Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §9.24.1

Childish Passions and the Emptiness of Human Life

Passage 356 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author compares human emotions and actions to children's play and spirits carrying corpses, stating that these make the scene of the Underworld appear even more vividly.

§9.24.1Παιδίων ὀργαὶ καὶ παίγνια, καὶ ʽπνευμάτια νεκροὺς βαστάζονταʼ, ὥστε ἐναργέστερον προσπεσεῖν τὸ τῆς Νεκυίας.
Angers and playthings of children, and ʽlittle spirits carrying corpsesʼ, so that the scene of the Underworld strikes one even more vividly.

Notes

  1. §9.24.1πνευμάτια νεκροὺς βαστάζοντα — The neuter plural noun πνευμάτιον (diminutive of πνεῦμα, "breath" or "spirit") agrees with the neuter plural present participle βαστάζοντα. This is a variation of Epictetus' famous saying, "a little soul carrying a corpse" (quoted in 4.41 as ψυχάριον νεκρὸν βαστάζον), expressing the Stoic contrast between the physical body as a corpse and the soul as a tiny breath sustaining it.
  2. §9.24.1ὥστε ἐναργέστερον προσπεσεῖν τὸ τῆς Νεκυίας — The conjunction ὥστε is followed by the aorist infinitive προσπεσεῖν (from προσπίπτω, "to strike, press upon"), expressing result or degree. The subject of the infinitive is the articular genitive phrase τὸ τῆς Νεκυίας ("the matter of the Necyia/Underworld", referring to Book 11 of the Odyssey).

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §9.24.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.24.1

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