Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
MABCUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS, 23318. Penetrate inwards into men's leading principles, and thou wilt see what judges thou art afraid of, and what kind of judges they are of themselves. 19. All things are changing: and thou thyself art in continuous mutation and in a manner in continuous destruction, and the whole universe too. 20. It is thy duty to leave another man's wrongful act there where it is (vii. 29 ; ix. 38). 21.
Termination of activity, cessation from movement and opinion, and in a sense their death, is no evil. Turn thy thoughts now to the consideration of thy life, thy life as a child, as a youth, thy manhood, thy old age, for in these also every change was a death. Is this anything to fear?
Turn thy thoughts now to thy life under thy grandfather, then to thy life under thy mother, then to thy life under thy father ; and as thou findest many other differences and changes and terminations, ask thyself, Is this anything to fear? In like manner, then, neither are the termination and cessation and change of thy whole life a thing to be afraid of. 22.
Hasten [to examine] thy own ruling faculty and that of the universe and that of thy neighbor : thy own that thou mayst make it just: and that of the universe, that thou mayst remember of what thou art a part ; and that of thy neighbor, that thou mayst know whether he has acted ignorantly or p. 234with knowledge, and that thou mayst also consider that his ruling faculty is akin to thine. 23. As thou thyself art a component part of a social system, so let every act of thine be a component part of social life.
Whatever act of thine then has no reference either immediately or remotely to a social end, this tears asunder thy life, and does not allow it to be one, and it is of the nature of a mutiny, just as when in a popular assembly a man acting by himself stands apart from the general agreement. 24.
Quarrels of little children and their sports, and poor spirits carrying about dead bodies [such is everything] ; and so what is exhibited in the representation of the mansions of the dead * strikes our eyes more clearly. 25.
Examine into the quality of the form of an object, and detach it altogether from its material part, and then contemplate it ; then determine the time, the longest which a thing of this peculiar form is naturally made to endure. 26. Thou hast endured infinite troubles through not being contented with thy ruling faculty when it does the things which it is constituted by nature to do. But enough f [of this].
1 t6 ttjs Ne/ct/fos may be, as Gataker conjectures, a dramatic representation of the state of the dead. Schnltz supposes that it may be also a reference to the N«u(a of the Odyssey (lib. xi.).
MAECUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS, 23527. When another blames thee or hates thee, or when men say about thee anything injurious, approach their poor souls, penetrate within, and see what kind of men they are. Thou wilt discover that there is no reason to take any trouble that these men may have this or that opinion about thee. However, thou must be well disposed towards them, for by nature they are friends.
And the gods too aid them in all ways, by dreams, by signs, towards the attainment of those things on which they set a value. f 28. The periodic movements of the universe are the same, up and down from age to age.
And either the universal intelligence puts itself in motion for every separate effect, and if this is so, be thou content with that which is the result of its activity; or it puts itself in motion once, and everything else comes by way of sequence ! in a manner ; or indivisible elements are the origin of all things. — In a word, if there is a god, all is well ; and if chance rules, do not thou also be governed by it (vi. 44 ; vii. 75).
Soon will the earth cover us all: then the earth, too, will change, and the things also which result from change will continue to change forever, and these again forever. For if a man reflects on the 1 The words which immediately follow /car' iwaKo\oij6v<np are corrupt. But the meaning is hardly doubtful. (Compare Vii. 75.)
MABCUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS, 233 18. Penetrate inwards into men's leading principles, and you will see what judges you are afraid of, and what kind of judges they are of themselves. 19. All things are changing: and you yourself art in continuous mutation and in a manner in continuous destruction, and the whole universe too. 20. It is your duty to leave another man's wrongful act there where it is (vii. 29 ; ix. 38). 21. Termination of activity, cessation from movement and opinion, and in a sense their death, is no evil. Turn your thoughts now to the consideration of your life, your life as a child, as a youth, your manhood, your old age, for in these also every change was a death. Is this anything to fear? Turn your thoughts now to your life under your grandfather, then to your life under your mother, then to your life under your father ; and as you find many other differences and changes and terminations, ask yourself, Is this anything to fear? In like manner, then, neither are the termination and cessation and change of your whole life a thing to be afraid of. 22. Hasten [to examine] your own ruling faculty and that of the universe and that of your neighbor : your own that you mayst make it just: and that of the universe, that you mayst remember of what you are a part ; and that of your neighbor, that you mayst know whether he has acted ignorantly or 234 MEDITATIONS. with knowledge, and that you mayst also consider that his ruling faculty is akin to your. 23. As you yourself art a component part of a social system, so let every act of your be a component part of social life. Whatever act of your then has no reference either immediately or remotely to a social end, this tears asunder your life, and does not allow it to be one, and it is of the nature of a mutiny, just as when in a popular assembly a man acting by himself stands apart from the general agreement. 24. Quarrels of little children and their sports, and poor spirits carrying about dead bodies [such is everything] ; and so what is exhibited in the representation of the mansions of the dead * strikes our eyes more clearly. 25. Examine into the quality of the form of an object, and detach it altogether from its material part, and then contemplate it ; then determine the time, the longest which a thing of this peculiar form is naturally made to endure. 26. You have endured infinite troubles through not being contented with your ruling faculty when it does the things which it is constituted by nature to do. But enough f [of this]. 1 t6 ttjs Ne/ct/fos may be, as Gataker conjectures, a dramatic representation of the state of the dead. Schnltz supposes that it may be also a reference to the N«u(a of the Odyssey (lib. xi.).
MAECUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS, 235 27. When another blames you or hates you, or when men say about you anything injurious, approach their poor souls, penetrate within, and see what kind of men they are. You will discover that there is no reason to take any trouble that these men may have this or that opinion about you. However, you must be well disposed towards them, for by nature they are friends. And the gods too aid them in all ways, by dreams, by signs, towards the attainment of those things on which they set a value. f 28. The periodic movements of the universe are the same, up and down from age to age. And either the universal intelligence puts itself in motion for every separate effect, and if this is so, be you content with that which is the result of its activity; or it puts itself in motion once, and everything else comes by way of sequence ! in a manner ; or indivisible elements are the origin of all things. — In a word, if there is a god, all is well ; and if chance rules, do not you also be governed by it (vi. 44 ; vii. 75). Soon will the earth cover us all: then the earth, too, will change, and the things also which result from change will continue to change forever, and these again forever. For if a man reflects on the 1 The words which immediately follow /car' iwaKo\oij6v<np are corrupt. But the meaning is hardly doubtful. (Compare Vii. 75.)
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