Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §9.28.1

Cosmic Recurrence and Indifference to Mortal Things

Passage 360 of 486 · Greek

Summary

Reflects on the cyclical recurrence of the cosmos, advising that whether the universe is governed by reason or chance one must maintain inner order, and that contemplating endless change makes all mortal things seem insignificant.

§9.28.1Ταὐτά ἐστι τὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἐγκύκλια, ἄνω κάτω, ἐξ αἰῶνος εἰς αἰῶνα.

The cycles of the universe are the same, up and down, from age to age.

καὶ ἤτοι ἐφ’ ἕκαστον ὁρμᾷ ἡ τοῦ ὅλου διάνοια· ὅπερ εἰ ἔστιν, ἀποδέχου τὸ ἐκείνης ὁρμητόν· ἢ ἅπαξ ὥρμησε, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ κατ’ ἐπακολούθησιν καὶ τί ἐντείνῃ;

And either the mind of the whole directs its impulse towards each individual thing—and if this is so, accept what comes from its impulse—or it made its impulse once for all, and the rest follows by way of consequence; and why then do you trouble yourself?

τρόπον γάρ τινα ἄτομοι ἢ ἀμερῆ.

For in a way, all things are atoms or indivisible particles.

τὸ δ’ ὅλον, εἴτε θεός, εὖ ἔχει πάντα· εἴτε τὸ εἰκῇ, μὴ καὶ σὺ εἰκῇ.

But as for the whole, if it is God, all is well; if it is chance, do not you also act by chance.

Ἤδη πάντας ἡμᾶς γῆ καλύψει, ἔπειτα καὶ αὐτὴ μεταβαλεῖ κἀκεῖνα εἰς ἄπειρον μεταβαλεῖ καὶ πάλιν ἐκεῖνα εἰς ἄπειρον.

Soon the earth will cover us all, then it too will change, and those things will change into infinity, and again those into infinity.

τὰς γὰρ ἐπικυματώσεις τῶν μεταβολῶν καὶ ἀλλοιώσεων ἐνθυμούμενός τις καὶ τὸ τάχος παντὸς θνητοῦ καταφρονήσει.

For if anyone reflects upon these waves of change and alteration, and their rapid succession, he will despise everything that is mortal.

Notes

9.28.1καὶ τί ἐντείνῃ; — ἐντείνῃ is the middle subjunctive second-person singular of ἐντείνω (to strain, stretch, or trouble oneself), or represents the active subjunctive ἐντείνῃς found in some critical editions. It functions here as a deliberative subjunctive in a rhetorical question: 'Why do you tense yourself?'
9.28.1τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ κατ’ ἐπακολούθησιν — This is the consequent clause corresponding to the preceding ἅπαξ ὥρμησε (made its impulse once for all). A verb of occurrence or happening (such as γίνεται or συμβαίνει) is omitted, meaning 'and the rest [follows/happens] by way of consequence.'
9.28.1τρόπον γάρ τινα ἄτομοι ἢ ἀμερῆ — The verb εἰσιν is omitted. τρόπον γάρ τινα is an accusative of respect functioning adverbially ('in a certain way'). The phrase suggests that if the cosmos is merely a chain of cause and effect after a single initial impulse, everything is in a sense like atoms or indivisible particles.
9.28.1εἴτε τὸ εἰκῇ, μὴ καὶ σὺ εἰκῇ — τὸ εἰκῇ with the definite article functions substantively as 'the random/chance.' In the second half, μὴ καὶ σὺ εἰκῇ, the negative particle μὴ expresses prohibition or deprecation with an ellipsis of a verb such as ποιῇ or πράσσῃ (or imperative πρᾶσσε), meaning 'do not you also [act/be] at random.'

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §9.28.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.28.1

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