Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §9.29.1

Seeking Not Ideal States but Small Progress in Nature

Passage 361 of 486 · Greek

Summary

Pointing out that the substance of the whole is a torrent, the author criticizes political and philosophical pretension, advising instead to follow nature's current demands and be content with the smallest progress.

§9.29.1Χειμάρρους ἡ τῶν ὅλων οὐσία· πάντα φέρει.
The substance of the whole is a torrent; it sweeps all things away.
ὡς εὐτελῆ δὲ καὶ τὰ πολιτικὰ ταῦτα καί, ὡς οἴεται, φιλοσόφως πρακτικὰ ἀνθρώπια·
And how paltry are these political mannikins, and those who, as they think, act philosophically!
μυξῶν μεστά. —ἄνθρωπε, τί ποτε;
They are full of snot. —Man, what is it you want?
ποίησον ὃ νῦν ἡ φύσις ἀπαιτεῖ, ὅρμησον, ἐὰν διδῶται, καὶ μὴ περιβλέπου εἴ τις εἴσεται.
Do what nature now requires. Set out, if it is granted to you, and do not look around to see if anyone will know it.
μὴ τὴν Πλάτωνος πολιτείαν ἔλπιζε, ἀλλὰ ἀρκοῦ, εἰ τὸ βραχύτατον πρόεισι, καὶ τούτου αὐτοῦ τὴν ἔκβασιν ὡς μικρόν τί ἐστι διανοοῦ.
Do not hope for Plato’s Republic, but be content if the smallest step forward is made, and consider even this outcome as something small.
δόγμα γὰρ αὐτῶν τίς μεταβαλεῖ;
For who can change their opinions?
χωρὶς δὲ δογμάτων μεταβολῆς τί ἄλλο ἢ δουλεία στενόντων καὶ πείθεσθαι προσποιουμένων;
And without a change of opinions, what else is there than the slavery of people groaning and pretending to obey?
ὕπαγε νῦν καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ Φίλιππον καὶ Δημήτριον τὸν Φαληρέα μοι λέγε.
Go on now and tell me of Alexander, Philip, and Demetrius of Phalerum.
ὄψονται, εἰ εἶδον, τί ἡ κοινὴ φύσις ἤθελε, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἐπαιδαγώγησαν·
Whether they saw what the common nature willed and disciplined themselves, is their own look-out.
εἰ δὲ ἐτραγῴδησαν, οὐδείς με κατακέκρικε μιμεῖσθαι.
But if they played a tragic part, no one has condemned me to imitate them.
ἁπλοῦν ἐστι καὶ αἰδῆμον τὸ φιλοσοφίας ἔργον· μή με ἄπαγε ἐπὶ σεμνοτυφίαν.
The work of philosophy is simple and modest; do not lead me away to pomposity.

Notes

  1. 9.29.1ὡς εὐτελῆ — The adverb ὡς is used here exclamatively, meaning "how paltry...!" It modifies the adjective εὐτελῆ in a predicative relation to the noun ἀνθρώπια.
  2. 9.29.1ἀρκοῦ, εἰ τὸ βραχύτατον πρόεισι — The middle imperative second person singular ἀρκοῦ (from ἀρκέομαι, to be content) is followed by a conditional clause introduced by εἰ, which functions as the object of satisfaction ("be content if...").
  3. 9.29.1ὡς μικρόν τί ἐστι — Introduces a predicative complement to τὴν ἔκβασιν (the outcome), which is the object of the verb διανοοῦ (consider). Keeping the manuscript reading without adding a negative οὐ, it means "consider it as something small," which fits the Stoic context of non-attachment to results.
  4. 9.29.1ὄψονται — Third-person plural future of ὁράω, used here idiomatically in an absolute sense, meaning "they will see to it themselves" or "it is their own look-out."
  5. 9.29.1οὐδείς με κατακέκρικε μιμεῖσθαι — The verb κατακρίνω (condemn, sentence) takes an accusative object (με) and an infinitive (μιμεῖσθαι), meaning "no one has condemned me to imitate."

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §9.29.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.29.1

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