Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
I. 1. From my grandfather Verus 1 [I learned] good morals and the government of my temper. 2. From the reputation and remembrance of my father,2 modesty and a manly character. i Annius Verus was his grandfather's name. There is no verb in this section connected with the word " from," nor in the following sections of this book ; and it is not quite certain what verb should be supplied.
What I have added may express the meaning here, though there are sections which it will not fit.
If he does not mean to say that he learned all these good things from the several persons whom he mentions, he means that he observed certain good qualities in them, or received certain benefits from them, and it is implied that he was the better for it, or at least might have been; for it would be a mistake to understand Marcus as saying that he possessed all the virtues which he observed in his kinsmen and teachers. * His father's name was Annius Verus.
p. 903. From my mother,1 piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts ; and further, simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich. 4. From my great-grandfather,2 not to have frequented public schools, and to have had good teachers at home, and to know that on such things a man should spend liberally. 5.
From my governor, to be neither of the green nor of the blue party at the games in the Circus, nor a partisan either of the Parmularius or the Scutarius at the gladiators' fights ; from him too I learned endurance of labor, and to want little, and to work with my own hands, and not to meddle with other people's affairs, and not to be ready to listen to slander. 6.
From Diognetus,3 not to busy myself about 1 His mother was Domitia Calvilla, named also Lucilla. * Perhaps his mother's grandfather, Catilius Severus. 3 In the works of Justinus there is printed a letter to one Diognetus, whom the writer names "most excellent.
He was a Gentile, but he wished very much to know what the religion of the Christians was, what God they worshipped, and how this worship made them despise the world and death, and neither believe in the gods of the Greeks nor observe the superstition of the Jews; and what was this love to one another which they had, and why this new kind of religion was introduced now and not before.
My friend Mr. Jenkins, rector of Lyminge in Kent, has suggested to me that this Diognetus may have been the tutor of M. Antoninus.
MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS.
91 trifling things, and not to give credit to what was said by miracle-workers and jugglers about incantations and the driving away of dsemons and such things ; and not to breed quails [for fighting], nor to give myself up passionately to such things; and to endure freedom of speech; and to have become intimate with philosophy; and to have been a hearer, first of Bacchius, then of Tandasis and Marcianus ; and to have written dialogues in my youth; and to have desired a plank bed and skin, and whatever else of the kind belongs to the Grecian discipline.
7.
From Rusticus1 I received the impression that my character required improvement and discipline ; and from him I learned not to be led astray to sophistic emulation, nor to writing on speculative matters, nor to delivering little hortatory orations, nor to showing myself off as a man who practises much discipline, or does benevolent acts in order to make a display ; and to abstain from rhetoric, and poetry, and fine writing ; and not to walk about in the house in my outdoor dress, nor 1 Q.
Junius Rusticus was a Stoic philosopher, whom Antoninus valued highly, and often took his advice (Capitol. M. Antonin. iii.). Antoninus says, rots 'EirucTrrretois inrofiv^/juiiTiu, which must not be translated, " the writings of Epictetus," for Epictetus wrote nothing. His pupil Arrian, who has preserved for us all thai we know of Epictetus, says, ravra iiretpâdrjv inrofur^nara ifiavr^ 5ia<pv\diai rrjs iicelvov Siavolas (Ep. ad Gell.).
I. 1. From my grandfather Verus 1 [I learned] good morals and the government of my temper. 2. From the reputation and remembrance of my father,2 modesty and a manly character. i Annius Verus was his grandfather's name. There is no verb in this section connected with the word " from," nor in the following sections of this book ; and it is not quite certain what verb should be supplied.
What I have added may express the meaning here, though there are sections which it will not fit.
If he does not mean to say that he learned all these good things from the several persons whom he mentions, he means that he observed certain good qualities in them, or received certain benefits from them, and it is implied that he was the better for it, or at least might have been; for it would be a mistake to understand Marcus as saying that he possessed all the virtues which he observed in his kinsmen and teachers. * His father's name was Annius Verus.
90 MEDITATIONS. 3. From my mother,1 piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts ; and further, simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich. 4. From my great-grandfather,2 not to have frequented public schools, and to have had good teachers at home, and to know that on such things a man should spend liberally. 5.
From my governor, to be neither of the green nor of the blue party at the games in the Circus, nor a partisan either of the Parmularius or the Scutarius at the gladiators' fights ; from him too I learned endurance of labor, and to want little, and to work with my own hands, and not to meddle with other people's affairs, and not to be ready to listen to slander. 6.
From Diognetus,3 not to busy myself about 1 His mother was Domitia Calvilla, named also Lucilla. * Perhaps his mother's grandfather, Catilius Severus. 3 In the works of Justinus there is printed a letter to one Diognetus, whom the writer names "most excellent.
He was a Gentile, but he wished very much to know what the religion of the Christians was, what God they worshipped, and how this worship made them despise the world and death, and neither believe in the gods of the Greeks nor observe the superstition of the Jews; and what was this love to one another which they had, and why this new kind of religion was introduced now and not before.
My friend Mr. Jenkins, rector of Lyminge in Kent, has suggested to me that this Diognetus may have been the tutor of M. Antoninus.
MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS.
91 trifling things, and not to give credit to what was said by miracle-workers and jugglers about incantations and the driving away of dsemons and such things ; and not to breed quails [for fighting], nor to give myself up passionately to such things; and to endure freedom of speech; and to have become intimate with philosophy; and to have been a hearer, first of Bacchius, then of Tandasis and Marcianus ; and to have written dialogues in my youth; and to have desired a plank bed and skin, and whatever else of the kind belongs to the Grecian discipline.
7.
From Rusticus1 I received the impression that my character required improvement and discipline ; and from him I learned not to be led astray to sophistic emulation, nor to writing on speculative matters, nor to delivering little hortatory orations, nor to showing myself off as a man who practises much discipline, or does benevolent acts in order to make a display ; and to abstain from rhetoric, and poetry, and fine writing ; and not to walk about in the house in my outdoor dress, nor 1 Q.
Junius Rusticus was a Stoic philosopher, whom Antoninus valued highly, and often took his advice (Capitol. M. Antonin. iii.). Antoninus says, rots 'EirucTrrretois inrofiv^/juiiTiu, which must not be translated, " the writings of Epictetus," for Epictetus wrote nothing. His pupil Arrian, who has preserved for us all thai we know of Epictetus, says, ravra iiretpâdrjv inrofur^nara ifiavr^ 5ia<pv\diai rrjs iicelvov Siavolas (Ep. ad Gell.).
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