Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
p. 2498. When thou hast assumed these names, good, modest, true, rational, a man of equanimity, and magnanimous, take care that thou dost not change these names; and if thou shouldst lose them, quickly return to them.
And remember that the term Rational was intended to signify a discriminating attention to every several thing, and freedom from negligence ; and that Equanimity is the voluntary acceptance of the things which are assigned to thee by the common nature ; and that Magnanimity is the elevation of the intelligent part above the pleasurable or painful sensations of the flesh, and above that poor thing called fame, and death, and all such things.
If, then, thou maintainest thyself in the possession of these names, without desiring to be called by these names by others, thou wilt be another person and wilt enter on another life.
For to continue to be such as thou hast hitherto been, and to be torn in pieces and defiled in such a life, is the character of a very stupid man and one over-fond of his life, and like those half-devoured fighters with wild beasts, who though covered with wounds and gore, still entreat to be kept to the following day, though they will be exposed in the same state to the same claws and bites.1 Therefore fix thyself in the pos- 1 See Seneca, Epp.
70, on these exhibitions which amused the people of those days. These fighters were the Bestiarri, some of whom may have been criminals; but even if they p. 250session of these few names t and if thou art able to abide in them, abide as if thou wast removed to certain islands of the Happy.1 But if thou shalt perceive that thou fallest out of them and dost not maintain thy hold, go courageously into some nook where thou shalt maintain them, or even depart at once from life, not in passion, but with simplicity and freedom and modesty, after doing this one [laudable] thing at least in thy life, to have gone out of it thus.
In order, however, to the remembrance of these names, it will greatly help thee if thou rememberest the gods, and that were, the exhibition was equally characteristic of the depraved habits of the spectators. 1 The islands of the Happy, or the Fortunatae Insulae, are spoken of by the Greek and Roman writers. They were the abode of Heroes, like Achilles and Diomedes, as we see in the Scolion of Harmodius and Aristogiton.
Sertorius heard of the islands at Cadiz from some sailors who had been there, and he had a wish to go and live in them and rest from his troubles (Plutarch, Sertorius, c. 8). In the Odyssey, Proteus told Menelaus that he should not die in Argos, but be removed to a place at the boundary of the earth where Khadamanthus dwelt (Odyssey, iv.
565) : — " For there in sooth man's life is easiest : Nor snow nor raging storm nor rain is there But ever gently breathing gales of Zephyr Oceanus sends up to gladden man. It Is certain that the writer of the Odyssey only follows some old legend, without having any knowledge of any place which corresponds to his description. The two islands which Sertorius heard of may be Madeira and the adjacent island. Compare Pindar, 01. ii. 129.
p. 251they wish not to be flattered, but wish all reasonable beings to be made like themselves; and if thou rememberest that what does the work of a fig-tree is a fig-tree, and that what does the work of a dog is a dog, and that what does the work of a bee is a bee, and that what does the work of a man is a mam 9.
Mimi,1 war, astonishment, torpor, slavery, will daily wipe out those holy principles of thine. f How many things without studying nature dost thou imagine, and how many dost thou neglect?3 But it is thy duty so to look on and so to do everything, that at the same time the power of dealing with circumstances is perfected, and the contemplative faculty is exercised, and the confidence which comes from the knowledge of each several thing is maintained without showing it, but yet not concealed.
For when wilt thou enjoy simplicity, when gravity, and when the knowledge of every several thing, both what it is in substance, and what place it has in the universe, and how long it is formed to exist, and of what things it is compounded, and to whom it can belong, and, who are able both to give it and take it away? ■ Corais conjectured /tfcros " hatred ■ in place of Mimi, Roman plays in which action and gesticulation were all <** nearly all. 8 This is corrupt. See the edition of Schultz.
MABCUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS. 249 8. When you have assumed these names, good, modest, true, rational, a man of equanimity, and magnanimous, take care that you do not change these names; and if you should lose them, quickly return to them. And remember that the term Rational was intended to signify a discriminating attention to every several thing, and freedom from negligence ; and that Equanimity is the voluntary acceptance of the things which are assigned to you by the common nature ; and that Magnanimity is the elevation of the intelligent part above the pleasurable or painful sensations of the flesh, and above that poor thing called fame, and death, and all such things. If, then, you maintainest yourself in the possession of these names, without desiring to be called by these names by others, you will be another person and will enter on another life. For to continue to be such as you have hitherto been, and to be torn in pieces and defiled in such a life, is the character of a very stupid man and one over-fond of his life, and like those half-devoured fighters with wild beasts, who though covered with wounds and gore, still entreat to be kept to the following day, though they will be exposed in the same state to the same claws and bites.1 Therefore fix yourself in the pos- 1 See Seneca, Epp. 70, on these exhibitions which amused the people of those days. These fighters were the Bestiarri, some of whom may have been criminals; but even if they 250 MEDITATIONS. session of these few names t and if you are able to abide in them, abide as if you were removed to certain islands of the Happy.1 But if you shall perceive that you fallest out of them and do not maintain your hold, go courageously into some nook where you shall maintain them, or even depart at once from life, not in passion, but with simplicity and freedom and modesty, after doing this one [laudable] thing at least in your life, to have gone out of it thus. In order, however, to the remembrance of these names, it will greatly help you if you rememberest the gods, and that were, the exhibition was equally characteristic of the depraved habits of the spectators. 1 The islands of the Happy, or the Fortunatae Insulae, are spoken of by the Greek and Roman writers. They were the abode of Heroes, like Achilles and Diomedes, as we see in the Scolion of Harmodius and Aristogiton. Sertorius heard of the islands at Cadiz from some sailors who had been there, and he had a wish to go and live in them and rest from his troubles (Plutarch, Sertorius, c. 8). In the Odyssey, Proteus told Menelaus that he should not die in Argos, but be removed to a place at the boundary of the earth where Khadamanthus dwelt (Odyssey, iv. 565) : — " For there in sooth man's life is easiest : Nor snow nor raging storm nor rain is there But ever gently breathing gales of Zephyr Oceanus sends up to gladden man." It Is certain that the writer of the Odyssey only follows some old legend, without having any knowledge of any place which corresponds to his description. The two islands which Sertorius heard of may be Madeira and the adjacent island. Compare Pindar, 01. ii. 129.
MABCUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS. 251 they wish not to be flattered, but wish all reasonable beings to be made like themselves; and if you rememberest that what does the work of a fig-tree is a fig-tree, and that what does the work of a dog is a dog, and that what does the work of a bee is a bee, and that what does the work of a man is a mam 9. Mimi,1 war, astonishment, torpor, slavery, will daily wipe out those holy principles of your. f How many things without studying nature do you imagine, and how many do you neglect?3 But it is your duty so to look on and so to do everything, that at the same time the power of dealing with circumstances is perfected, and the contemplative faculty is exercised, and the confidence which comes from the knowledge of each several thing is maintained without showing it, but yet not concealed. For when will you enjoy simplicity, when gravity, and when the knowledge of every several thing, both what it is in substance, and what place it has in the universe, and how long it is formed to exist, and of what things it is compounded, and to whom it can belong, and, who are able both to give it and take it away? ■ Corais conjectured /tfcros " hatred ■ in place of Mimi, Roman plays in which action and gesticulation were all <** nearly all. 8 This is corrupt. See the edition of Schultz.
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