Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §9.40.1

Praying for Freedom from Fear Rather Than External Goods

Passage 372 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author argues that instead of praying to the gods for external events or desires, one should pray for the inner attitude of not fearing or desiring them, illustrating this with specific contrasts in prayer.

§9.40.1Ἤτοι οὐδὲν δύνανται οἱ θεοὶ ἢ δύνανται.

Either the gods have no power, or they have power.

εἰ μὲν οὖν μὴ δύνανται, τί εὔχῃ;

If then they have no power, why do you pray?

εἰ δὲ δύνανται, διὰ τί οὐχὶ μᾶλλον εὔχῃ. διδόναι αὐτοὺς τὸ μήτε φοβεῖσθαί τι τούτων μήτε ἐπιθυμεῖν τινος τούτων μήτε λυπεῖσθαι ἐπί τινι τούτων, μᾶλλον ἤπερ τὸ μὴ παρεῖναί τι τούτων ἢ τὸ παρεῖναι;

But if they have power, why do you not rather pray that they grant you neither to fear any of these things, nor to desire any of them, nor to be pained by any of them, rather than that some of these things should not be present or should be present?

πάντως γάρ, εἰ δύνανται συνεργεῖν ἀνθρώποις, καὶ εἰς ταῦτα δύνανται συνεργεῖν.

For surely, if they can cooperate with humans, they can cooperate in these matters too.

ἀλλὰ ἴσως ἐρεῖς ὅτι· ἐπ’ ἐμοὶ αὐτὰ οἱ θεοὶ ἐποίησαν. εἶτα οὐ κρεῖσσον χρῆσθαι τοῖς ἐπὶ σοὶ μετ̓ ἐλευθερίας ἣ διαφέρεσθαι πρὸς τὰ μὴ ἐπὶ σοὶ μετὰ δουλείας καὶ ταπεινότητος;

But perhaps you will say: "The gods put these things in my own power." In that case, is it not better to use what is in your power with freedom than to contend against what is not in your power with servitude and abasement?

τίς δέ σοι εἶπεν ὅτι οὐχὶ καὶ εἰς τὰ ἐφ̓ ἡμῖν οἱ θεοὶ συλλαμβάνουσιν;

And who told you that the gods do not assist us even in the things that are in our power?

ἄρξαι γοῦν περὶ τούτων εὔχεσθαι καὶ ὄψει.

At any rate, begin to pray about these things, and you will see.

οὗτος εὔχεται· πῶς κοιμηθῶ μετ̓ ἐκείνης· σύ· πῶς μὴ ἐπιθυμήσω τοῦ κοιμηθῆναι μετ’ ἐκείνης. ἄλλος· πῶς στερηθῶ ἐκείνου· σύ· πῶς μὴ χρῄζω τοῦ στερηθῆναι. ἄλλος· πῶς μὴ ἀποβάλω τὸ τεκνίον· σύ· πῶς μὴ φοβηθῶ ἀποβαλεῖν. ὅλως ὧδε ἐπίστρεψον τὰς εὐχὰς καὶ θεώρει τί γίνεται.

This man prays: "How may I sleep with that woman?" You: "How may I not desire to sleep with her?" Another: "How may I avoid being deprived of that?" You: "How may I not feel the need of not being deprived of it?" Another: "How may I not lose my child?" You: "How may I not fear to lose it?" In short, turn your prayers in this direction, and watch what happens.

Notes

§9.40.1διδόναι αὐτοὺς — The accusative with infinitive construction (διδόναι αὐτούς) functions as the object of the verb εὔχῃ, with the articular infinitive phrase τὸ μήτε φοβεῖσθαι... serving as the direct object of διδόναι. It forms a nested infinitive structure meaning 'pray that they (the gods) grant [the state of] neither fearing...'
§9.40.1ἐπ’ ἐμοὶ — The preposition ἐπί with the dative means 'in my power' or 'up to me'. This expression corresponds to the Stoic core concept of 'things in our power' (τὰ ἐφ' ἡμῖν), here referring to the gods having placed these internal judgements and attitudes under human control.
§9.40.1πῶς στερηθῶ... πῶς μὴ χρῄζω τοῦ στερηθῆναι — The subjunctives introduced by πῶς function as deliberative subjunctives expressing anxiety or inquiry. The former, πῶς στερηθῶ (passive), means 'how may I avoid being deprived of that?' representing a prayer of avoidance. The latter, χρῄζω τοῦ στερηθῆναι (with genitive articular infinitive), seeks liberation from such psychological dependence: 'how may I not feel the need of not being deprived?'

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §9.40.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.40.1

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