Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
p. 49(to itolovv') and that which is acted upon (to Trdo-xpv). That which is acted on is the formless matter (£A>;): that which acts is the reason (Adyo?), God, who is eternal and operates through all matter, and produces all things. So Antoninus (v. 32) speaks of the reason (Adyo?) which pervades all substance (oWa), and through all time by fixed periods (revolutions) administers the universe (to 7rav).
God is eternal, and Matter is eternal. It is God who gives form to matter, but he is not said to have created matter. According to this view, which is as old as Anaxagoras, God and matter exist independently, but God governs matter. This doctrine is simply the expression of the fact of the existence both of matter and of God.
The Stoics did not perplex themselves with the insoluble question of the origin and nature of matter.1 Antoninus also assumes a beginning of 1 The notions of matter and of space are inseparable. We derive the notion of space from matter and form. But we have no adequate conception either of matter or of space.
Matter in its ultimate resolution is as unintelligible as what men call mind, spirit, or by whatever other name they may express the power which makes itself known by acts.
Anaxagoras laid down the distinction between intelligence (wus) and matter, and he said that intelligence impressed motion on matter, and so separated the elements of matter and gave them order ; but he probably only assumed a beginning, as Simplicius says, as a foundation of his philosophical teaching. Empedocles said, "The universe always existed. He had no idea of what is called creation. Ocellus Lucanus
50 philosophy. things, as we now know them ; but his language is sometimes very obscure. I have endeavored to explain the meaning of one difficult passage (vii. 75, and the note). Matter consists of elemental parts (o-Toi^Zd) of which all material objects are made. But nothing is permanent in form. The nature of the universe, according to Antoninus' expression (iv.
36), "loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them. For everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be.
But thou art thinking only of seeds which are cast into the earth or into a womb ; but this is a very vulgar notion.'' All things then are in a constant flux and change : 3ome things are dissolved into the elements, others come in their places ; and so the " whole universe continues ever young and perfect " (xii. 23). Antoninus has some obscure expressions about (1, § 2) maintained that the Universe (t6 *av) was imperishable and uncreated.
Consequently it is eternal. He admitted the existence of God ; but his theology would require some discussion. On the contrary, the Brachmans, according to Strabo (p. 713, ed. Cas.), taught that the universe was created and perishable ; and the creator and administrator of it pervades the whole. The author of the book of Solomon's Wisdom says (xi.
17) : " Thy Almighty hand made the world of matter without form," which may mean that matter existed already. The common Greek word which we translate M matter "If \\rj. It is the stuff that things are made of.
MARCUS AURELIUS ANTOXIXUS. 51 what he calls " seminal principles " (o-ttipim.ti.koL Aoyoi). He opposes them to the Epicurean atoms (vi. 24), and consequently his " seminal principles " are not material atoms which wander about at hazard, and combine nobody knows how. In one passage (iv.
21) he speaks of living principles, souls («/o>xou) after the dissolution of their bodies being received into the u seminal principle of the universe.'' Schultz thinks that by " seminal principles Antoninus means the relations of the various elemental principles, which relations are determined by the Deity and by which alone the production of organized beings is possible.
This may be the meaning ; but if it is, nothing of any value can be derived from it.1 Antoninus often uses the word " Nature " (Averts), and we must attempt to fix its meaning. The simple etymological sense of <pva-Ls is "production," the birth of what we call Things. The Romans used Natura, which also means " birth " originally. But neither the Greeks nor the Romans stuck to this simple meaning, nor do we. Antoninus says 1 Justin (Apol. ii.
8) has the words /card airepfiariKou \6yov fjxpos, where he is speaking of the Stoics ; but he uses this expression in a peculiar sense (note 11). The early Christian writers were familiar with the Stoic terms, and their writings show that the contest was begun between the Christian expositors and the Greek philosophy. Even in the second Epistle of St. Peter (ii. 1, v. 4) we find a Stoic expression, tva Sid rofrrwv ytvyvde feias koivwvoI <p(/<rcws.
MABCUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS. 49 (to itolovv') and that which is acted upon (to Trdo-xpv). That which is acted on is the formless matter (£A>;): that which acts is the reason (Adyo?), God, who is eternal and operates through all matter, and produces all things. So Antoninus (v. 32) speaks of the reason (Adyo?) which pervades all substance (oWa), and through all time by fixed periods (revolutions) administers the universe (to 7rav).
God is eternal, and Matter is eternal. It is God who gives form to matter, but he is not said to have created matter. According to this view, which is as old as Anaxagoras, God and matter exist independently, but God governs matter. This doctrine is simply the expression of the fact of the existence both of matter and of God.
The Stoics did not perplex themselves with the insoluble question of the origin and nature of matter.1 Antoninus also assumes a beginning of 1 The notions of matter and of space are inseparable. We derive the notion of space from matter and form. But we have no adequate conception either of matter or of space.
Matter in its ultimate resolution is as unintelligible as what men call mind, spirit, or by whatever other name they may express the power which makes itself known by acts.
Anaxagoras laid down the distinction between intelligence (wus) and matter, and he said that intelligence impressed motion on matter, and so separated the elements of matter and gave them order ; but he probably only assumed a beginning, as Simplicius says, as a foundation of his philosophical teaching. Empedocles said, "The universe always existed. He had no idea of what is called creation. Ocellus Lucanus
50 philosophy. things, as we now know them ; but his language is sometimes very obscure. I have endeavored to explain the meaning of one difficult passage (vii. 75, and the note). Matter consists of elemental parts (o-Toi^Zd) of which all material objects are made. But nothing is permanent in form. The nature of the universe, according to Antoninus' expression (iv. 36), "loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them. For everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be. But you are thinking only of seeds which are cast into the earth or into a womb ; but this is a very vulgar notion.'' All things then are in a constant flux and change : 3ome things are dissolved into the elements, others come in their places ; and so the " whole universe continues ever young and perfect " (xii. 23). Antoninus has some obscure expressions about (1, § 2) maintained that the Universe (t6 *av) was imperishable and uncreated. Consequently it is eternal. He admitted the existence of God ; but his theology would require some discussion. On the contrary, the Brachmans, according to Strabo (p. 713, ed. Cas.), taught that the universe was created and perishable ; and the creator and administrator of it pervades the whole. The author of the book of Solomon's Wisdom says (xi. 17) : " Your Almighty hand made the world of matter without form," which may mean that matter existed already. The common Greek word which we translate M matter "If \\rj. It is the stuff that things are made of.
MARCUS AURELIUS ANTOXIXUS. 51 what he calls " seminal principles " (o-ttipim.ti.koL Aoyoi). He opposes them to the Epicurean atoms (vi. 24), and consequently his " seminal principles " are not material atoms which wander about at hazard, and combine nobody knows how. In one passage (iv.
21) he speaks of living principles, souls («/o>xou) after the dissolution of their bodies being received into the u seminal principle of the universe.'' Schultz thinks that by " seminal principles Antoninus means the relations of the various elemental principles, which relations are determined by the Deity and by which alone the production of organized beings is possible.
This may be the meaning ; but if it is, nothing of any value can be derived from it.1 Antoninus often uses the word " Nature " (Averts), and we must attempt to fix its meaning. The simple etymological sense of <pva-Ls is "production," the birth of what we call Things. The Romans used Natura, which also means " birth " originally. But neither the Greeks nor the Romans stuck to this simple meaning, nor do we. Antoninus says 1 Justin (Apol. ii.
8) has the words /card airepfiariKou \6yov fjxpos, where he is speaking of the Stoics ; but he uses this expression in a peculiar sense (note 11). The early Christian writers were familiar with the Stoic terms, and their writings show that the contest was begun between the Christian expositors and the Greek philosophy. Even in the second Epistle of St. Peter (ii. 1, v. 4) we find a Stoic expression, tva Sid rofrrwv ytvyvde feias koivwvoI <p(/<rcws.
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