν σύνθεσιν, περὶ ἧς ὁ λόγος.
But no one can prevent you from its performing its own part. —'But some obstacle from without will stand in the way.'— Nothing will stand in the way of your acting justly, soberly, and rationally; though perhaps some other active undertaking will be hindered. Yet, by welcoming the obstacle itself, and by a grateful transition to what is granted, another action is immediately substituted, which will fit into the composition of which we are speaking.

Notes

  1. 8.32.1ἀρκεῖσθαι — An infinitive governed by the impersonal verb δεῖ at the beginning of the sentence, standing in parallel with συντιθέναι. The implied subject is general (or 'you').
  2. 8.32.1ἵνα δὲ τὸ ἑαυτῆς παρέχῃ — The conjunction ἵνα introduces a clause of purpose, but here it functions with the subsequent verb κωλῦσαι (to hinder) to indicate the objective that is being hindered: 'to prevent you from its performing its own part.' In τὸ ἑαυτῆς, a noun like ἔργον (work, part) is omitted.
  3. 8.32.1οὐδὲν εἴς γε τὸ δικαίως καὶ σωφρόνως καὶ εὐλογίστως — In this clause, both the verb (such as ἐνστήσεται or κωλύσει) and the infinitive following the article τὸ (such as πράσσειν 'to act' or βιοῦν 'to live') are omitted. It is understood as: 'Nothing will stand in the way of your [acting] justly, soberly, and rationally.'

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §8.32.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.32.1

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