Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
p. 236changes and transformations which follow one another like wave after wave and their rapidity, he will despise everything which is perishable (xii. 21). 29. The universal cause is like a winter torrent: it carries everything along with it. But how worthless are all these poor people who are engaged in matters political, and, as they suppose, are playing the philosopher ! All drivellers.
Well then, man : do what nature now requires. Set thyself in motion, if it is in thy power, and do not look about thee to see if any one will observe it ; nor yet expect Plato's Republic : 1 but be content if the smallest thing goes on well, and consider such an event to be no small matter. For who can change men's opinions ? and without a change of opinions what else is there than the slavery of men who groan while they pretend to obey?
Come now and tell me of Alexander and Philippus and Demetrius of Phalerum. They themselves shall judge whether they discovered what the common nature required, and trained themselves accordingly. But if they acted like tragedy heroes, no one has condemned me to imitate them. Simple and modest is the work of philosophy. Draw me not aside to insolence and pride. 30.
Look down from above on the countless 1 Those who wish to know what Plato's Republic is, may now study it in the accurate translation of Davies and Vaughan.
p. 237herds of men and their countless solemnities, and the infinitely varied voyagings in storms and calms, and the differences among those who are born, who live together, and die.
And consider, too, the life lived by others in olden time, and the life of those who will live after thee, and the life now lived among barbarous nations, and how many know not even thy name, and how many will soon forget it, and how they who perhaps now are praising thee will very soon blame thee, and that neither a posthumous name is of any value, nor reputation, nor anything else. 31.
Let there be freedom from perturbations with respect to the things which come from the external cause ; and let there be justice in the things done by virtue of the internal cause, that is, let there be movement and action terminating in this, in social acts, for this is according to thy nature. 32.
Thou canst remove out of the way many useless things among those which disturb thee, for they lie entirely in thy opinion ; and thou wilt then gain for thyself ample space by comprehending the whole universe in thy mind, and by contemplating the eternity of time, and observing the rapid change of every several thing, how short is the time from birth to dissolution, and the illimitable time before birth as well as the equally boundless time after dissolution !
p. 23833. All that thou seest will quickly perish, and those who have been spectators of its dissolution will very soon perish too. And he who dies at the extremest old age will be brought into the same condition with him who died prematurely. 34. What are these men's leading principles, and about what kind of things are they busy, and for what kind of reasons do they love and honor ? Imagine that thou seest their poor souls laid bare.
When they think that they do harm by their blame or good by their praise, what an idea ! 35. Loss is nothing else than change. But the universal nature delights in change, and in obedience to her all things are now done well, and from eternity have been done in like form, and will be such to time without end.
What, then, dost thou say, — that all things have been and all things always will be bad, and that no power has ever been found in so many gods to rectify these things, but the world has been condemned to be bound in never ceasing evil (iv. 45, vii. 18) ? 36.
The rottenness of the matter which is the foundation of everything ! water, dust, bones, filth : or again, marble rocks, the callosities of the earth ; and gold and silver, the sediments ; and garments, only bits of hair ; and purple dye, blood ; and everything else is of the same kind. And that which is of the nature of breath is also another thing of the same kind, changing from this to that.
236 MEDITATIONS. changes and transformations which follow one another like wave after wave and their rapidity, he will despise everything which is perishable (xii. 21). 29. The universal cause is like a winter torrent: it carries everything along with it. But how worthless are all these poor people who are engaged in matters political, and, as they suppose, are playing the philosopher ! All drivellers. Well then, man : do what nature now requires. Set yourself in motion, if it is in your power, and do not look about you to see if any one will observe it ; nor yet expect Plato's Republic : 1 but be content if the smallest thing goes on well, and consider such an event to be no small matter. For who can change men's opinions ? and without a change of opinions what else is there than the slavery of men who groan while they pretend to obey? Come now and tell me of Alexander and Philippus and Demetrius of Phalerum. They themselves shall judge whether they discovered what the common nature required, and trained themselves accordingly. But if they acted like tragedy heroes, no one has condemned me to imitate them. Simple and modest is the work of philosophy. Draw me not aside to insolence and pride. 30. Look down from above on the countless 1 Those who wish to know what Plato's Republic is, may now study it in the accurate translation of Davies and Vaughan.
MARCUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS. 237 herds of men and their countless solemnities, and the infinitely varied voyagings in storms and calms, and the differences among those who are born, who live together, and die. And consider, too, the life lived by others in olden time, and the life of those who will live after you, and the life now lived among barbarous nations, and how many know not even your name, and how many will soon forget it, and how they who perhaps now are praising you will very soon blame you, and that neither a posthumous name is of any value, nor reputation, nor anything else. 31. Let there be freedom from perturbations with respect to the things which come from the external cause ; and let there be justice in the things done by virtue of the internal cause, that is, let there be movement and action terminating in this, in social acts, for this is according to your nature. 32. You can remove out of the way many useless things among those which disturb you, for they lie entirely in your opinion ; and you will then gain for yourself ample space by comprehending the whole universe in your mind, and by contemplating the eternity of time, and observing the rapid change of every several thing, how short is the time from birth to dissolution, and the illimitable time before birth as well as the equally boundless time after dissolution !
238 MEDITATIONS. 33. All that you seest will quickly perish, and those who have been spectators of its dissolution will very soon perish too. And he who dies at the extremest old age will be brought into the same condition with him who died prematurely. 34. What are these men's leading principles, and about what kind of things are they busy, and for what kind of reasons do they love and honor ? Imagine that you seest their poor souls laid bare. When they think that they do harm by their blame or good by their praise, what an idea ! 35. Loss is nothing else than change. But the universal nature delights in change, and in obedience to her all things are now done well, and from eternity have been done in like form, and will be such to time without end. What, then, do you say, — that all things have been and all things always will be bad, and that no power has ever been found in so many gods to rectify these things, but the world has been condemned to be bound in never ceasing evil (iv. 45, vii. 18) ? 36. The rottenness of the matter which is the foundation of everything ! water, dust, bones, filth : or again, marble rocks, the callosities of the earth ; and gold and silver, the sediments ; and garments, only bits of hair ; and purple dye, blood ; and everything else is of the same kind. And that which is of the nature of breath is also another thing of the same kind, changing from this to that.
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.