Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §8.45.1

Contentment of the Inner Divinity against External Ills

Passage 316 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author declares that wherever he is placed, his inner divinity remains satisfied as long as it acts according to its own nature, arguing that no external circumstance is worth demeaning one's own soul.

§8.45.1Ἆρόν με καὶ βάλε, ὅπου θέλεις.
Take me up and cast me wherever you will.
κἀκεῖ γὰρ ἕξω τὸν ἐμὸν δαίμονα ἵλεων, τουτέστιν, ἀρκούμενον, εἰ ἔχοι καὶ ἐνεργοίη κατὰ τὸ ἑξῆς τῇ ἰδίᾳ κατασκευῇ.
For there too I shall keep my own divinity well-pleased, that is, satisfied, if it should exist and act in accordance with its own proper constitution.
Ἆρα τοῦτο ἄξιον, ἵνα δι’ αὐτὸ κακῶς μοι ἔχῃ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ χείρων ἑαυτῆς ᾖ, ταπεινουμένη, ὀρεγομένη, συνδυομένη, πτυρομένη;
Is this thing then worth so much, that for its sake my soul should be in a bad state and become worse than itself, being demeaned, yearning, entangled, and cowed?
καὶ τί εὑρήσεις τούτου ἄξιον;
And what will you find that is worth this?

Notes

  1. §8.45.1ἵλεων — An adjective functioning as the object complement of the verb ἕξω (double accusative construction), meaning 'I shall keep my daemon well-pleased.'
  2. §8.45.1εἰ ἔχοι καὶ ἐνεργοίη — The verb ἔχοι is used intransitively to mean 'to be in a certain state' (similar to expressions like εὖ ἔχει). Here, the optative expresses a condition where the daemon exists and acts in its healthy state.
  3. §8.45.1ἵνα — An ἵνα clause functioning as the complement of the adjective ἄξιον. While the infinitive is standard in classical Greek, the use of ἵνα with the subjunctive for this purpose is common in post-classical Greek (such as the New Testament and this work).
  4. §8.45.1συνδυομένη — Present medio-passive participle of συνδυάζω (to pair, unite). In this context, it carries a negative nuance of being 'entangled' or 'intertwined' with external things or passions.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §8.45.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.45.1

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