,illustration          ,the ,thoughts of
 the ,emperor ,marcus ,aurelius         
,antoninus          ,,long',s           
,,translation    ,,edited ,,by ,,edwin  
,,ginn          ,contents     ,,preface 
,,biographical ,,sketch   ,,the         
,,thoughts   ,,philosophy ,,of ,,marcus 
,,aurelius ,,antoninus   ,,general      
,,index          ,,transcriber',s       
,,note3 ,all the footnotes have been    
moved to the end of  the text4 ,i have  
also relabeled the book headings2 ,i41  
,,ii41 ''' ,,xi4 has  been changed to   
,,book ,i41 ,,book ,,ii41 ''' ,,book    
,,xi4 at the start of each  ,section4 ,i
 have also added a 8#a40 before the     
first 8thought0 in each  ,,book4        
,,preface4      ,perhaps some may       
question the wisdom of putting out the  
,thoughts of  ,marcus ,aurelius         
,antoninus to be used as a ,reader by   
children in the  schools4 ,it may appear
 to them better suited to the mature    
mind4 ,the  principle1 however1 that has
 governed us in selecting reading for   

the  young has been to secure the best  
that we could find in all ages for      
grown-up people4 ,the milk and water    
diet provided for 8my dear  children0 is
 not especially complimentary to them4  
,they like to be  treated like little   
men and women1 capable of appreciating a
 good  thing4 ,one finds in this royal  
philosopher a rare generosity1 sweetness
  and humility1 qualities alike suited  
to all ages4    ,adopting the           
philosopher's robe at twelve1 he remains
 a student all his  life4 ,the precepts 
that he would give for the government of
 others1 he  has practised upon himself4
 ,in his time1 as in ours1 there were   
good  physicians for the mind and body1 
who could make wise prescriptions for   
the government of their neighbors1 but  
were unable to apply them to            
themselves4 ,the faults of our fellows  
are so numerous and so easy to  cure    
that one is readily tempted to become   
the physician1 while our own  faults are
 so few and so unimportant that it is   

hardly worth while to  give any         
attention to them4 ,hence we have a     
multitude of physicians for  humanity in
 general1 and a scarcity of individual  
healers4    ,it was the doctrine of     
,marcus ,aurelius that most of the ills 
of life  come to us from our own        
imagination1 that it was not in the     
power of  others seriously to interfere 
with the calm1 temperate life of an     
individual1 and that when a fellow being
 did anything to us that seemed  unjust 
he was acting in ignorance1 and that    
instead of stirring up  anger within us 
it should stir our pity for him4        
,oftentimes by careful  self-examination
 we should find that the fault was more 
our own than  that of our fellow1 and   
our sufferings were rather from our own 
opinions than from anything real4 ,the  
circle of man's knowledge is very       
limited1 and the largest circles do not 
wholly include the smallest4  ,they are 
intersecting and the segment common to  
any two is very small4  ,whatever lies  

outside this space does not exist for   
both4 ,hence arise  innumerable         
contests4 ,the man having the largest   
intelligence ought to  be very generous 
to the other4 ,being thankful that he   
has been blessed  in so many ways1 he   
should do all in his power to enlighten 
his less  favored fellow1 rather than be
 angry with him on account of his       
misfortune4 ,is he not sufficiently     
punished in being denied the light8     
,assisting his uncle in the government  
of the great ,roman ,empire at          
seventeen1 it was his aim constantly to 
restrain the power of the  strong and to
 assist the weak4 ,he studied the laws  
of his country1 not  for wisdom alone1  
but that he might make them more        
beneficial to his  people4 ,all his life
 he tried to bring his fellows to a     
higher level1  and to think charitably  
of each other4 ,occupying himself a     
palace he  lived simply1 like other men4
 ,it was his greatest delight to retire 
to  his country home and there1 dwelling

 among his books1 to meditate upon  the 
great problems of life4 ,he claimed that
 a man's life should be  valued         
according to the value of the things to 
which he gave his  attention4 ,if his   
whole thought was given to clothing1    
feeding and  housing himself            
comfortably1 he should be valued like   
other well-housed  and well-fed animals4
 ,he would1 however1 derive the greatest
 pleasure  and benefit in this life by  
acting in accordance with reason1 which 
demands of every human being that his   
highest faculties should govern  all the
 rest1 and that each should see to it   
that he treated his fellow  kindly and  
generously and that if he could not     
assist him to a higher  level he should 
at least not stand in his way4 ,when he 
speaks of the  shortness of time and the
 value of fame1 riches and power1 for   
which  men strive in this world1 he     
speaks not from the standpoint of one   
who  would wish to obtain these things1 
but as a ,roman emperor enjoying the    

highest honors that man might expect to 
attain in this world4 ,he  certainly was
 in a position to speak intelligently   
concerning these  matters1 and his      
opinions ought to have weight with the  
coming  generations4 ,children may not  
prefer to read such thoughts2 perhaps   
the  majority of children do not prefer 
the ,bible to other books4 ,still1 we   
all think it is well for them to be     
obliged to read it4 ,perhaps  requiring 
the use of such literature in the       
schools might be as  valuable as the    
adding1 subtracting1 multiplying and    
dividing of  interminable numbers1 the  
memorizing of all the capes1 bays and   
rivers  in the world1 and the dates of  
all the battles that have occurred since
  the creation of man4 ,we should strive
 to stimulate the thinking powers  of   
children1 leading them to form wise     
judgments concerning the  important     
things of life1 without catering too    
much to their own wishes  at an age when
 they cannot form an intelligent opinion

 of what is best  for themselves4    ,at
 our first reading of the ,thoughts of  
,marcus ,aurelius ,antoninus1 we  marked
 many sentences that appeared to us     
specially good2 in the  second1 twice as
 many more4 ,where all is good it is    
hard to emphasize1  but we will cite    
just one of his reflections1 as         
illustrating the trend  of his mind3 8,i
 have often wondered10 he says1 8how it 
is that every  man loves himself more   
than all the rest of men1 and yet sets  
less  value on his own opinion of       
himself than on the opinion of others40 
,we have given ,long's translation of   
the ,thoughts complete1 as published  by
 ,messrs4 ,little1 ,brown  ,co41 but we 
have omitted some unimportant  portions 
of the biography and philosophy in the  
interest of space and  economy4 ,we have
 also given the philosophy in a         
supplement1 thinking it  better that it 
should come after the ,thoughts         
themselves4 ,we shall  issue a pocket   
edition on very thin paper for the      

convenience of such  as wish to make a  
special study of the work4 ,we also     
propose to issue a  similar edition of  
the writings of ,epictetus4    ,,edwin  
,,ginn4      ,january #bj1 #ahic4       
,,biographical ,,sketch ,,of ,,marcus   
,,aurelius ,,antoninus4      ,m4        
,antoninus1 the son of ,annius ,verus   
and ,domitia ,calvilla1 was born at     
,rome1 ,a4,d4 #aba4 ,the ,emperor ,t4   
,antoninus ,pius married ,faustina1 the 
sister of ,annius ,verus1 and was       
consequently the uncle of ,m4           
,antoninus4  ,when ,hadrian adopted     
,antoninus ,pius and declared him his   
successor in  the empire1 ,antoninus    
,pius adopted both ,l4 ,ceionius        
,commodus and ,m4  ,antoninus1 generally
 called ,m4 ,aurelius ,antoninus4       
,the youth was most carefully brought   
up4 ,he thanks the gods 7,i4 #ag7  that 
he had good grandfathers1 good parents1 
a good sister1 good  teachers1 good     
associates1 good kinsmen and friends1   
nearly everything  good4 ,he had the    

happy fortune to witness the example of 
his uncle and  adoptive father1         
,antoninus ,pius1 and he has recorded in
 his work 7,i4  #af2 ,,vi4 #cj7 the     
virtues of this excellent man and       
prudent ruler4 ,like  many young ,romans
 he tried his hand at poetry and studied
 rhetoric4  ,there are letters extant   
showing the great affection of the pupil
 for  the master1 and the master's great
 hopes of his industrious pupil4        
,when he was eleven years old he assumed
 the dress of philosophers1  something  
plain and coarse1 became a hard student1
 and lived a most  laborious1 abstemious
 life1 even so far as to injure his     
health4 ,he  abandoned poetry and       
rhetoric for philosophy1 and attached   
himself to  the sect of the ,stoics4    
,but he did not neglect the study of    
law1 which  was a useful preparation for
 the high place which he was designed to
  fill4 ,we must suppose that he learned
 the ,roman discipline of arms1  which  
was a necessary part of the education of

 a man who afterwards led  his troops to
 battle against a warlike race4         
,antoninus has recorded in his first    
book the names of his teachers1 and  the
 obligations which he owed to each of   
them4 ,the way in which he  speaks of   
what he learned from them might seem to 
savor of vanity or  self- praise1 if we 
look carelessly at the way in which he  
has  expressed himself2 but if anyone   
draws this conclusion1 he will be       
mistaken4 ,antoninus means to           
commemorate the merits of his several   
teachers1 what they taught1 and what a  
pupil might learn from them4  ,besides1 
this book1 like the eleven other books1 
was for his own use2  and if we may     
trust the note at the end of the first  
book1 it was  written during one of ,m4 
,antoninus' campaigns against the       
,quadi1 at a  time when the             
commemoration of the virtues of his     
illustrious teachers  might remind him  
of their lessons and the practical uses 
which he might  derive from them4       

,among his teachers of philosophy was   
,sextus of ,chaeroneia1 a grandson  of  
,plutarch4 ,what he learned from this   
excellent man is told by himself  7,i4  
#i74 ,his favorite teacher was ,rusticus
 7,i4 #g71 a philosopher1 and  also a   
man of practical good sense in public   
affairs4 ,rusticus was the  adviser of  
,antoninus after he became emperor4     
,young men who are  destined for high   
places are not often fortunate in those 
who are about  them1 their companions   
and teachers2 and ,i do not know any    
example of a  young prince having had an
 education which can be compared with   
that of  ,m4 ,antoninus4 ,such a body of
 teachers distinguished by their        
acquirements and their character will   
hardly be collected again2 and as  to   
the pupil1 we have not had one like him 
since4    ,hadrian died in ,july1 ,a4,d4
 #ach1 and was succeeded by ,antoninus  
,pius4 ,m4  ,antoninus married          
,faustina1 his cousin1 the daughter of  
,pius1 probably  about ,a4,d4 #adf1 for 

he had a daughter born in ,a4,d4 #adg4  
,he received  from his adoptive father  
the title of ,caesar1 and was associated
 with  him in the administration of the 
state4 ,the father and the adopted son  
lived together in perfect friendship and
 confidence4 ,antoninus was a  dutiful  
son1 and the emperor ,pius loved and    
esteemed him4    ,antoninus ,pius died  
,a4,d4 #afa4 ,the ,senate1 it is said1  
urged ,m4  ,antoninus to take the sole  
administration of the empire1 but he    
associated with himself the other       
adopted son of ,pius1 ,l4 ,ceionius     
,commodus1 who is generally called ,l4  
,verus4 ,thus ,rome for the first  time 
had two emperors4 ,verus was an indolent
 man of pleasure1 and  unworthy of his  
station4 ,antoninus however bore with   
him1 and it is  said that ,verus had    
sense enough to pay to his colleague the
 respect  due to his character4 ,a      
virtuous emperor and a loose partner    
lived  together in peace1 and their     
alliance was strengthened by ,antoninus 

giving to ,verus for wife his daughter  
,lucilla4    ,the reign of ,antoninus   
was first troubled by a ,parthian war1  
in which  ,verus was sent to command2   
but he did nothing1 and the success that
 was  obtained by the ,romans in        
,armenia and on the ,euphrates and      
,tigris was  due to his generals4 ,this 
,parthian war ended in ,a4,d4 #afe4     
,aurelius and  ,verus had a triumph     
7,a4,d4 #aff7 for the victories in the  
,east4 ,a  pestilence followed1 which   
carried off great numbers in ,rome and  
,italy1  and spread to the west of      
,europe4    ,the north of ,italy was    
also threatened by the rude people      
beyond the  ,alps from the borders of   
,gallia to the eastern side of the      
,hadriatic4  ,these barbarians attempted
 to break into ,italy1 as the ,germanic 
nations  had attempted near three       
hundred years before2 and the rest of   
the life  of ,antoninus1 with some      
intervals1 was employed in driving back 
the  invaders4 ,in ,a4,d4 #afi ,verus   

suddenly died1 and ,antoninus           
administered  the state alone4          
,during the ,german wars ,antoninus     
resided for three years on the ,danube  
at ,carnuntum4 ,the ,marcomanni were    
driven out of ,pannonia and almost      
destroyed in their retreat across the   
,danube2 and in ,a4,d4 #agd the  emperor
 gained a great victory over the ,quadi4
    ,in ,a4,d4 #age1 ,avidius ,cassius1 
a brave and skilful ,roman commander who
  was at the head of the troops in      
,asia1 revolted and declared himself    
,augustus4 ,but ,cassius was            
assassinated by some of his officers1   
and so  the rebellion came to an end4   
,antoninus showed his humanity by his   
treatment of the family and the         
partisans of ,cassius2 and his letter to
  the ,senate1 in which he recommends   
mercy1 is extant4    ,antoninus set out 
for the ,east on hearing of ,cassius'   
revolt4 ,though he  appears to have     
returned to ,rome in ,a4,d4 #agd1 he    
went back to prosecute  the war against 

the ,germans1 and it is probable that he
 marched direct  to the ,east from the  
,german war4 ,his wife ,faustina1 who   
accompanied him  into ,asia1 died       
suddenly at the foot of the ,taurus1 to 
the great grief  of her husband4        
,capitolinus1 who has written the life  
of ,antoninus1 and  also ,dion ,cassius 
accuse the empress of scandalous        
infidelity to her  husband and of       
abominable lewdness4 ,but ,capitolinus  
says that ,antoninus  either knew it not
 or pretended not to know it4 ,nothing  
is so common as  such malicious reports 
in all ages1 and the history of imperial
 ,rome is  full of them4 ,antoninus     
loved his wife1 and he says that she was
  8obedient1 affectionate1 and simple40 
,the same scandal had been spread  about
 ,faustina's mother1 the wife of        
,antoninus ,pius1 and yet he too was    
perfectly satisfied with his wife4      
,antoninus ,pius says after her death   
in a letter to ,fronto that he would    
rather have lived in exile with his     

wife than in his palace at ,rome without
 her4 ,there are not many men who  would
 give their wives a better character    
than these two emperors4  ,capitolinus  
wrote in the time of ,diocletian4 ,he   
may have intended to  tell the truth1   
but he is a poor1 feeble biographer4    
,dion ,cassius1 the  most malignant of  
historians1 always reports and perhaps  
he believed  any scandal against        
anybody4    ,antoninus continued his    
journey to ,syria and ,egypt1 and on his
 return  to ,italy through ,athens he   
was initiated into the ,eleusinian      
mysteries4  ,it was the practice of the 
emperor to conform to the established   
rites  of the age1 and to perform       
religious ceremonies with due solemnity4
 ,we  cannot conclude from this that he 
was a superstitious man1 though we      
might perhaps do so if his book did not 
show that he was not4 ,but this  is only
 one among many instances that a ruler's
 public acts do not  always prove his   
real opinions4 ,a prudent governor will 

not roughly  oppose even the            
superstitions of his people2 and though 
he may wish  that they were wiser1 he   
will know that he cannot make them so by
  offending their prejudices4           
,antoninus and his son ,commodus entered
 ,rome in triumph1 perhaps for  some    
,german victories1 ,a4,d4 #agf4 ,in the 
following year ,commodus was  associated
 with his father in the empire1 and took
 the name of  ,augustus4 ,this year     
,a4,d4 #agg is memorable in             
ecclesiastical history4  ,attalus and   
others were put to death at ,lyon for   
their adherence to the  ,christian      
religion4 ,the evidence of this         
persecution is a letter  preserved by   
,eusebius4 ,it contains a very          
particular description of the  tortures 
inflicted on the ,christians in ,gallia1
 and it states that  while the          
persecution was going on1 ,attalus1 a   
,christian and a ,roman  citizen1 was   
loudly demanded by the populace and     
brought into the  amphitheatre2 but the 

governor ordered him to be reserved1    
with the  rest who were in prison1 until
 he had received instructions from the  
emperor4 ,many had been tortured before 
the governor thought of applying  to    
,antoninus4 ,the imperial rescript1 says
 the letter1 was that the  ,christians  
should be punished1 but if they would   
deny their faith1 they  must be         
released4 ,on this the work began again4
 ,the ,christians who were  ,roman      
citizens were beheaded2 the rest were   
exposed to the wild beasts  in the      
amphitheatre4    ,the war on the        
northern frontier appears to have been  
uninterrupted  during the visit of      
,antoninus to the ,east1 and on his     
return the  emperor again left ,rome to 
oppose the barbarians4 ,the ,germanic   
people  were defeated in a great battle 
,a4,d4 #agi4 ,during this campaign the  
emperor was seized with some contagious 
malady1 of which he died in the  camp1  
,a4,d4 #ahj1 in the fifty-ninth year of 
his age4 ,his son ,commodus  was with   

him4 ,the body1 or the ashes probably1  
of the emperor were  carried to ,rome1  
and he received the honor of            
deification4 ,those who  could afford it
 had his statue or bust2 and when       
,capitolinus wrote1  many people still  
had statues of ,antoninus among the ,dei
 ,penates or  household deities4 ,he was
 in a manner made a saint4 ,commodus    
erected to  the memory of his father the
 ,antonine column which is now in the   
,piazza  ,colonna at ,rome4 ,the bassi  
rilievi which are placed in a spiral    
line  round the shaft commemorate the   
victories of ,antoninus over the        
,marcomanni and the ,quadi1 and the     
miraculous shower of rain which         
refreshed the ,roman soldiers and       
discomfited their enemies4 ,the statue  
of ,antoninus was placed on the capital 
of the column1 but it was  removed at   
some time unknown1 and a bronze statue  
of ,st4 ,paul was put  in the place by  
,pope ,sixtus the fifth4    ,in order to
 form a proper notion of the condition  

of the ,christians  under ,m4 ,antoninus
 we must go back to ,trajan's time4     
,when the younger  ,pliny was governor  
of ,bithynia1 the ,christians were      
numerous in those  parts1 and the       
worshippers of the old religion were    
falling off4 ,the  temples were         
deserted1 the festivals neglected1 and  
there were no  purchasers of victims for
 sacrifice4 ,those who were interested  
in the  maintenance of the old religion 
thus found that their profits were in   
danger4 ,christians of both sexes and of
 all ages were brought before  the      
governor1 who did not know what to do   
with them4 ,he could come to  no other  
conclusion than this1 that those who    
confessed to be  ,christians and        
persevered in their religion ought to be
 punished2 if  for nothing else1 for    
their invincible obstinacy4 ,he found no
 crimes  proved against the ,christians1
 and he could only characterize their   
religion as a depraved and extravagant  
superstition1 which might be  stopped if

 the people were allowed the opportunity
 of recanting4 ,pliny  wrote this in a  
letter to ,trajan4 ,he asked for the    
emperor's  directions1 because he did   
not know what to do4 ,he remarks that he
 had  never been engaged in judicial    
inquiries about the ,christians1 and    
that  accordingly he did not know what  
to inquire about or how far to inquire  
and punish4 ,this proves that it was not
 a new thing to examine into a  man's   
profession of ,christianity and to      
punish him for it4 ,trajan's  rescript  
is extant4 ,he approved of the          
governor's judgment in the  matter1 but 
he said that no search must be made     
after the ,christians2  if a man was    
charged with the new religion and       
convicted1 he must not  be punished if  
he affirmed that he was not a ,christian
 and confirmed  his denial by showing   
his reverence to the heathen gods4 ,he  
added that  no notice must be taken of  
anonymous informations1 for such things 
were  of bad example4 ,trajan was a mild

 and sensible man2 and both motives of  
mercy and policy probably also induced  
him to take as little notice of  the    
,christians as he could1 to let them    
live in quiet if it were  possible4     
,trajan's rescript is the first         
legislative act of the head of  the     
,roman state with reference to          
,christianity1 which is known to us4    
,it does not appear that the ,christians
 were further disturbed under his       
reign4    ,in the time of ,hadrian it   
was no longer possible for the ,roman   
government to overlook the great        
increase of the ,christians and the     
hostility of the common sort to them4   
,if the governors in the provinces  were
 willing to let them alone1 they could  
not resist the fanaticism of  the       
heathen community1 who looked on the    
,christians as atheists4 ,the  ,jews    
too1 who were settled all over the      
,roman ,empire1 were as hostile  to the 
,christians as the ,gentiles were4 ,with
 the time of ,hadrian begin  the        

,christian ,apologies1 which show       
plainly what the popular feeling        
towards the ,christians then was4 ,a    
rescript of ,hadrian to ,minucius       
,fundanus1 the ,proconsul of ,asia1     
which stands at the end of ,justin's    
first ,apology1 instructs the governor  
that innocent people must not be        
troubled1 and false accusers must not be
 allowed to extort money from  them2 the
 charges against the ,christians must be
 made in due form1 and  no attention    
must be paid to popular clamors2 when   
,christians were  regularly prosecuted  
and convicted of illegal acts1 they must
 be  punished according to their        
deserts2 and false accusers also must be
  punished4 ,antoninus ,pius is said to 
have published rescripts to the  same   
effect4 ,the terms of ,hadrian's        
rescript seem very favorable to the     
,christians2 but if we understand it in 
this sense1 that they were only  to be  
punished like other people for illegal  
acts1 it would have had no  meaning1 for

 that could have been done without      
asking the emperor's  advice4 ,the real 
purpose of the rescript is that         
,christians must be  punished if they   
persisted in their belief1 and would not
 prove their  renunciation of it by     
acknowledging the heathen religion4     
,in the time of ,m4 ,antoninus the      
opposition between the old and the new  
belief was still stronger1 and the      
adherents of the heathen religion  urged
 those in authority to a more regular   
resistance to the invasions  of the     
,christian faith4 ,melito in his        
,apology to ,m4 ,antoninus  represents  
the ,christians of ,asia as persecuted  
under new imperial  orders4 ,shameless  
informers1 he says1 men who were greedy 
after the  property of others1 used     
these orders as a means of robbing those
 who  were doing no harm4 ,he doubts if 
a just emperor could have ordered       
anything so unjust2 and if the last     
order was really not from the  emperor1 
the ,christians entreat him not to give 

them up to their  enemies4 ,we conclude 
from this that there were at least      
imperial  rescripts or constitutions of 
,m4 ,antoninus which were made the      
foundation of these persecutions4 ,the  
fact of being a ,christian was now  a   
crime and punished1 unless the accused  
denied their religion4 ,then  come the  
persecutions at ,smyrna1 which some     
modern critics place in  ,a4,d4 #afg1   
ten years before the persecution of     
,lyon4 ,the governors of  the provinces 
under ,m4 ,antoninus might have found   
enough even in  ,trajan's rescript to   
warrant them in punishing ,christians1  
and the  fanaticism of the people would 
drive them to persecution1 even if they 
were unwilling4 ,but besides the fact of
 the ,christians rejecting all  the     
heathen ceremonies1 we must not forget  
that they plainly maintained  that all  
the heathen religions were false4 ,the  
,christians thus declared  war against  
the heathen rites1 and it is hardly     
necessary to observe  that this was a   

declaration of hostility against the    
,roman government1  which tolerated all 
the various forms of superstition that  
existed in  the empire1 and could not   
consistently tolerate another religion1 
which  declared that all the rest were  
false and all the splendid ceremonies   
of the empire only a worship of devils4 
,if we had a true ecclesiastical        
history1 we should know how the ,roman  
emperors attempted to check the new     
religion2 how they enforced their       
principle of finally punishing          
,christians1 simply as ,christians1     
which  ,justin in his ,apology affirms  
that they did1 and ,i have no doubt that
  he tells the truth2 how far popular   
clamor and riots went in this  matter1  
and how far many fanatical and ignorant 
,christians--for there  were many       
such--contributed to excite the         
fanaticism on the other side  and to    
imbitter the quarrel between the ,roman 
government and the new  religion4 ,our  
extant ecclesiastical histories are     

manifestly falsified1  and what truth   
they contain is grossly exaggerated2 but
 the fact is  certain that in the time  
of ,m4 ,antoninus the heathen           
populations were  in open hostility to  
the ,christians1 and that under         
,antoninus' rule men  were put to death 
because they were ,christians4          
,eusebius1 in the  preface to his fifth 
book1 remarks that in the seventeenth   
year of  ,antoninus' reign1 in some     
parts of the world1 the persecution of  
the  ,christians became more violent1   
and that it proceeded from the populace 
in the cities2 and he adds1 in his usual
 style of exaggeration1 that we  may    
infer from what took place in a single  
nation that myriads of  martyrs were    
made in the habitable earth4 ,the nation
 which he alludes  to is ,gallia2 and he
 then proceeds to give the letter of the
 churches  of ,vienna and ,lugdunum4 ,it
 is probable that he has assigned the   
true  cause of the persecutions1 the    
fanaticism of the populace1 and that    

both governors and emperor had a great  
deal of trouble with these              
disturbances4 ,how far ,marcus was      
cognizant of these cruel proceedings  we
 do not know1 for the historical records
 of his reign are very  defective4 ,he  
did not make the rule against the       
,christians1 for ,trajan  did that2 and 
if we admit that he would have been     
willing to let the  ,christians alone1  
we cannot affirm that it was in his     
power1 for it  would be a great mistake 
to suppose that ,antoninus had the      
unlimited  authority which some modern  
sovereigns have had4 ,his power was     
limited  by certain constitutional      
forms1 by the ,senate1 and by the       
precedents  of his predecessors4 ,we    
cannot admit that such a man was an     
active  persecutor1 for there is no     
evidence that he was1 though it is      
certain  that he had no good opinion of 
the ,christians1 as appears from his own
  words4 ,but he knew nothing of them   
except their hostility to the ,roman    

religion1 and he probably thought that  
they were dangerous to the  state1      
notwithstanding the professions false or
 true of some of the  ,apologists4 ,so  
much ,i have said1 because it would be  
unfair not to  state all that can be    
urged against a man whom his            
contemporaries and  subsequent ages     
venerated as a model of virtue and      
benevolence4 ,if ,i  admitted the       
genuineness of some documents1 he would 
be altogether  clear from the charge of 
even allowing any persecutions2 but as  
,i seek  the truth and am sure that they
 are false1 ,i leave him to bear        
whatever  blame is his due4 ,i add that 
it is quite certain that ,antoninus did 
not  derive any of his ethical          
principles from a religion of which he  
knew  nothing4    ,there is no doubt    
that the ,emperor's ,reflections--or his
 ,meditations1 as  they are generally   
named--is a genuine work4 ,in the first 
book he speaks  of himself1 his family1 
and his teachers2 and in other books he 

mentions himself4    ,it is plain that  
the emperor wrote down his thoughts or  
reflections as  the occasions arose2 and
 since they were intended for his own   
use1 it  is no improbable conjecture    
that he left a complete copy behind him 
written with his own hand2 for it is not
 likely that so diligent a man  would   
use the labor of a transcriber for such 
a purpose1 and expose his  most secret  
thoughts to any other eye4 ,he may have 
also intended the  book for his son     
,commodus1 who however had no taste for 
his father's  philosophy4    ,the last  
reflection of the ,stoic philosophy that
 ,i have observed is in  ,simplicius'   
,commentary on the ,enchiridion of      
,epictetus4 ,simplicius was  not a      
,christian1 and such a man was not      
likely to be converted at a  time when  
,christianity was grossly corrupted4    
,but he was a really  religious man1 and
 he concludes his commentary with a     
prayer to the  ,deity which no          
,christian could improve4 ,from the time

 of ,zeno to  ,simplicius1 a period of  
about nine hundred years1 the ,stoic    
philosophy  formed the characters of    
some of the best and greatest men4 ,a   
man's  greatness lies not in wealth and 
station1 as the vulgar believe1 nor  yet
 in his intellectual capacity1 which is 
often associated with the  meanest moral
 character1 the most abject servility to
 those in high  places1 and arrogance to
 the poor and lowly2 but a man's true   
greatness  lies in the consciousness of 
an honest purpose in life1 founded on a 
just estimate of himself and everything 
else1 on frequent  self-examination1 and
 a steady obedience to the rule which he
 knows to  be right1 without troubling  
himself1 as the emperor says he should  
not1  about what others may think or    
say1 or whether they do or do not do    
that which he thinks and says and does4 
,,the ,,thoughts ,,of ,,marcus          
,,aurelius ,,antoninus4          ,,book 
,i4      #a4 ,from my grandfather ,verus
 ,i learned good morals and the         

government  of my temper4    #b4 ,from  
the reputation and remembrance of my    
father1 modesty and a  manly character4 
#c4 ,from my mother1 piety and          
beneficence1 and abstinence1 not only   
from  evil deeds1 but even from evil    
thoughts2 and further1 simplicity in my 
way of living1 far removed from the     
habits of the rich4    #d4 ,from my     
great-grandfather1 not to have          
frequented public schools1  and to have 
had good teachers at home1 and to know  
that on such things  a man should spend 
liberally4    #e4 ,from my governor1 to 
be neither of the green nor of the blue 
party  at the games in the ,circus1 nor 
a partisan either of the ,parmularius or
  the ,scutarius at the gladiators'     
fights2 from him too ,i learned         
endurance of labor1 and to want little1 
and to work with my own hands1  and not 
to meddle with other people's affairs1  
and not to be ready to  listen to       
slander4    #f4 ,from ,diognetus1 not to
 busy myself about trifling things1 and 

not to  give credit to what was said by 
miracle-workers and jugglers about      
incantations and the driving away of    
daemons and such things2 and not  to    
breed quails for fighting1 nor to give  
myself up passionately to  such things2 
and to endure freedom of speech2 and to 
have become  intimate with philosophy2  
and to have been a hearer1 first of     
,bacchius1  then of ,tandasis and       
,marcianus2 and to have written         
dialogues in my  youth2 and to have     
desired a plank bed and skin1 and       
whatever else of  the kind belongs to   
the ,grecian discipline4    #g4 ,from   
,rusticus ,i received the impression    
that my character required  improvement 
and discipline2 and from him ,i learned 
not to be led astray  to sophistic      
emulation1 nor to writing on speculative
 matters1 nor to  delivering little     
hortatory orations1 nor to showing      
myself off as a  man who practices much 
discipline1 or does benevolent acts in  
order to  make a display2 and to abstain

 from rhetoric1 and poetry1 and fine    
writing2 and not to walk about in the   
house in my outdoor dress1 nor to  do   
other things of the kind2 and to write  
my letters with simplicity1  like the   
letter which ,rusticus wrote from       
,sinuessa to my mother2 and  with       
respect to those who have offended me by
 words1 or done me wrong1  to be easily 
disposed to be pacified and reconciled1 
as soon as they  have shown a readiness 
to be reconciled2 and to read carefully1
 and not  to be satisfied with a        
superficial understanding of a book2 nor
 hastily  to give my assent to those who
 talk overmuch2 and ,i am indebted to   
him  for being acquainted with the      
discourses of ,epictetus1 which he      
communicated to me out of his own       
collection4    #h4 ,from ,apollonius ,i 
learned freedom of will and undeviating 
steadiness  of purpose2 and to look to  
nothing else1 not even for a moment1    
except  to reason2 and to be always the 
same1 in sharp pains1 on the occasion   

of the loss of a child1 and in long     
illness2 and to see clearly in a  living
 example that the same man can be both  
most resolute and  yielding1 and not    
peevish in giving his instruction2 and  
to have had  before my eyes a man who   
clearly considered his experience and   
his  skill in expounding philosophical  
principles as the smallest of his       
merits2 and from him ,i learned how to  
receive from friends what are  esteemed 
favors1 without being either humbled by 
them or letting them  pass unnoticed4   
#i4 ,from ,sextus1 a benevolent         
disposition1 and the example of a family
  governed in a fatherly manner1 and the
 idea of living conformably to  nature2 
and gravity without affectation1 and to 
look carefully after  the interests of  
friends1 and to tolerate ignorant       
persons1 and those  who form opinions   
without consideration3 he had the power 
of readily  accommodating himself to    
all1 so that intercourse with him was   
more  agreeable than any flattery2 and  

at the same time he was most highly     
venerated by those who associated with  
him3 and he had the faculty both  of    
discovering and ordering1 in an         
intelligent and methodical way1 the     
principles necessary for life2 and he   
never showed anger or any other         
passion1 but was entirely free from     
passion1 and also most  affectionate2   
and he could express approbation without
 noisy display1  and he possessed much  
knowledge without ostentation4    #aj4  
,from ,alexander the grammarian1 to     
refrain from fault-finding1 and  not in 
a reproachful way to chide those who    
uttered any barbarous or  solecistic or 
strange-sounding expression2 but        
dexterously to introduce  the very      
expression which ought to have been     
used1 and in the way of  answer or      
giving confirmation1 or joining in an   
inquiry about the thing  itself1 not    
about the word1 or by some other fit    
suggestion4    #aa4 ,from ,fronto ,i    
learned to observe what envy and        

duplicity and  hypocrisy are in a       
tyrant1 and that generally those among  
us who are  called ,patricians are      
rather deficient in paternal affection4 
#ab4 ,from ,alexander the ,platonic1 not
 frequently nor without necessity  to   
say to any one1 or to write in a letter1
 that ,i have no leisure2 nor           
continually to excuse the neglect of    
duties required by our relation to      
those with whom we live1 by alleging    
urgent occupations4    #ac4 ,from       
,catulus1 not to be indifferent when a  
friend finds fault1 even  if he should  
find fault without reason1 but to try to
 restore him to  his usual disposition2 
and to be ready to speak well of        
teachers1 as it  is reported of         
,domitius and ,athenodotus2 and to love 
my children truly4    #ad4 ,from my     
brother ,severus1 to love my kin1 and to
 love truth1 and to  love justice2 and  
through him ,i learned to know ,thrasea1
 ,helvidius1  ,cato1 ,dion1 ,brutus2 and
 from him ,i received the idea of a     

polity in  which there is the same law  
for all1 a polity administered with     
regard  to equal rights and equal       
freedom of speech1 and the idea of a    
kingly  government which respects most  
of all the freedom of the governed2 ,i  
learned from him also consistency and   
undeviating steadiness in my  regard for
 philosophy2 and a disposition to do    
good1 and to give to  others readily1   
and to cherish good hopes1 and to       
believe that ,i am  loved by my friends2
 and in him ,i observed no concealment  
of his  opinions with respect to those  
whom he condemned1 and that his friends 
had no need to conjecture what he wished
 or did not wish1 but it was  quite     
plain4    #ae4 ,from ,maximus ,i learned
 self-government1 and not to be led     
aside by  anything2 and cheerfulness in 
all circumstances1 as well as in        
illness2  and a just admixture in the   
moral character of sweetness and        
dignity1  and to do what was set before 
me without complaining4 ,i observed that

  everybody believed that he thought as 
he spoke1 and that in all that he  did  
he never had any bad intention2 and he  
never showed amazement and  surprise1   
and was never in a hurry1 and never put 
off doing a thing1  nor was perplexed   
nor dejected1 nor did he ever laugh to  
disguise his  vexation1 nor1 on the     
other hand1 was he ever passionate or   
suspicious4  ,he was accustomed to do   
acts of beneficence1 and was ready to   
forgive1  and was free from all         
falsehood2 and he presented the         
appearance of a  man who could not be   
diverted from right1 rather than of a   
man who had  been improved4 ,i observed1
 too1 that no man could ever think that 
he  was despised by ,maximus1 or ever   
venture to think himself a better man4  
,he had also the art of being humorous  
in an agreeable way4    #af4 ,in my     
father ,i observed mildness of temper1  
and unchangeable  resolution in the     
things which he had determined after due
  deliberation2 and no vain-glory in    

those things which men call honors2  and
 a love of labor and perseverance2 and a
 readiness to listen to  those who had  
anything to propose for the common weal2
 and undeviating  firmness in giving to 
every man according to his deserts2 and 
a  knowledge derived from experience of 
the occasions for vigorous action  and  
for remission4 ,and ,i observed that he 
had overcome all passion for  boys2 and 
he considered himself no more than any  
other citizen2 and he  released his     
friends from all obligation to sup with 
him or to attend  him of necessity when 
he went abroad1 and those who had failed
 to  accompany him1 by reason of any    
urgent circumstances1 always found him  
the same4 ,i observed1 too1 his habit of
 careful inquiry in all matters  of     
deliberation1 and his persistency1 and  
that he never stopped his  investigation
 through being satisfied with           
appearances which first  present        
themselves2 and that his disposition was
 to keep his friends1  and not to be    

soon tired of them1 nor yet to be       
extravagant in his  affection2 and to be
 satisfied on all occasions1 and        
cheerful2 and to  foresee things a long 
way off1 and to provide for the smallest
 without  display2 and to check         
immediately popular applause and all    
flattery2  and to be ever watchful over 
the things which were necessary for the 
administration of the empire1 and to be 
a good manager of the  expenditure1 and 
patiently to endure the blame which he  
got for such  conduct2 and he was       
neither superstitious with respect to   
the gods1 nor  did he court men by gifts
 or by trying to please them1 or by     
flattering  the populace2 but he showed 
sobriety in all things and firmness1 and
  never any mean thoughts or action1 nor
 love of novelty4 ,and the things  which
 conduce in any way to the commodity of 
life1 and of which fortune  gives an    
abundant supply1 he used without        
arrogance and without  excusing himself2
 so that when he had them1 he enjoyed   

them without  affectation1 and when he  
had them not1 he did not want them4 ,no 
one  could ever say of him that he was  
either a sophist or a home-bred         
flippant slave or a pedant2 but every   
one acknowledged him to be a man  ripe1 
perfect1 above flattery1 able to manage 
his own and other men's  affairs4       
,besides this1 he honored those who were
 true philosophers1 and  he did not     
reproach those who pretended to be      
philosophers1 nor yet was  he easily led
 by them4 ,he was also easy in          
conversation1 and he made  himself      
agreeable without any offensive         
affectation4 ,he took a  reasonable care
 of his body's health1 not as one who   
was greatly  attached to life1 nor out  
of regard to personal appearance1 nor   
yet in  a careless way1 but so that     
through his own attention he very seldom
  stood in need of the physician's art  
or of medicine or external              
applications4 ,he was most ready to give
 without envy to those who  possessed   

any particular faculty1 such as that of 
eloquence or  knowledge of the law or of
 morals1 or of anything else2 and he    
gave  them his help1 that each might    
enjoy reputation according to his       
deserts2 and he always acted conformably
 to the institutions of his  country1   
without showing any affectation of doing
 so4 ,further1 he was  not fond of      
change nor unsteady1 but he loved to    
stay in the same  places1 and to employ 
himself about the same things2 and after
 his  paroxysms of headache he came     
immediately fresh and vigorous to his   
usual occupations4 ,his secrets were not
 many1 but very few and very  rare1 and 
these only about public matters2 and he 
showed prudence and  economy in the     
exhibition of the public spectacles and 
the construction  of public buildings1  
his donations to the people1 and in such
 things1  for he was a man who looked to
 what ought to be done1 not to the      
reputation which is got by a man's acts4
 ,he did not take the bath at           

unseasonable hours2 he was not fond of  
building houses1 nor curious  about what
 he ate1 nor about the texture and color
 of his clothes1 nor  about the beauty  
of his slaves4#a ,his dress came from   
,lorium1 his  villa on the coast1 and   
from ,lanuvium generally4#b ,we know how
 he  behaved to the toll-collector at   
,tusculum who asked his pardon2 and     
such was all his behavior4 ,there was in
 him nothing harsh1 nor  implacable1 nor
 violent1 nor1 as one may say1 anything 
carried to the  sweating point2 but he  
examined all things severally1 as if he 
had  abundance of time1 and without     
confusion1 in an orderly way1 vigorously
  and consistently4 ,and that might be  
applied to him which is recorded of     
,socrates1 that he was able both to     
abstain from1 and to enjoy1 those       
things which many are too weak to       
abstain from1 and cannot enjoy  without 
excess4 ,but to be strong enough both to
 bear the one and to be  sober in the   
other is the mark of a man who has a    

perfect and  invincible soul1 such as he
 showed in the illness of ,maximus4     
#ag4 ,to the gods ,i am indebted for    
having good grandfathers1 good  parents1
 a good sister1 good teachers1 good     
associates1 good kinsmen  and friends1  
nearly everything good4 ,further1 ,i owe
 it to the gods that  ,i was not hurried
 into any offence against any of them1  
though ,i had a  disposition which1 if  
opportunity had offered1 might have led 
me to do  something of this kind2 but1  
through their favor1 there never was    
such  a concurrence of circumstances as 
put me to the trial4 ,further1 ,i am    
thankful to the gods that ,i was not    
longer brought up with my  grandfather's
 concubine1 and that ,i preserved the   
flower of my youth1  and that ,i did not
 make proof of my virility before the   
proper season1  but even deferred the   
time2 that ,i was subjected to a ruler  
and a  father who was able to take away 
all pride from me1 and to bring me to   
the knowledge that it is possible for a 

man to live in a palace without  wanting
 either guards or embroidered dresses1  
or torches and statues1  and such-like  
show2 but that it is in such a man's    
power to bring  himself very near to the
 fashion of a private person1 without   
being for  this reason either meaner in 
thought1 or more remiss in action1 with 
respect to the things which must be done
 for the public interest in a  manner   
that befits a ruler4 ,i thank the gods  
for giving me such a  brother1 who was  
able by his moral character to rouse me 
to vigilance  over myself1 and who at   
the same time pleased me by his respect 
and  affection2 that my children have   
not been stupid nor deformed in body2   
that ,i did not make more proficiency in
 rhetoric1 poetry1 and the other        
studies1 in which ,i should perhaps have
 been completely engaged1 if ,i  had    
seen that ,i was making progress in     
them2 that ,i made haste to place  those
 who brought me up in the station of    
honor1 which they seemed to  desire1    

without putting them off with hope of my
 doing it some other  time after1       
because they were then still young2 that
 ,i knew ,apollonius1  ,rusticus1       
,maximus2 that ,i received clear and    
frequent impressions about  living      
according to nature1 and what kind of a 
life that is1 so that1  so far as       
depended on the gods1 and their gifts1  
and help1 and  inspirations1 nothing    
hindered me from forthwith living       
according to  nature1 though ,i still   
fall short of it through my own fault1  
and  through not observing the          
admonitions of the gods1 and1 ,i may    
almost  say1 their direct instructions2 
that my body has held out so long in    
such a kind of life2 that ,i never      
touched either ,benedicta or            
,theodotus1 and that1 after having      
fallen into amatory passions1 ,i was    
cured1 and though ,i was often out of   
humor with ,rusticus1 ,i never did      
anything of which ,i had occasion to    
repent2 that1 though it was my  mother's

 fate to die young1 she spent the last  
years of her life with  me2 that1       
whenever ,i wished to help any man in   
his need1 or on any  other occasion1 ,i 
was never told that ,i had not the means
 of doing it2  and that to myself the   
same necessity never happened1 to       
receive  anything from another2 that ,i 
have such a wife1 so obedient1 and so   
affectionate1 and so simple2 that ,i had
 abundance of good masters for  my      
children2 and that remedies have been   
shown to me by dreams1 both  others1 and
 against bloodspitting and giddiness    
'''2 and that1 when ,i had  an          
inclination to philosophy1 ,i did not   
fall into the hands of any  sophist1 and
 that ,i did not waste my time on       
writers of histories1 or  in the        
resolution of syllogisms1 or occupy     
myself about the  investigation of      
appearances in the heavens2 for all     
these things  require the help of the   
gods and fortune4    ,among the ,quadi  
at the ,granua4#c          ,,book ,,ii4 

,begin the morning by saying to thyself1
 ,i shall meet with the busybody1  the  
ungrateful1 arrogant1 deceitful1        
envious1 unsocial4 ,all these  things   
happen to them by reason of their       
ignorance of what is good and  evil4    
,but ,i who have seen the nature of the 
good that it is beautiful1  and of the  
bad that it is ugly1 and the nature of  
him who does wrong1  that it is akin to 
me1 not only of the same blood or seed1 
but that  it participates in the same   
intelligence and the same portion of    
the divinity1 ,i can neither be injured 
by any of them1 for no one can  fix on  
me what is ugly1 nor can ,i be angry    
with my kinsman1 nor hate  him4 ,for we 
are made for co-operation1 like feet1   
like hands1 like  eyelids1 like the rows
 of the upper and lower teeth4 ,to act  
against one  another1 then1 is contrary 
to nature2 and it is acting against one 
another to be vexed and to turn away4   
#b4 ,whatever this is that ,i am1 it is 
a little flesh and breath1 and the      

ruling part4 ,throw away thy books2 no  
longer distract thyself3 it is  not     
allowed2 but as if thou wast now dying1 
despise the flesh2 it is  blood and     
bones and a network1 a contexture of    
nerves1 veins1 and  arteries4 ,see the  
breath also1 what kind of a thing it is2
 air1 and not  always the same1 but     
every moment sent out and again sucked  
in4 ,the  third1 then1 is the ruling    
part1 consider thus3 ,thou art an old   
man2 no  longer let this be a slave1 no 
longer be pulled by the strings like a  
puppet to unsocial movements1 no longer 
be either dissatisfied with thy  present
 lot1 or shrink from the future4    #c4 
,all that is from the gods is full of   
providence4 ,that which is from  fortune
 is not separated from nature or without
 an interweaving and  involution with   
the things which are ordered by         
providence4 ,from thence  all things    
flow2 and there is besides necessity1   
and that which is for  the advantage of 
the whole universe1 of which thou art a 

part4 ,but that  is good for every part 
of nature which the nature of the whole 
brings1  and what serves to maintain    
this nature4 ,now the universe is       
preserved1  as by the changes of the    
elements so by the changes of things    
compounded of the elements4 ,let these  
principles be enough for thee2  let them
 always be fixed opinions4 ,but cast    
away the thirst after  books1 that thou 
mayest not die murmuring1 but           
cheerfully1 truly1 and  from thy heart  
thankful to the gods4    #d4 ,remember  
how long thou hast been putting off     
these things1 and how  often thou hast  
received an opportunity from the gods1  
and yet dost not  use it4 ,thou must now
 at last perceive of what universe thou 
art now a  part1 and of what            
administrator of the universe thy       
existence is an  efflux1 and that a     
limit of time is fixed for thee1 which  
if thou dost  not use for clearing away 
the clouds from thy mind1 it will go and
 thou  wilt go1 and it will never       

return4    #e4 ,every moment think      
steadily as a ,roman and a man to do    
what thou  hast in hand with perfect and
 simple dignity1 and feeling of         
affection1  and freedom1 and justice1   
and to give thyself relief from all     
other  thoughts4 ,and thou wilt give    
thyself relief if thou dost every act of
  thy life as if it were the last1      
laying aside all carelessness and       
passionate aversion from the commands of
 reason1 and all hypocrisy1 and         
self-love1 and discontent with the      
portion which has been given to  thee4  
,thou seest how few the things are1 the 
which if a man lays hold  of1 he is able
 to live a life which flows in quiet1   
and is like the  existence of the gods2 
for the gods on their part will require 
nothing  more from him who observes     
these things4    #f4 ,do wrong to       
thyself1 do wrong to thyself1 my soul2  
but thou wilt no  longer have the       
opportunity of honoring thyself4 ,every 
man's life is  sufficient4 ,but thine is

 nearly finished1 though thy soul       
reverences  not itself1 but places thy  
felicity in the souls of others4    #g4 
,do the things external which fall upon 
thee distract thee8 ,give  thyself time 
to learn something new and good1 and    
cease to be whirled  around4 ,but then  
thou must also avoid being carried about
 the other  way2 for those too are      
triflers who have wearied themselves in 
life by  their activity1 and yet have no
 object to which to direct every        
movement1 and1 in a word1 all their     
thoughts4    #h4 ,through not observing 
what is in the mind of another a man has
  seldom been seen to be unhappy2 but   
those who do not observe the  movements 
of their own minds must of necessity be 
unhappy4    #i4 ,this thou must always  
bear in mind1 what is the nature of the 
whole1  and what is my nature1 and how  
this is related to that1 and what kind  
of a part it is of what kind of a whole1
 and that there is no one who  hinders  
thee from always doing and saying the   

things which are  according to the      
nature of which thou art a part4    #aj4
 ,theophrastus1 in his comparison of bad
 acts--such a comparison as  one would  
make in accordance with the common      
notions of mankind--says1  like a true  
philosopher1 that the offences which are
 committed through  desire are more     
blamable than those which are committed 
through anger4  ,for he who is excited  
by anger seems to turn away from reason 
with a  certain pain and unconscious    
contraction2 but he who offends through 
desire1 being overpowered by pleasure1  
seems to be in a manner more            
intemperate and more womanish in his    
offences4 ,rightly1 then1 and in a  way 
worthy of philosophy1 he said that the  
offence which is committed  with        
pleasure is more blamable than that     
which is committed with pain2  and on   
the whole the one is more like a person 
who has been first  wronged and through 
pain is compelled to be angry2 but the  
other is  moved by his own impulse to do

 wrong1 being carried towards doing     
something by desire4    #aa4 ,since it  
is possible that thou mayest depart from
 life this very  moment1 regulate every 
act and thought accordingly4 ,but to go 
away from  among men1 if there are gods1
 is not a thing to be afraid of1 for the
  gods will not involve thee in evil2   
but if indeed they do not exist1 or  if 
they have no concern about human        
affairs1 what is it to me to live  in a 
universe devoid of gods or devoid of    
providence8 ,but in truth they  do      
exist1 and they do care for human       
things1 and they have put all the  means
 in man's power to enable him not to    
fall into real evils4 ,and as  to the   
rest1 if there was anything evil1 they  
would have provided for  this also1 that
 it should be altogether in a man's     
power not to fall  into it4 ,now that   
which does not make a man worse1 how can
 it make a  man's life worse8 ,but      
neither through ignorance1 nor having   
the  knowledge but not the power to     

guard against or correct these things1  
is it possible that the nature of the   
universe has overlooked them2 nor  is it
 possible that it has made so great a   
mistake1 either through want  of power  
or want of skill1 that good and evil    
should happen  indiscriminately to the  
good and the bad4 ,but death certainly1 
and  life1 honor and dishonor1 pain and 
pleasure1--all these things equally     
happen to good men and bad1 being things
 which make us neither better  nor      
worse4 ,therefore they are neither good 
nor evil4    #ab4 ,how quickly all      
things disappear1--in the universe the  
bodies  themselves1 but in time the     
remembrance of them4 ,what is the nature
 of  all sensible things1 and           
particularly those which attract with   
the bait  of pleasure or terrify by     
pain1 or are noised abroad by vapory    
fame2  how worthless1 and contemptible1 
and sordid1 and perishable1 and dead    
they are1--all this it is the part of   
the intellectual faculty to  observe4   

,to observe too who these are whose     
opinions and voices give  reputation2   
what death is1 and the fact that1 if a  
man looks at it in  itself1 and by the  
abstractive power of reflection resolves
 into their  parts all the things which 
present themselves to the imagination in
 it1  he will then consider it to be    
nothing else than an operation of       
nature2 and if any one is afraid of an  
operation of nature1 he is a  child4    
,this1 however1 is not only an operation
 of nature1 but it is  also a thing     
which conduces to the purposes of       
nature4 ,to observe too  how man comes  
near to the ,deity1 and by what part of 
him1 and when this  part of man is so   
disposed 7,,vi4 #bh74    #ac4 ,nothing  
is more wretched than a man who         
traverses everything in a  round1 and   
pries into the things beneath the earth1
 as the poet says1  and seeks by        
conjecture what is in the minds of his  
neighbors1 without  perceiving that it  
is sufficient to attend to the daemon   

within him1  and to reverence it        
sincerely4 ,and reverence of the daemon 
consists in  keeping it pure from       
passion and thoughtlessness1 and        
dissatisfaction  with what comes from   
gods and men4 ,for the things from the  
gods merit  veneration for their        
excellence2 and the things from men     
should be dear  to us by reason of      
kinship2 and sometimes even1 in a       
manner1 they move  our pity by reason of
 men's ignorance of good and bad2 this  
defect  being not less than that which  
deprives us of the power of             
distinguishing things that are white and
 black4    #ad4 ,though thou shouldest  
be going to live three thousand years1  
and as  many times ten thousand years1  
still remember that no man loses any    
other life than this which he now lives1
 nor lives any other than this  which he
 now loses4 ,the longest and shortest   
are thus brought to the  same4 ,for the 
present is the same to all1 though that 
which perishes is  not the same2 and so 

that which is lost appears to be a mere 
moment4  ,for a man cannot lose either  
the past or the future3 for what a man  
has  not1 how can any one take this from
 him8 ,these two things then thou  must 
bear in mind2 the one1 that all things  
from eternity are of like  forms and    
come round in a circle1 and that it     
makes no difference  whether a man shall
 see the same things during a hundred   
years1 or two  hundred1 or an infinite  
time2 and the second1 that the longest  
liver  and he who will die soonest lose 
just the same4 ,for the present is the  
only thing of which a man can be        
deprived1 if it is true that this is    
the only thing which he has1 and that a 
man cannot lose a thing if he  has it   
not4    #ae4 ,remember that all is      
opinion4 ,for what was said by the      
,cynic  ,monimus is manifest3 and       
manifest too is the use of what was     
said1 if a  man receives what may be got
 out of it as far as it is true4    #af4
 ,the soul of man does violence to      

itself1 first of all1 when it  becomes  
an abscess1 and1 as it were1 a tumor on 
the universe1 so far as  it can4 ,for to
 be vexed at anything which happens is a
 separation of  ourselves from nature1  
in some part of which the natures of all
 other  things are contained4 ,in the   
next place1 the soul does violence to   
itself when it turns away from any man1 
or even moves towards him with  the     
intention of injuring1 such as are the  
souls of those who are  angry4 ,in the  
third place1 the soul does violence to  
itself when it is  overpowered by       
pleasure or by pain4 ,fourthly1 when it 
plays a part1 and  does or says anything
 insincerely and untruly4 ,fifthly1 when
 it allows  any act of its own and any  
movement to be without an aim1 and does 
anything thoughtlessly and without      
considering what it is1 it being  right 
that even the smallest things be done   
with reference to an end2  and the end  
of rational animals is to follow the    
reason and the law of  the most ancient 

city and polity4    #ag4 ,of human life 
the time is a point1 and the substance  
is in a flux1  and the perception dull1 
and the composition of the whole body   
subject  to putrefaction1 and the soul a
 whirl1 and fortune hard to divine1 and 
fame a thing devoid of judgment4 ,and1  
to say all in a word1 everything  which 
belongs to the body is a stream1 and    
what belongs to the soul is  a dream and
 vapor1 and life is a warfare and a     
stranger's sojourn1 and  after--fame is 
oblivion4 ,what then is that which is   
able to conduct a  man8 ,one thing1 and 
only one1 philosophy4 ,but this consists
 in keeping  the daemon within a man    
free from violence and unharmed1        
superior to  pains and pleasures1 doing 
nothing without a purpose1 nor yet      
falsely  and with hypocrisy1 not feeling
 the need of another man's doing or not 
doing anything2 and besides1 accepting  
all that happens1 and all that  is      
allotted1 as coming from thence1        
wherever it is1 from whence he  himself 

came2 and1 finally1 waiting for death   
with a cheerful mind1 as  being nothing 
else than a dissolution of the elements 
of which every  living being is         
compounded4 ,but if there is no harm to 
the elements  themselves in each        
continually changing into another1 why  
should a man  have any apprehension     
about the change and dissolution of all 
the  elements8 ,for it is according to  
nature1 and nothing is evil which is    
according to nature4    ,this in        
,carnuntum4          ,,book ,,iii4      
#a4 ,we ought to consider not only that 
our life is daily wasting away  and a   
smaller part of it is left1 but another 
thing also must be taken  into the      
account1 that if a man should live      
longer1 it is quite  uncertain whether  
the understanding will still continue   
sufficient for  the comprehension of    
things1 and retain the power of         
contemplation  which strives to acquire 
the knowledge of the divine and the     
human4 ,for  if he shall begin to fall  

into dotage1 perspiration and nutrition 
and  imagination and appetite1 and      
whatever else there is of the kind1 will
  not fail2 but the power of making use 
of ourselves1 and filling up the        
measure of our duty1 and clearly        
separating all appearances1 and         
considering whether a man should now    
depart from life1 and whatever  else of 
the kind absolutely requires a          
disciplined reason1--all this is        
already extinguished4 ,we must make     
haste1 then1 not only because we are    
daily nearer to death1 but also because 
the conception of things and  the       
understanding of them cease first4      
#b4 ,we ought to observe also that even 
the things which follow after the       
things which are produced according to  
nature contain something  pleasing and  
attractive4 ,for instance1 when bread is
 baked some parts  are split at the     
surface1 and these parts which thus     
open1 and have a  certain fashion       
contrary to the purpose of the baker's  

art1 are  beautiful in a manner1 and in 
a peculiar way excite a desire for      
eating4 ,and again1 figs1 when they are 
quite ripe1 gape open2 and in  the ripe 
olives the very circumstance of their   
being near to rottenness  adds a        
peculiar beauty to the fruit4 ,and the  
ears of corn bending down1  and the     
lion's eyebrows1 and the foam which     
flows from the mouth of  wild boars1 and
 many other things1--though they are far
 from being  beautiful if a man should  
examine them severally1--still1 because 
they  are consequent upon the things    
which are formed by nature1 help to     
adorn them1 and they please the mind2 so
 that if a man should have a  feeling   
and deeper insight with respect to the  
things which are  produced in the       
universe1 there is hardly one of those  
which follow by  way of consequence     
which will not seem to him to be in a   
manner  disposed so as to give pleasure4
 ,and so he will see even the real      
gaping jaws of wild beasts with no less 

pleasure than those which  painters and 
sculptors show by imitation2 and in an  
old woman and an  old man he will be    
able to see a certain maturity and      
comeliness2 and  the attractive         
loveliness of young persons he will be  
able to look on  with chaste eyes2 and  
many such things will present           
themselves1 not  pleasing to every man1 
but to him only who has become truly    
familiar  with ,nature and her works4   
#c4 ,hippocrates1 after curing many     
diseases1 himself fell sick and died4   
,the ,chaldaei foretold the deaths of   
many1 and then fate caught them  too4   
,alexander and ,pompeius and ,caius     
,caesar1 after so often completely      
destroying whole cities1 and in battle  
cutting to pieces many ten  thousands of
 cavalry and infantry1 themselves too at
 last departed from  life4 ,heraclitus1 
after so many speculations on the       
conflagration of  the universe1 was     
filled with water internally and died   
smeared all  over with mud4 ,and lice   

destroyed ,democritus2 and other lice   
killed  ,socrates4 ,what means all this8
 ,thou hast embarked1 thou hast made the
  voyage1 thou art come to shore2 get   
out4 ,if indeed to another life1  there 
is no want of gods1 not even there2 but 
if to a state without  sensation1 thou  
wilt cease to be held by pains and      
pleasures1 and to be  a slave to the    
vessel1 which is as much inferior as    
that which serves  it is superior3 for  
the one is intelligence and deity2 the  
other is  earth and corruption4    #d4  
,do not waste the remainder of thy life 
in thoughts about others1  when thou    
dost not refer thy thoughts to some     
object of common utility4  ,for thou    
losest the opportunity of doing         
something else when thou hast  such     
thoughts as these1--,what is such a     
person doing1 and why1 and what  is he  
saying1 and what is he thinking of1 and 
what is he contriving1  and whatever    
else of the kind makes us wander away   
from the observation  of our own ruling 

power4 ,we ought then to check in the   
series of our  thoughts everything that 
is without a purpose and useless1 but   
most of  all the over-curious feeling   
and the malignant2 and a man should use 
himself to think of those things only   
about which if one should  suddenly ask1
 ,what hast thou now in thy thoughts8   
with perfect openness  thou mightest    
immediately answer1 ,this or ,that2 so  
that from thy words  it should be plain 
that everything in thee is simple and   
benevolent1  and such as befits a social
 animal1 and one that cares not for     
thoughts  about pleasure or sensual     
enjoyments at all1 nor has any rivalry  
or  envy and suspicion1 or anything else
 for which thou wouldst blush if  thou  
shouldst say that thou hadst it in thy  
mind4 ,for the man who is  such1 and no 
longer delays being among the number of 
the best1 is like  a priest and minister
 of the gods1 using too the deity which 
is  planted within him1 which makes the 
man uncontaminated by pleasure1         

unharmed by any pain1 untouched by any  
insult1 feeling no wrong1 a  fighter in 
the noblest fight1 one who cannot be    
overpowered by any  passion1 dyed deep  
with justice1 accepting with all his    
soul everything  which happens and is   
assigned to him as his portion2 and not 
often1 nor  yet without great necessity 
and for the general interest1 imagining 
what another says1 or does1 or thinks4  
,for it is only what belongs to  himself
 that he makes the matter for his       
activity2 and he constantly  thinks of  
that which is allotted to himself out of
 the sum total of  things1 and he makes 
his own acts fair1 and he is persuaded  
that his  own portion is good4 ,for the 
lot which is assigned to each man is    
carried along with him and carries him  
along with it4 ,and he remembers  also  
that every rational animal is his       
kinsman1 and that to care for  all men  
is according to man's nature2 and a man 
should hold on to the  opinion not of   
all1 but of those only who confessedly  

live according to  nature4 ,but as to   
those who live not so1 he always bears  
in mind what  kind of men they are both 
at home and from home1 both by night and
 by  day1 and what they are1 and with   
what men they live an impure life4      
,accordingly1 he does not value at all  
the praise which comes from such  men1  
since they are not even satisfied with  
themselves4    #e4 ,labor not           
unwillingly1 nor without regard to the  
common interest1  nor without due       
consideration1 nor with distraction2 nor
 let studied  ornament set off thy      
thoughts1 and be not either a man of    
many words1  or busy about too many     
things4 ,and further1 let the deity     
which is in  thee be the guardian of a  
living being1 manly and of ripe age1 and
  engaged in matter political1 and a    
,roman1 and a ruler1 who has taken  his 
post like a man waiting for the signal  
which summons him from life1  and ready 
to go1 having need neither of oath nor  
of any man's  testimony4 ,be cheerful   

also1 and seek not external help nor the
  tranquillity which others give4 ,a man
 then must stand erect1 not be  kept    
erect by others4    #f4 ,if thou findest
 in human life anything better than     
justice1 truth1  temperance1 fortitude1 
and1 in a word1 anything better than thy
 own  mind's self-satisfaction in the   
things which it enables thee to do      
according to right reason1 and in the   
condition that is assigned to  thee     
without thy own choice2 if1 ,i say1 thou
 seest anything better than  is1 turn to
 it with all thy soul1 and enjoy that   
which thou hast found  to be the best4  
,but if nothing appears to be better    
than the ,deity  which is planted in    
thee1 which has subjected to itself all 
thy  appetites1 and carefully examines  
all the impressions1 and1 as ,socrates  
said1 has detached itself from the      
persuasions of sense1 and has  submitted
 itself to the gods1 and cares for      
mankind2 if thou findest  everything    
else smaller and of less value than     

this1 give place to  nothing else1 for  
if thou dost once diverge and incline to
 it1 thou  wilt no longer without       
distraction be able to give the         
preference to  that good thing which is 
thy proper possession and thy own2 for  
it is  not right that anything of any   
other kind1 such as praise from the     
many1 or power1 or enjoyment of         
pleasure1 should come into competition  
with that which is rationally and       
politically or practically good4  ,all  
these things1 even though they may seem 
to adapt themselves to the  better      
things in a small degree1 obtain the    
superiority all at once1  and carry us  
away4 ,but do thou1 ,i say1 simply and  
freely choose the  better1 and hold to  
it4--,but that which is useful is the   
better4--,well1  then1 if it is useful  
to thee as a rational being1 keep to it2
 but if  it is only useful to thee as an
 animal1 say so1 and maintain thy       
judgment without arrogance3 only take   
care that thou makest the inquiry  by a 

sure method4    #g4 ,never value        
anything as profitable to thyself which 
shall compel  thee to break thy promise1
 to lose thy self-respect1 to hate any  
man1  to suspect1 to curse1 to act the  
hypocrite1 to desire anything which     
needs walls and curtains3 for he who has
 preferred to everything else  his own  
intelligence and daemon and the worship 
of its excellence1 acts  no tragic part1
 does not groan1 will not need either   
solitude or much  company2 and1 what is 
chief of all1 he will live without      
either  pursuing or flying from death2  
but whether for a longer or a shorter   
time he shall have the soul enclosed in 
the body1 he cares not at all3  for even
 if he must depart immediately1 he will 
go as readily as if he  were going to do
 anything else which can be done with   
decency and  order2 taking care of this 
only all through life1 that his thoughts
  turn not away from anything which     
belongs to an intelligent animal and  a 
member of a civil community4    #h4 ,in 

the mind of one who is chastened and    
purified thou wilt find no  corrupt     
matter1 nor impurity1 nor any sore      
skinned over4 ,nor is his  life         
incomplete when fate overtakes him1 as  
one may say of an actor who  leaves the 
stage before ending and finishing the   
play4 ,besides1 there  is in him nothing
 servile1 nor affected1 nor too closely 
bound to  other things1 nor yet detached
 from other things1 nothing worthy of   
blame1 nothing which seeks a            
hiding-place4    #i4 ,reverence the     
faculty which produces opinion4 ,on this
 faculty it  entirely depends whether   
there shall exist in thy ruling part any
  opinion inconsistent with nature and  
the constitution of the rational        
animal4 ,and this faculty promises      
freedom from hasty judgment1 and        
friendship towards men1 and obedience to
 the gods4    #aj4 ,throwing away then  
all things1 hold to these only which are
 few2  and besides1 bear in mind that   
every man lives only this present time1 

which is an indivisible point1 and that 
all the rest of his life is  either past
 or it is uncertain4 ,short then is the 
time which every man  lives1 and small  
the nook of the earth where he lives2   
and short too  the longest posthumous   
fame1 and even this only continued by a 
succession of poor human beings1 who    
will very soon die1 and who know  not   
even themselves1 much less him who died 
long ago4    #aa4 ,to the aids which    
have been mentioned let this one still  
be added3  ,make for thyself a          
definition or description of the thing  
which is  presented to thee1 so as to   
see distinctly what kind of a thing it  
is  in its substance1 in its nudity1 in 
its complete entirety1 and tell  thyself
 its proper name1 and the names of the  
things of which it has  been compounded1
 and into which it will be resolved4    
,for nothing is so  productive of       
elevation of mind as to be able to      
examine methodically  and truly every   
object which is presented to thee in    

life1 and always  to look at things so  
as to see at the same time what kind of 
universe  this is1 and what kind of use 
everything performs in it1 and what     
value  everything has with reference to 
the whole1 and what with reference to   
man1 who is a citizen of the highest    
city1 of which all other cities  are    
like families2 what each thing is1 and  
of what it is composed1 and  how long it
 is the nature of this thing to endure  
which now makes an  impression on me1   
and what virtue ,i have need of with    
respect to it1  such as gentleness1     
manliness1 truth1 fidelity1 simplicity1 
contentment1 and the rest4 ,wherefore1  
on every occasion a man should  say3    
,this comes from god2 and this is       
according to the apportionment  and     
spinning of the thread of destiny1 and  
such-like coincidence and  chance2 and  
this is from one of the same stock1 and 
a kinsman and  partner1 one who knows   
not1 however1 what is according to his  
nature4  ,but ,i know2 for this reason  

,i behave towards him according to the  
natural law of fellowship with          
benevolence and justice4 ,at the same   
time1 however1 in things indifferent ,i 
attempt to ascertain the value  of each4
    #ab4 ,if thou workest at that which 
is before thee1 following right  reason 
seriously1 vigorously1 calmly1 without  
allowing anything else to  distract     
thee1 but keeping thy divine part pure1 
as if thou shouldst be  bound to give it
 back immediately2 if thou holdest to   
this1 expecting  nothing1 fearing       
nothing1 but satisfied with thy present 
activity  according to nature1 and with 
heroic truth in every word and sound    
which thou utterest1 thou wilt live     
happy4 ,and there is no man who is  able
 to prevent this4    #ac4 ,as physicians
 have always their instruments and      
knives ready for  cases which suddenly  
require their skill1 so do thou have    
principles  ready for the understanding 
of things divine and human1 and for     
doing  everything1 even the smallest1   

with a recollection of the bond which   
unites the divine and human to one      
another4 ,for neither wilt thou do      
anything well which pertains to man     
without at the same time having a       
reference to things divine2 nor the     
contrary4    #ad4 ,no longer wander at  
hazard2 for neither wilt thou read thy  
own  memoirs1 nor the acts of the       
ancient ,romans and ,hellenes1 and the  
selections from books which thou wast   
reserving for thy old age4 ,hasten  then
 to the end which thou hast before thee1
 and1 throwing away idle  hopes1 come to
 thy own aid1 if thou carest at all for 
thyself1 while it  is in thy power4     
#ae4 ,they know not how many things are 
signified by the words stealing1        
sowing1 buying1 keeping quiet1 seeing   
what ought to be done2 for this  is not 
effected by the eyes1 but by another    
kind of vision4    #af4 ,body1 soul1    
intelligence3 to the body belong        
sensations1 to the  soul appetites1 to  
the intelligence principles4 ,to receive

 the  impressions of forms by means of  
appearances belongs even to animals2  to
 be pulled by the strings of desire     
belongs both to wild beasts and  to men 
who have made themselves into women1 and
 to a ,phalaris and a  ,nero3 and to    
have the intelligence that guides to the
 things which  appear suitable belongs  
also to those who do not believe in the 
gods1  and who betray their country1 and
 do their impure deeds when they have   
shut the doors4 ,if then everything else
 is common to all that ,i have          
mentioned1 there remains that which is  
peculiar to the good man1 to be  pleased
 and content with what happens1 and with
 the thread which is  spun for him2 and 
not to defile the divinity which is     
planted in his  breast1 nor disturb it  
by a crowd of images1 but to preserve it
  tranquil1 following it obediently as a
 god1 neither saying anything  contrary 
to the truth1 nor doing anything        
contrary to justice4 ,and if  all men   
refuse to believe that he lives a       

simple1 modest1 and contented  life1 he 
is neither angry with any of them1 nor  
does he deviate from  the way which     
leads to the end of life1 to which a man
 ought to come  pure1 tranquil1 ready to
 depart1 and without any compulsion     
perfectly  reconciled to his lot4       
,,book ,,iv4      #a4 ,that which rules 
within1 when it is according to nature1 
is so  affected with respect to the     
events which happen1 that it always     
easily  adapts itself to that which is  
possible and is presented to it4 ,for it
  requires no definite material1 but it 
moves towards its purpose1 under        
certain conditions1 however2 and it     
makes a material for itself out of  that
 which opposes it1 as fire lays hold of 
what falls into it1 by  which a small   
light would have been extinguished3 but 
when the fire is  strong1 it soon       
appropriates to itself the matter which 
is heaped on  it1 and consumes it1 and  
rises higher by means of this very      
material4    #b4 ,let no act be done    

without a purpose1 nor otherwise than   
according  to the perfect principles of 
art4    #c4 ,men seek retreats for      
themselves1 houses in the country1      
sea-shores1  and mountains2 and thou too
 art wont to desire such things very    
much4  ,but this is altogether a mark of
 the most common sort of men1 for it is 
in thy power whenever thou shalt choose 
to retire into thyself4 ,for  nowhere   
either with more quiet or more freedom  
from trouble does a man  retire than    
into his own soul1 particularly when he 
has within him such  thoughts that by   
looking into them he is immediately in  
perfect  tranquillity2 and ,i affirm    
that tranquillity is nothing else than  
the  good ordering of the mind4         
,constantly then give to thyself this   
retreat1 and renew thyself2 and let thy 
principles be brief and  fundamental1   
which1 as soon as thou shalt recur to   
them1 will be  sufficient to cleanse the
 soul completely1 and to send thee back 
free  from all discontent with the      

things to which thou returnest4 ,for    
with  what art thou discontented8 ,with 
the badness of men8 ,recall to thy mind 
this conclusion1 that rational animals  
exist for one another1 and that  to     
endure is a part of justice1 and that   
men do wrong involuntarily2  and        
consider how many already1 after mutual 
enmity1 suspicion1 hatred1  and         
fighting1 have been stretched dead1     
reduced to ashes2 and be quiet  at      
last4--,but perhaps thou art            
dissatisfied with that which is assigned
  to thee out of the universe4--,recall 
to thy recollection this  alternative2  
either there is providence or atoms     
fortuitous  concurrence of things2 or   
remember the arguments by which it has  
been  proved that the world is a kind of
 political community and be quiet at    
last4--,but perhaps corporeal things    
will still fasten upon  thee4--,consider
 then further that the mind mingles not 
with the breath1  whether moving gently 
or violently1 when it has once drawn    

itself apart  and discovered its own    
power1 and think also of all that thou  
hast  heard and assented to about pain  
and pleasure and be quiet at            
last4--,but perhaps the desire of the   
thing called fame will torment          
thee4--,see how soon everything is      
forgotten1 and look at the chaos of     
infinite time on each side of the       
present1 and the emptiness of  applause1
 and the changeableness and want of     
judgment in those who  pretend to give  
praise1 and the narrowness of the space 
within which it  is circumscribed and be
 quiet at last4 ,for the whole earth is 
a  point1 and how small a nook in it is 
this thy dwelling1 and how few are      
there in it1 and what kind of people are
 they who will praise thee4    ,this    
then remains3 ,remember to retire into  
this little territory of thy  own1 and  
above all do not distract or strain     
thyself1 but be free1 and  look at      
things as a man1 as a human being1 as a 
citizen1 as a mortal4  ,but among the   

things readiest to thy hand to which    
thou shalt turn1 let  there be these1   
which are two4 ,one is that things do   
not touch the  soul1 for they are       
external and remain immovable2 but our  
perturbations  come only from the       
opinion which is within4 ,the other is  
that all these  things which thou seest1
 change immediately and will no longer  
be2 and  constantly bear in mind how    
many of these changes thou hast already 
witnessed4 ,the universe is             
transformation3 life is opinion4    #d4 
,if our intellectual part is common1 the
 reason also1 in respect of  which we   
are rational beings1 is common3 if this 
is so1 common also is  the reason which 
commands us what to do1 and what not to 
do2 if this is  so1 there is a common   
law also2 if this is so1 we are         
fellow-citizens2  if this is so1 we are 
members of some political community2 if 
this is  so1 the world is in a manner a 
state4 ,for of what other common        
political community will any one say    

that the whole human race are  members8 
,and from thence1 from this common      
political community comes  also our very
 intellectual faculty and reasoning     
faculty and our  capacity for law2 or   
whence do they come8 ,for as my earthly 
part is a  portion given to me from     
certain earth1 and that which is watery 
from  another element1 and that which is
 hot and fiery from some peculiar       
source 7for nothing comes out of that   
which is nothing1 as nothing also       
returns to non-existence71 so also the  
intellectual part comes from  some      
source4    #e4 ,death is such as        
generation is1 a mystery of nature2     
composition out  of the same elements1  
and a decomposition into the same2 and  
altogether  not a thing of which any man
 should be ashamed1 for it is not       
contrary  to the nature of a reasonable 
animal1 and not contrary to the reason  
of our constitution4    #f4 ,it is      
natural that these things should be done
 by such persons1 it  is a matter of    

necessity2 and if a man will not have it
 so1 he will not  allow the fig-tree to 
have juice4 ,but by all means bear this 
in mind1  that within a very short time 
both thou and he will be dead2 and soon 
not even your names will be left behind4
    #g4 ,take away thy opinion1 and then
 there is taken away the complaint1  8,i
 have been harmed40 ,take away the      
complaint1 8,i have been harmed10  and  
the harm is taken away4    #h4 ,that    
which does not make a man worse than he 
was1 also does not make  his life worse1
 nor does it harm him either from       
without or from  within4    #i4 ,the    
nature of that which is universally     
useful has been compelled  to do this4  
#aj4 ,consider that everything which    
happens1 happens justly1 and if thou    
observest carefully1 thou wilt find it  
to be so4 ,i do not say only with       
respect to the continuity of the series 
of things1 but with respect to  what is 
just1 and as if it were done by one who 
assigns to each thing  its value4       

,observe then as thou hast begun2 and   
whatever thou dost1 do  it in           
conjunction with this1 the being good1  
and in the sense in which  a man is     
properly understood to be good4 ,keep to
 this in every action4    #aa4 ,do not  
have such an opinion of things as he has
 who does thee  wrong1 or such as he    
wishes thee to have1 but look at them as
 they are  in truth4    #ab4 ,a man     
should always have these two rules in   
readiness2 the one to  do only whatever 
the reason of the ruling and legislating
 faculty may  suggest for the use of    
men2 the other1 to change thy opinion1  
if there  is any one at hand who sets   
thee right and moves thee from any      
opinion4  ,but this change of opinion   
must proceed only from a certain        
persuasion1  as of what is just or of   
common advantage1 and the like1 not     
because it  appears pleasant or brings  
reputation4    #ac4 ,hast thou reason8  
,i have4--,why then dost not thou use   
it8 ,for if  this does its own work1    

what else dost thou wish8    #ad4 ,thou 
hast existed as a part4 ,thou shalt     
disappear in that which  produced thee2 
but rather thou shalt be received back  
into its seminal  principle by          
transmutation4    #ae4 ,many grains of  
frankincense on the same altar3 one     
falls before1  another falls after2 but 
it makes no difference4    #af4 ,within 
ten days thou wilt seem a god to those  
to whom thou art now  a beast and an    
ape1 if thou wilt return to thy         
principles and the  worship of reason4  
#ag4 ,do not act as if thou wert going  
to live ten thousand years4 ,death      
hangs over thee4 ,while thou livest1    
while it is in thy power1 be good4      
#ah4 ,how much trouble he avoids who    
does not look to see what his  neighbor 
says or does or thinks1 but only to what
 he does himself1 that  it may be just  
and pure2 or1 as ,agathon says1 look not
 round at the  depraved morals of       
others1 but run straight along the line 
without  deviating from it4    #ai4 ,he 

who has a vehement desire for posthumous
 fame does not consider  that every one 
of those who remember him will himself  
also die very  soon2 then again also    
they who have succeeded them1 until the 
whole  remembrance shall have been      
extinguished as it is transmitted       
through  men who foolishly admire and   
perish4 ,but suppose that those who will
  remember are even immortal1 and that  
the remembrance will be immortal1  what 
then is this to thee8 ,and ,i say not   
what is it to the dead1 but  what is it 
to the living4 ,what is praise1 except  
indeed so far as it  has a certain      
utility8 ,for thou now rejectest        
unseasonably the gift of  nature1       
clinging to something else'''4    #bj4  
,everything which is in any way         
beautiful is beautiful in itself1  and  
terminates in itself1 not having praise 
as part of itself4 ,neither  worse then 
nor better is a thing made by being     
praised4 ,i affirm this  also of the    
things which are called beautiful by the

 vulgar1 for  example1 material things  
and works of art4 ,that which is really 
beautiful has no need of anything2 not  
more than law1 not more than  truth1 not
 more than benevolence or modesty4      
,which of these things is  beautiful    
because it is praised1 or spoiled by    
being blamed8 ,is such a  thing as an   
emerald made worse than it was1 if it is
 not praised8 or  gold1 ivory1 purple1 a
 lyre1 a little knife1 a flower1 a      
shrub8    #ba4 ,if souls continue to    
exist1 how does the air contain them    
from  eternity8--,but how does the earth
 contain the bodies of those who have   
been buried from time so remote8 ,for as
 here the mutation of these  bodies     
after a certain continuance1 whatever it
 may be1 and their  dissolution make    
room for other dead bodies1 so the souls
 which are  removed into the air after  
subsisting for some time are transmuted 
and  diffused1 and assume a fiery nature
 by being received into the seminal     
intelligence of the universe1 and in    

this way make room for the fresh  souls 
which come to dwell there4 ,and this is 
the answer which a man  might give on   
the hypothesis of souls continuing to   
exist4 ,but we must  not only think of  
the number of bodies which are thus     
buried1 but also  of the number of      
animals which are daily eaten by us and 
the other  animals4 ,for what a number  
is consumed1 and thus in a manner buried
 in  the bodies of those who feed on    
them6 ,and nevertheless this earth      
receives them by reason of the changes  
of these bodies into blood1  and the    
transformations into the aerial or the  
fiery element4    ,what is the          
investigation into the truth in this    
matter8 ,the division  into that which  
is material and that which is the cause 
of form the  formal4    #bb4 ,do not be 
whirled about1 but in every movement    
have respect to  justice1 and on the    
occasion of every impression maintain   
the faculty  of comprehension or        
understanding4    #bc4 ,everything      

harmonizes with me1 which is harmonious 
to thee1 ,o  ,universe4 ,nothing for me 
is too early or too late1 which is in   
due time  for thee4 ,everything is fruit
 to me which thy seasons bring1 ,o      
,nature3  from thee are all things1 in  
thee are all things1 to thee all things 
return4 ,the poet says1 ,dear city of   
,cecrops2 and wilt not thou say1  ,dear 
city of ,zeus8    #bd4 ,occupy thyself  
with few things1 says the philosopher1  
if thou  wouldst be tranquil4--,but     
consider if it would not be better to   
say1 ,do  what is necessary1 and        
whatever the reason of the animal which 
is  naturally social requires1 and as it
 requires4 ,for this brings not only    
the tranquillity which comes from doing 
well1 but also that which comes  from   
doing few things4 ,for the greatest part
 of what we say and do  being           
unnecessary1 if a man takes this away1  
he will have more leisure  and less     
uneasiness4 ,accordingly1 on every      
occasion a man should ask  himself1 ,is 

this one of the unnecessary things8 ,now
 a man should take  away not only       
unnecessary acts1 but also unnecessary  
thoughts1 for thus  superfluous acts    
will not follow after4    #be4 ,try how 
the life of the good man suits thee1 the
 life of him who is  satisfied with his 
portion out of the whole1 and satisfied 
with his own  just acts and benevolent  
disposition4    #bf4 ,hast thou seen    
those things8 ,look also at these4 ,do  
not disturb  thyself4 ,make thyself all 
simplicity4 ,does any one do wrong8 ,it 
is to  himself that he does the wrong4  
,has anything happened to thee8 ,well3  
out of the universe from the beginning  
everything which happens has  been      
apportioned and spun out to thee4 ,in a 
word1 thy life is short4  ,thou must    
turn to profit the present by the aid of
 reason and justice4  ,be sober in thy  
relaxation4    #bg4 ,either it is a     
well-arranged universe#d or a chaos     
huddled  together1 but still a universe4
 ,but can a certain order subsist in    

thee1 and disorder in the ,all8 ,and    
this too when all things are so         
separated and diffused and sympathetic4 
#bh4 ,a black character1 a womanish     
character1 a stubborn character1        
bestial1 childish1 animal1 stupid1      
counterfeit1 scurrilous1 fraudulent1    
tyrannical4    #bi4 ,if he is a stranger
 to the universe who does not know what 
is in  it1 no less is he a stranger who 
does not know what is going on in it4   
,he is a runaway1 who flies from social 
reason2 he is blind1 who shuts  the eyes
 of the understanding2 he is poor1 who  
has need of another1 and  has not from  
himself all things which are useful for 
life4 ,he is an  abscess on the universe
 who withdraws and separates himself    
from the  reason of our common nature   
through being displeased with the things
  which happen1 for the same nature     
produces this1 and has produced thee    
too3 he is a piece rent asunder from the
 state1 who tears his own soul  from    
that of reasonable animals1 which is    

one4    #cj4 ,the one is a philosopher  
without a tunic1 and the other without a
  book3 here is another half naked3     
,bread ,i have not1 he says1 and ,i     
abide by reason--and ,i do not get the  
means of living out of my  learning1 and
 ,i abide by my reason4    #ca4 ,love   
the art1 poor as it may be1 which thou  
hast learned1 and be  content with it2  
and pass through the rest of life like  
one who has  intrusted to the gods with 
his whole soul all that he has1 making  
thyself neither the tyrant nor the slave
 of any man4    #cb4 ,consider for      
example1 the times of ,vespasian4 ,thou 
wilt see all  these things1 people      
marrying1 bringing up children1 sick1   
dying1  warring1 feasting1 trafficking1 
cultivating the ground1 flattering1     
obstinately arrogant1 suspecting1       
plotting1 wishing for some to die1      
grumbling about the present1 loving1    
heaping up treasure1 desiring           
consulship1 kingly power4 ,well1 then1  
that life of these people no  longer    

exists at all4 ,again1 remove to the    
times of ,trajan4 ,again1 all  is the   
same4 ,their life too is gone4 ,in like 
manner view also the other  epochs of   
time and of whole nations1 and see how  
many after great  efforts soon fell and 
were resolved into the elements4 ,but   
chiefly thou  shouldst think of those   
whom thou hast thyself known distracting
  themselves about idle things1         
neglecting to do what was in accordance 
with their proper constitution1 and to  
hold firmly to this and to be  content  
with it4 ,and herein it is necessary to 
remember that the  attention given to   
everything has its proper value and     
proportion4 ,for  thus thou wilt not be 
dissatisfied1 if thou appliest thyself  
to smaller  matters no further than is  
fit4    #cc4 ,the words which were      
formerly familiar are now antiquated3 so
 also  the names of those who were famed
 of old1 are now in a manner            
antiquated1 ,camillus1 ,caeso1 ,volesus1
 ,leonnatus1 and a little after  also   

,scipio and ,cato1 then ,augustus1 then 
also ,hadrianus and ,antoninus4  ,for   
all things soon pass away and become a  
mere tale1 and complete  oblivion soon  
buries them4 ,and ,i say this of those  
who have shone in a  wondrous way4 ,for 
the rest1 as soon as they have breathed 
out their  breath1 they are gone1 and no
 man speaks of them4 ,and1 to conclude  
the  matter1 what is even an eternal    
remembrance8 ,a mere nothing4 ,what then
  is that about which we ought to employ
 our serious pains8 ,this one  thing1   
thoughts just1 and acts social1 and     
words which never lie1 and a            
disposition which gladly accepts all    
that happens1 as necessary1 as  usual1  
as flowing from a principle and source  
of the same kind4    #cd4 ,willingly    
give thyself up to ,clotho one of the   
fates1 allowing  her to spin thy thread 
into whatever thing she pleases4    #ce4
 ,everything is only for a day1 both    
that which remembers and that  which is 
remembered4    #cf4 ,observe constantly 

that all things take place by change1   
and  accustom thyself to consider that  
the nature of the universe loves        
nothing so much as to change the things 
which are and to make new  things like  
them4 ,for everything that exists is in 
a manner the seed of  that which will   
be4 ,but thou art thinking only of seeds
 which are cast  into the earth or into 
a womb3 but this is a very vulgar       
notion4    #cg4 ,thou wilt soon die1 and
 thou art not yet simple1 nor free from 
perturbations1 nor without suspicion of 
being hurt by external things1  nor     
kindly disposed towards all2 nor dost   
thou yet place wisdom only in  acting   
justly4    #ch4 ,examine men's ruling   
principles1 even those of the wise1 what
 kind  of things they avoid1 and what   
kind they pursue4    #ci4 ,what is evil 
to thee does not subsist in the ruling  
principle of  another2 nor yet in any   
turning and mutation of thy corporeal   
covering4  ,where is it then8 ,it is in 
that part of thee in which subsists the 

power of forming opinions about evils4  
,let this power then not form  such     
opinions1 and all is well4 ,and if that 
which is nearest to it1  the poor body1 
is cut1 burnt1 filled with matter and   
rottenness1  nevertheless let the part  
which forms opinions about these things 
be  quiet2 that is1 let it judge that   
nothing is either bad or good which  can
 happen equally to the bad man and the  
good4 ,for that which happens  equally  
to him who lives contrary to nature and 
to him who lives  according to nature1  
is neither according to nature nor      
contrary to  nature4    #dj4 ,constantly
 regard the universe as one living      
being1 having one  substance and one    
soul2 and observe how all things have   
reference to  one perception1 the       
perception of this one living being2 and
 how all  things act with one movement2 
and how all things are the co-operating 
causes of all things which exist2       
observe too the continuous spinning  of 
the thread and the contexture of the    

web4    #da4 ,thou art a little soul    
bearing about a corpse1 as ,epictetus   
used to  say 7,i4 ,c4 #ai74    #db4 ,it 
is no evil for things to undergo change1
 and no good for things  to subsist in  
consequence of change4    #dc4 ,time is 
like a river made up of the events which
 happen1 and a  violent stream2 for as  
soon as a thing has been seen1 it is    
carried  away1 and another comes in its 
place1 and this will be carried away    
too4    #dd4 ,everything which happens  
is as familiar and well known as the    
rose  in spring and the fruit in summer2
 for such is disease1 and death1 and    
calumny1 and treachery1 and whatever    
else delights fools or vexes them4      
#de4 ,in the series of things1 those    
which follow are always aptly fitted  to
 those which have gone before3 for this 
series is not like a mere  enumeration  
of disjointed things1 which has only a  
necessary sequence1  but it is a        
rational connection3 and as all existing
 things are  arranged together          

harmoniously1 so the things which come  
into existence  exhibit no mere         
succession1 but a certain wonderful     
relationship 7,,vi4  #ch2 ,,vii4 #i2    
,,vii4 #ge1 note74    #df4 ,always      
remember the saying of ,heraclitus1 that
 the death of earth  is to become water1
 and the death of water is to become    
air1 and the  death of air is to become 
fire1 and reversely4 ,and think too of  
him who  forgets whither the way leads1 
and that men quarrel with that with     
which they are most constantly in       
communion1 the reason which governs  the
 universe2 and the things which they    
daily meet with seem to them  strange3  
and consider that we ought not to act   
and speak as if we were  asleep1 for    
even in sleep we seem to act and speak2 
and that we ought  not1 like children   
who learn from their parents1 simply to 
act and  speak as we have been taught4  
#dg4 ,if any god told thee that thou    
shalt die to-morrow1 or certainly on    
the day after to-morrow1 thou wouldst   

not care much whether it was on  the    
third day or on the morrow1 unless thou 
wast in the highest degree  mean-       
spirited2 for how small is the          
difference4 ,so think it no great  thing
 to die after as many years as thou     
canst name rather than  to-morrow4      
#dh4 ,think continually how many        
physicians are dead after often         
contracting their eyebrows over the     
sick2 and how many astrologers  after   
predicting with great pretensions the   
deaths of others2 and how  many         
philosophers after endless discourses on
 death or immortality2 how  many heroes 
after killing thousands2 and how many   
tyrants who have used  their power over 
men's lives with terrible insolence1 as 
if they were  immortal2 and how many    
cities are entirely dead1 so to speak1  
,helice  and ,pompeii and ,herculaneum1 
and others innumerable4 ,add to the     
reckoning all whom thou hast known1 one 
after another4 ,one man after  burying  
another has been laid out dead1 and     

another buries him2 and all  this in a  
short time4 ,to conclude1 always observe
 how ephemeral and  worthless human     
things are1 and what was yesterday a    
little mucus1  to-morrow will be a mummy
 or ashes4 ,pass then through this      
little space  of time conformably to    
nature1 and end thy journey in content1 
just as  an olive falls off when it is  
ripe1 blessing nature who produced it1  
and thanking the tree on which it grew4 
#di4 ,be like the promontory against    
which the waves continually break1  but 
it stands firm and tames the fury of the
 water around it4    ,unhappy am ,i     
because this has happened to me8 ,not   
so1 but happy am ,i1  though this has   
happened to me1 because ,i continue free
 from pain1  neither crushed by the     
present nor fearing the future4 ,for    
such a thing  as this might have        
happened to every man2 but every man    
would not have  continued free from pain
 on such an occasion4 ,why then is that 
rather a  misfortune than this a good   

fortune8 ,and dost thou in all cases    
call  that a man's misfortune which is  
not a deviation from man's nature8 ,and 
does a thing seem to thee to be a       
deviation from man's nature1 when it  is
 not contrary to the will of man's      
nature8 ,well1 thou knowest the  will of
 nature4 ,will then this which has      
happened prevent thee from  being just1 
magnanimous1 temperate1 prudent1 secure 
against  inconsiderate opinions and     
falsehood2 will it prevent thee from    
having  modesty1 freedom1 and everything
 else1 by the presence of which man's   
nature obtains all that is its own8     
,remember too on every occasion  which  
leads thee to vexation to apply this    
principle3 not that this is  a          
misfortune1 but that to bear it nobly is
 good fortune4    #ej4 ,it is a vulgar1 
but still a useful help towards contempt
 of death1  to pass in review those who 
have tenaciously stuck to life4 ,what   
more  then have they gained than those  
who have died early8 ,certainly they    

lie in their tombs somewhere at last1   
,cadicianus1 ,fabius1 ,julianus1        
,lepidus1 or any one else like them1 who
 have carried out many to be  buried1   
and then were carried out themselves4   
,altogether the interval  is small      
between birth and death2 and consider   
with how much trouble1  and in company  
with what sort of people1 and in what a 
feeble body this  interval is           
laboriously passed4 ,do not then        
consider life a thing of  any value4    
,for look to the immensity of time      
behind thee1 and to the  time which is  
before thee1 another boundless space4   
,in this infinity  then what is the     
difference between him who lives three  
days and him  who lives three           
generations8    #ea4 ,always run to the 
short way2 and the short way is the     
natural3  accordingly say and do        
everything in conformity with the       
soundest  reason4 ,for such a purpose   
frees a man from trouble1 and warfare1  
and  all artifice and ostentatious      

display4          ,,book ,v4      #a4   
,in the morning when thou risest        
unwillingly1 let this thought be        
present1--,i am rising to the work of a 
human being4 ,why then am ,i            
dissatisfied if ,i am going to do the   
things for which ,i exist and for  which
 ,i was brought into the world8 ,or have
 ,i been made for this1 to  lie in the  
bed-clothes and keep myself warm8--,but 
this is more  pleasant4--,dost thou     
exist then to take thy pleasure1 and not
 at all for  action or exertion8 ,dost  
thou not see the little plants1 the     
little  birds1 the ants1 the spiders1   
the bees working together to put in     
order  their several parts of the       
universe8 ,and art thou unwilling to do 
the  work of a human being1 and dost    
thou not make haste to do that which is 
according to thy nature8--,but it is    
necessary to take rest also4--,it is    
necessary4 ,however1 ,nature has fixed  
bounds to this too3 she has fixed       
bounds to eating and drinking1 and yet  

thou goest beyond these bounds1  beyond 
what is sufficient2 yet in thy acts it  
is not so1 but thou  stoppest short of  
what thou canst do4 ,so thou lovest not 
thyself1 for  if thou didst1 thou       
wouldst love thy nature and her will4   
,but those who  love their several arts 
exhaust themselves in working at them   
unwashed  and without food2 but thou    
valuest thy own nature less than the    
turner  values the turning art1 or the  
dancer the dancing art1 or the lover of 
money values his money1 or the          
vainglorious man his little glory4 ,and 
such men1 when they have a violent      
affection to a thing1 choose neither  to
 eat nor to sleep rather than to perfect
 the things which they care  for4 ,but  
are the acts which concern society more 
vile in thy eyes and  less worthy of thy
 labor8    #b4 ,how easy it is to repel 
and to wipe away every impression which 
is  troublesome or unsuitable1 and      
immediately to be in all tranquillity4  
#c4 ,judge every word and deed which are

 according to nature to be fit  for     
thee2 and be not diverted by the blame  
which follows from any  people nor by   
their words1 but if a thing is good to  
be done or said1  do not consider it    
unworthy of thee4 ,for those persons    
have their  peculiar leading principle  
and follow their peculiar movement2     
which  things do not thou regard1 but go
 straight on1 following thy own nature  
and the common nature2 and the way of   
both is one4    #d4 ,i go through the   
things which happen according to nature 
until ,i  shall fall and rest1 breathing
 out my breath into that element out of 
which ,i daily draw it in1 and falling  
upon that earth out of which my  father 
collected the seed1 and my mother the   
blood1 and my nurse the  milk2 out of   
which during so many years ,i have been 
supplied with food  and drink2 which    
bears me when ,i tread on it and abuse  
it for so many  purposes4    #e4 ,thou  
sayest1 ,men cannot admire the sharpness
 of thy wits4--,be it so3  but there are

 many other things of which thou canst  
not say1 ,i am not  formed for them by  
nature4 ,show those qualities then which
 are  altogether in thy power1          
sincerity1 gravity1 endurance of labor1 
aversion to pleasure1 contentment with  
thy portion and with few things1        
benevolence1 frankness1 no love of      
superfluity1 freedom from trifling1     
magnanimity4 ,dost thou not see how many
 qualities thou art immediately  able to
 exhibit1 in which there is no excuse of
 natural incapacity and  unfitness1 and 
yet thou still remainest voluntarily    
below the mark8 or  art thou compelled  
through being defectively furnished by  
nature to  murmur1 and to be stingy1 and
 to flatter1 and to find fault with thy 
poor body1 and to try to please men1 and
 to make great display1 and to  be so   
restless in thy mind8 ,no1 by the gods2 
but thou mightest have  been delivered  
from these things long ago4 ,only if in 
truth thou canst  be charged with being 
rather slow and dull of comprehension1  

thou must  exert thyself about this     
also1 not neglecting it nor yet taking  
pleasure in thy dulness4    #f4 ,one    
man1 when he has done a service to      
another1 is ready to set it  down to his
 account as a favor conferred4 ,another 
is not ready to do  this1 but still in  
his own mind he thinks of the man as his
 debtor1 and  he knows what he has done4
 ,a third in a manner does not even know
 what  he has done1 but he is like a    
vine which has produced grapes1 and     
seeks  for nothing more after it has    
once produced its proper fruit4 ,as a   
horse when he has run1 a dog when he has
 tracked the game1 a bee when  it has   
made the honey1 so a man when he has    
done a good act1 does not  call out for 
others to come and see1 but he goes on  
to another act1 as  a vine goes on to   
produce again the grapes in             
season4--,must a man then  be one of    
these1 who in a manner act thus without 
observing  it8--,yes4--,but this very   
thing is necessary1 the observation of  

what a  man is doing3 for1 it may be    
said1 it is characteristic of the social
  animal to perceive that he is working 
in a social manner1 and indeed to  wish 
that his social partner also should     
perceive it4--,it is true what  thou    
sayest1 but thou dost not rightly       
understand what is now said3 and  for   
this reason thou wilt become one of     
those of whom ,i spoke before1  for even
 they are misled by a certain show of   
reason4 ,but if thou wilt  choose to    
understand the meaning of what is said1 
do not fear that for  this reason thou  
wilt omit any social act4    #g4 ,a     
prayer of the ,athenians3 ,rain1 rain1  
,o dear ,zeus1 down on the  ploughed    
fields of the ,athenians and on the     
plains4--,in truth we ought  not to pray
 at all1 or we ought to pray in this    
simple and noble  fashion4    #h4 ,just 
as we must understand when it is said1  
,that ,aesculapius  prescribed to this  
man horse-exercise1 or bathing in cold  
water1 or  going without shoes1 so we   

must understand it when it is said1     
,that the  nature of the universe       
prescribed to this man disease1 or      
mutilation1  or loss1 or anything else  
of the kind4 ,for in the first case     
,prescribed  means something like this3 
he prescribed this for this man as a    
thing  adapted to procure health2 and in
 the second case it means1 ,that which  
happens to or suits every man is fixed  
in a manner for him suitably  to his    
destiny4 ,for this is what we mean when 
we say that things are  suitable to us1 
as the workmen say of squared stones in 
walls or the  pyramids1 that they are   
suitable1 when they fit them to one     
another in  some kind of connection4    
,for there is altogether one fitness    
harmony4  ,and as the universe is made  
up out of all bodies to be such a body  
as  it is1 so out of all existing causes
 necessity destiny is made up to  be    
such a cause as it is4 ,and even those  
who are completely ignorant  understand 
what ,i mean2 for they say1 ,it         

necessity1 destiny brought  this to such
 a person4--,this then was brought and  
this was prescribed to  him4 ,let us    
then receive these things1 as well as   
those which  ,aesculapius prescribes4   
,many as a matter of course even among  
his  prescriptions are disagreeable1 but
 we1 accept them in the hope of  health4
 ,let the perfecting and accomplishment 
of the things which the  common nature  
judges to be good1 be judged by thee to 
be of the same  kind as thy health4 ,and
 so accept everything which happens1    
even if it  seem disagreeable1 because  
it leads to this1 to the health of the  
universe and to the prosperity and      
felicity of ,zeus the universe4 ,for  he
 would not have brought on any man what 
he has brought1 if it were  not useful  
for the whole4 ,neither does the nature 
of anything1 whatever  it may be1 cause 
anything which is not suitable to that  
which is  directed by it4 ,for two      
reasons then it is right to be content  
with  that which happens to thee1 the   

one1 because it was done for thee and   
prescribed for thee1 and in a manner had
 reference to thee1 originally  from the
 most ancient causes spun with thy      
destiny2 and the other1  because even   
that which comes severally to every man 
is to the power  which administers the  
universe a cause of felicity and        
perfection1 nay  even of its very       
continuance4 ,for the integrity of the  
whole is  mutilated1 if thou cuttest off
 anything whatever from the conjunction 
and the continuity either of the parts  
or of the causes4 ,and thou dost  cut   
off1 as far as it is in thy power1 when 
thou art dissatisfied1 and  in a manner 
triest to put anything out of the way4  
#i4 ,be not disgusted1 nor discouraged1 
nor dissatisfied1 if thou dost  not     
succeed in doing everything according to
 right principles1 but when  thou hast  
failed1 return back again1 and be       
content if the greater part  of what    
thou dost is consistent with man's      
nature1 and love this to  which thou    

returnest2 and do not return to         
philosophy as if she were a  master1 but
 act like those who have sore eyes and  
apply a bit of sponge  and egg1 or as   
another applies a plaster1 or drenching 
with water4 ,for  thus thou wilt not    
fail to obey reason1 and thou wilt      
repose in it4 ,and  remember that       
philosophy requires only the things     
which thy nature  requires2 but thou    
wouldst have something else which is not
 according  to nature4--,it may be      
objected1 ,why1 what is more agreeable  
than this  which ,i am doing8--,but is  
not this the very reason why pleasure   
deceives us8 ,and consider if           
magnanimity1 freedom1 simplicity1       
equanimity1 piety1 are not more         
agreeable4 ,for what is more agreeable  
than wisdom itself1 when thou thinkest  
of the security and the happy  course of
 all things which depend on the faculty 
of understanding and  knowledge8    #aj4
 ,things are in such a kind of          
envelopment that they have seemed to    

philosophers1 not a few nor those common
 philosophers1 altogether               
unintelligible2 nay even to the ,stoics 
themselves they seem difficult  to      
understand4 ,and all our assent is      
changeable2 for where is the man  who   
never changes8 ,carry thy thoughts then 
to the objects themselves1  and consider
 how short-lived they are and worthless1
 and that they may  be in the possession
 of a filthy wretch or a robber4 ,then  
turn to the  morals of those who live   
with thee1 and it is hardly possible to 
endure  even the most agreeable of them1
 to say nothing of a man being hardly   
able to endure himself4 ,in such        
darkness then and dirt1 and in so       
constant a flux both of substance and of
 time1 and of motion and of  things     
moved1 what there is worth being highly 
prized1 or even an  object of serious   
pursuit1 ,i cannot imagine4 ,but on the 
contrary it is  a man's duty to comfort 
himself1 and to wait for the natural    
dissolution1 and not to be vexed at the 

delay1 but to rest in these  principles 
only3 the one1 that nothing will happen 
to me which is not  conformable to the  
nature of the universe2 and the other1  
that it is in  my power never to act    
contrary to my god and daemon3 for there
 is no  man who will compel me to this4 
#aa4 ,about what am ,i now employing my 
own soul8 ,on every occasion ,i must    
ask myself this question1 and inquire1  
,what have ,i now in this part of  me   
which they call the ruling principle8   
and whose soul have ,i  now1--that of a 
child1 or of a young man1 or of a feeble
 woman1 or of a  tyrant1 or of a        
domestic animal1 or of a wild beast8    
#ab4 ,what kind of things those are     
which appear good to the many1 we may   
learn even from this4 ,for if any man   
should conceive certain things as  being
 really good1 such as prudence1         
temperance1 justice1 fortitude1 he      
would not after having first conceived  
these endure to listen to  anything     
which should not be in harmony with what

 is really good4 ,but  if a man has     
first conceived as good the things which
 appear to the  many to be good1 he will
 listen and readily receive as very     
applicable  that which was said by the  
comic writer4 ,thus even the many       
perceive  the difference4 ,for were it  
not so1 this saying would not offend and
  would not be rejected in the first    
case1 while we receive it when it  is   
said of wealth1 and of the means which  
further luxury and fame1 as  said fitly 
and wittily4 ,go on then and ask if we  
should value and think  those things to 
be good1 to which after their first     
conception in the  mind the words of the
 comic writer might be aptly            
applied1--that he who  has them1 through
 pure abundance has not a place to ease 
himself in4    #ac4 ,i am composed of   
the formal and the material2 and neither
 of them  will perish into              
non-existence1 as neither of them came  
into existence  out of non-existence4   
,every part of me then will be reduced  

by change  into some part of the        
universe1 and that again will change    
into another  part of the universe1 and 
so on forever4 ,and by consequence of   
such a  change ,i too exist1 and those  
who begot me1 and so on forever in the  
other direction4 ,for nothing hinders us
 from saying so1 even if the  universe  
is administered according to definite   
periods of revolution4    #ad4 ,reason  
and the reasoning art philosophy are    
powers which are  sufficient for        
themselves and for their own works4     
,they move then from  a first principle 
which is their own1 and they make their 
way to the  end which is proposed to    
them2 and this is the reason why such   
acts are  named ,catorthoseis or right  
acts1 which word signifies that they    
proceed by the right road4    #ae4 ,none
 of these things ought to be called a   
man's which do not belong  to a man1 as 
man4 ,they are not required of a man1   
nor does man's nature  promise them1 nor
 are they the means of man's nature     

attaining its end4  ,neither then does  
the end of man lie in these things1 nor 
yet that  which aids to the             
accomplishment of this end1 and that    
which aids  towards this end is that    
which is good4 ,besides1 if any of these
 things  did belong to man1 it would not
 be right for a man to despise them and 
to set himself against them2 nor would a
 man be worthy of praise who  showed    
that he did not want these things1 nor  
would he who stinted  himself in any of 
them be good1 if indeed these things    
were good4 ,but  now the more of these  
things a man deprives himself of1 or of 
other  things like them1 or even when he
 is deprived of any of them1 the more   
patiently he endures the loss1 just in  
the same degree he is a better  man4    
#af4 ,such as are thy habitual thoughts1
 such also will be the character  of thy
 mind2 for the soul is dyed by the      
thoughts4 ,dye it then with a           
continuous series of such thoughts as   
these3 for instance1 that where a  man  

can live1 there he can also live well4  
,but he must live in a  palace2 well    
then1 he can also live well in a palace4
 ,and again1  consider that for whatever
 purpose each thing has been            
constituted1 for  this it has been      
constituted1 and towards this it is     
carried2 and its  end is in that towards
 which it is carried2 and where the end 
is1 there  also is the advantage and the
 good of each thing4 ,now the good for  
the  reasonable animal is society2 for  
that we are made for society has been   
shown above4 ,is it not plain that the  
inferior exists for the sake of  the    
superior8 ,but the things which have    
life are superior to those  which have  
not life1 and of those which have life  
the superior are  those which have      
reason4    #ag4 ,to seek what is        
impossible is madness3 and it is        
impossible that  the bad should not do  
something of this kind4    #ah4 ,nothing
 happens to any man which he is not     
formed by nature to  bear4 ,the same    

things happen to another1 and either    
because he does not  see that they have 
happened1 or because he would show a    
great spirit1  he is firm and remains   
unharmed4 ,it is a shame then that      
ignorance and  conceit should be        
stronger than wisdom4    #ai4 ,things   
themselves touch not the soul1 not in   
the least degree2 nor  have they        
admission to the soul1 nor can they turn
 or move the soul3  but the soul turns  
and moves itself alone1 and whatever    
judgments it  may think proper to make1 
such it makes for itself the things     
which  present themselves to it4    #bj4
 ,in one respect man is the nearest     
thing to me1 so far as ,i must do  good 
to men and endure them4 ,but so far as  
some men make themselves  obstacles to  
my proper acts1 man becomes to me one of
 the things which  are indifferent1 no  
less than the sun or wind or a wild     
beast4 ,now it  is true that these may  
impede my action1 but they are no       
impediments to  my effects and          

disposition1 which have the power of    
acting  conditionally and changing3 for 
the mind converts and changes every     
hindrance to its activity into an aid2  
and so that which is a hindrance  is    
made a furtherance to an act2 and that  
which is an obstacle on the  road helps 
us on this road4    #ba4 ,reverence that
 which is best in the universe2 and this
 is that  which makes use of all things 
and directs all things4 ,and in like    
manner also reverence that which is best
 in thyself2 and this is of the  same   
kind as that4 ,for in thyself also1 that
 which makes use of  everything else is 
this1 and thy life is directed by this4 
#bb4 ,that which does no harm to the    
state1 does no harm to the citizen4  ,in
 the case of every appearance of harm   
apply this rule3 if the state  is not   
harmed by this1 neither am ,i harmed4   
,but if the state is harmed1  thou must 
not be angry with him who does harm to  
the state4 ,show him  where his error   
is4    #bc4 ,often think of the rapidity

 with which things pass by and          
disappear1 both the things which are and
 the things which are produced4  ,for   
substance is like a river in a continual
 flow1 and the activities  of things are
 in constant change1 and the causes work
 in infinite  varieties2 and there is   
hardly anything which stands still4 ,and
  consider this which is near to thee1  
this boundless abyss of the past  and of
 the future in which all things         
disappear4 ,how then is he not a  fool  
who is puffed up with such things or    
plagued about them and makes  himself   
miserable8 for they vex him only for a  
time1 and a short time4    #bd4 ,think  
of the universal substance1 of which    
thou hast a very small  portion2 and of 
universal time1 of which a short and    
indivisible  interval has been assigned 
to thee2 and of that which is fixed by  
destiny1 and how small a part of it thou
 art4    #be4 ,does another do me wrong8
 ,let him look to it4 ,he has his own   
disposition1 his own activity4 ,i now   

have what the universal nature  wills me
 to have2 and ,i do what my nature now  
wills me to do4    #bf4 ,let the part of
 thy soul which leads and governs be    
undisturbed by  the movements in the    
flesh1 whether of pleasure or of pain2  
and let it  not unite with them1 but let
 it circumscribe itself and limit those 
affects to their parts4 ,but when these 
affects rise up to the mind by  virtue  
of that other sympathy that naturally   
exists in a body which is  all one1 then
 thou must not strive to resist the     
sensation1 for it is  natural3 but let  
not the ruling part of itself add to the
 sensation the  opinion that it is      
either good or bad4    #bg4 ,live with  
the gods4 ,and he does live with the    
gods who constantly  shows to them that 
his own soul is satisfied with that     
which is  assigned to him1 and that it  
does all that the daemon wishes1 which  
,zeus hath given to every man for his   
guardian and guide1 a portion of        
himself4 ,and this is every man's       

understanding and reason4    #bh4 ,art  
thou angry with him whose armpits stink8
 art thou angry with  him whose mouth   
smells foul8 ,what good will this anger 
do thee8 ,he has  such a mouth1 he has  
such armpits3 it is necessary that such 
an  emanation must come from such       
things2 but the man has reason1 it will 
be said1 and he is able1 if he takes    
pains1 to discover wherein he  offends2 
,i wish thee well of thy discovery4     
,well then1 and thou hast  reason3 by   
thy rational faculty stir up his        
rational faculty2 show him  his error1  
admonish him4 ,for if he listens1 thou  
wilt cure him1 and  there is no need of 
anger4    #bi4 ,as thou intendest to    
live when thou art gone out1 ''' so it  
is in thy  power to live here4 ,but if  
men do not permit thee1 then get away   
out of  life1 yet so as if them wert    
suffering no harm4 ,the house is smoky1 
and  ,i quit it4 ,why dost thou think   
that this is any trouble8 ,but so long  
as  nothing of the kind drives me out1  

,i remain1 am free1 and no man shall    
hinder me from doing what ,i choose2 and
 ,i choose to do what is  according to  
the nature of the rational and social   
animal4    #cj4 ,the intelligence of the
 universe is social4 ,accordingly it has
 made  the inferior things for the sake 
of the superior1 and it has fitted the  
superior to one another4 ,thou seest how
 it has subordinated1  co-ordinated1 and
 assigned to everything its proper      
portion1 and has  brought together into 
concord with one another the things     
which are the  best4    #ca4 ,how hast  
thou behaved hitherto to the gods1 thy  
parents1 brethren1  children1 teachers1 
to those who looked after thy infancy1  
to thy  friends1 kinsfolk1 to thy       
slaves8 ,consider if thou hast hitherto 
behaved to all in such a way that this  
may be said of thee1--    8,never has   
wronged a man in deed or word40         
,and call to recollection both how many 
things thou hast passed through1  and   
how many things thou hast been able to  

endure and that the history  of thy life
 is now complete and thy service is     
ended2 and how many  beautiful things   
thou hast seen2 and how many pleasures  
and pains thou  hast despised2 and how  
many things called honorable thou hast  
spurned2  and to how many ill-minded    
folks thou hast shown a kind            
disposition4    #cb4 ,why do unskilled  
and ignorant souls disturb him who has  
skill and  knowledge8 ,what soul then   
has skill and knowledge8 ,that which    
knows  beginning and end1 and knows the 
reason which pervades all substance1    
and through all time by fixed periods   
revolutions administers the  universe4  
#cc4 ,soon1 very soon1 thou wilt be     
ashes1 or a skeleton1 and either a  name
 or not even a name2 but name is sound  
and echo4 ,and the things  which are    
much valued in life are empty and rotten
 and trifling1 and  like little dogs    
biting one another1 and little children 
quarrelling1  laughing1 and then        
straightway weeping4 ,but fidelity and  

modesty and  justice and truth are fled 
,up to ,olympus from the wide-spread    
earth4            ,,hesiod1 ,works1 etc4
 v4 #aig4      ,what then is there which
 still detains thee here1 if the objects
 of  sense are easily changed and never 
stand still1 and the organs of          
perception are dull and easily receive  
false impressions1 and the poor  soul   
itself is an exhalation from blood8 ,but
 to have good repute amid  such a world 
as this is an empty thing4 ,why then    
dost thou not wait in  tranquillity for 
thy end1 whether it is extinction or    
removal to  another state8 ,and until   
that time comes1 what is sufficient8    
,why1 what  else than to venerate the   
gods and bless them1 and to do good to  
men1  and to practice tolerance and     
self-restraint2 but as to everything    
which is beyond the limits of the poor  
flesh and breath1 to remember  that this
 is neither thine nor in thy power4     
#cd4 ,thou canst pass thy life in an    
equable flow of happiness1 if thou      

canst go by the right way1 and think and
 act in the right way4 ,these  two      
things are common both to the soul of   
,god and to the soul of man1  and to the
 soul of every rational being3 not to be
 hindered by another2  and to hold good 
to consist in the disposition to justice
 and the  practice of it1 and in this to
 let thy desire find its termination4   
#ce4 ,if this is neither my own badness1
 nor an effect of my own badness1  and  
the common weal is not injured1 why am  
,i troubled about it1 and  what is the  
harm to the common weal8    #cf4 ,do not
 be carried along inconsiderately by the
 appearance of  things1 but give help to
 all according to thy ability and their 
fitness2 and if they should have        
sustained loss in matters which are     
indifferent1 do not imagine this to be a
 damage2 for it is a bad habit4  ,but as
 the old man1 when he went away1 asked  
back his foster-child's  top1           
remembering that it was a top1 so do    
thou in this case also4    ,when thou   

art calling out on the ,rostra1 hast    
thou forgotten1 man1 what  these things 
are8--,yes2 but they are objects of     
great concern to these  people--wilt    
thou too then be made a fool for these  
things8 ,i was once a  fortunate man1   
but ,i lost it1 ,i know not how4--,but  
fortunate means that  a man has assigned
 to himself a good fortune3 and a good  
fortune is  good disposition of the     
soul1 good emotions1 good actions4      
,,book ,,vi4      #a4 ,the substance of 
the universe is obedient and compliant2 
and the  reason which governs it has in 
itself no cause for doing evil1 for it  
has no malice1 nor does it do evil to   
anything1 nor is anything harmed  by it4
 ,but all things are made and perfected 
according to this reason4    #b4 ,let it
 make no difference to thee whether thou
 art cold or warm1 if  thou art doing   
thy duty2 and whether thou art drowsy or
 satisfied with  sleep2 and whether     
ill-spoken of or praised2 and whether   
dying or doing  something else4 ,for it 

is one of the acts of life1 this act by 
which we  die3 it is sufficient then in 
this act also to do well what we have in
  hand 7vi4 #bb1 #bh74    #c4 ,look     
within4 ,let neither the peculiar       
quality of anything nor its  value      
escape thee4    #d4 ,all existing things
 soon change1 and they will either be   
reduced to  vapor1 if indeed all        
substance is one1 or they will be       
dispersed4    #e4 ,the reason which     
governs knows what its own disposition  
is1 and what  it does1 and on what      
material it works4    #f4 ,the best way 
of avenging thyself is not to become    
like the wrong-  doer4    #g4 ,take     
pleasure in one thing and rest in it1 in
 passing from one  social act to another
 social act1 thinking of ,god4    #h4   
,the ruling principle is that which     
rouses and turns itself1 and  while it  
makes itself such as it is and such as  
it wills to be1 it also  makes          
everything which happens appear to      
itself to be such as it wills4    #i4   

,in conformity to the nature of the     
universe every single thing is          
accomplished2 for certainly it is not in
 conformity to any other nature  that   
each thing is accomplished1 either a    
nature which externally  comprehends    
this1 or a nature which is comprehended 
within this nature1  or a nature        
external and independent of this 7,,xl  
#a2 ,,vi4 #dj2 ,,viii4 #ej74    #aj4    
,the universe is either a confusion1 and
 a mutual involution of  things1 and a  
dispersion1 or it is unity and order and
 providence4 ,if  then it is the former1
 why do ,i desire to tarry in a         
fortuitous  combination of things and   
such a disorder8 and why do ,i care     
about  anything else than how ,i shall  
at last become earth8 and why am ,i     
disturbed1 for the dispersion of my     
elements will happen whatever ,i do8    
,but if the other supposition is true1  
,i venerate1 and ,i am firm1 and ,i     
trust in him who governs 7,,iv4 #bg74   
#aa4 ,when thou hast been compelled by  

circumstances to be disturbed in a      
manner1 quickly return to thyself1 and  
do not continue out of tune  longer than
 the compulsion lasts2 for thou wilt    
have more mastery over  the harmony by  
continually recurring to it4    #ab4 ,if
 thou hadst a step-mother and a mother  
at the same time1 thou  wouldst be      
dutiful to thy step-mother1 but still   
thou wouldst  constantly return to thy  
mother4 ,let the court and philosophy   
now be to  thee stepmother and mother3  
return to philosophy frequently and     
repose  in her1 through whom what thou  
meetest with in the court appears to    
thee tolerable1 and thou appearest      
tolerable in the court4    #ac4 ,when we
 have meat before us and such eatables1 
we receive the  impression that this is 
the dead body of a fish1 and this is the
 dead  body of a bird or of a pig2 and  
again1 that this ,falernian is only a   
little grape-juice1 and this purple robe
 some sheep's wool dyed with  the blood 
of a shell-fish3 such then are these    

impressions1 and they  reach the things 
themselves and penetrate them1 and so we
 see what kind  of things they are4     
,just in the same way ought we to act   
all through  life1 and where there are  
things which appear most worthy of our  
approbation1 we ought to lay them bare  
and look at their worthlessness  and    
strip them of all the words by which    
they are exalted4 ,for outward  show is 
a wonderful perverter of the reason1 and
 when thou art most  sure that thou art 
employed about things worth thy pains1  
it is then  that it cheats thee most4   
,consider then what ,crates says of     
,xenocrates  himself4    #ad4 ,most of  
the things which the multitude admire   
are referred to  objects of the most    
general kind1 those which are held      
together by  cohesion or natural        
organization1 such as stones1 wood1     
fig-trees1  vines1 olives4 ,but those   
which are admired by men1 who are a     
little  more reasonable1 are referred to
 the things which are held together by  

a living principle1 as flocks1 herds4   
,those which are admired by men  who are
 still more instructed are the things   
which are held together by  a rational  
soul1 not however a universal soul1 but 
rational so far as  it is a soul skilled
 in some art1 or expert in some other   
way1 or  simply rational so far as it   
possesses a number of slaves4 ,but he   
who  values a rational soul1 a soul     
universal and fitted for political life1
  regards nothing else except this2 and 
above all things he keeps his  soul in a
 condition and in an activity           
comformable to reason and social  life1 
and he co-operates to this end with     
those who are of the same  kind as      
himself4    #ae4 ,some things are       
hurrying into existence1 and others are 
hurrying  out of it2 and of that which  
is coming into existence part is already
  extinguished4 ,motions and changes are
 continually renewing the world1  just  
as the uninterrupted course of time is  
always renewing the  infinite duration  

of ages4 ,in this flowing stream then1  
on which there  is no abiding1 what is  
there of the things which hurry by on   
which a  man would set a high price8 ,it
 would be just as if a man should fall  
in  love with one of the sparrows which 
fly by1 but it has already passed  out  
of sight4 ,something of this kind is the
 very life of every man1  like the      
exhalation of the blood and the         
respiration of the air4 ,for  such as it
 is to have once drawn in the air and to
 have given it back1  which we do every 
moment1 just the same is it with the    
whole  respiratory power1 which thou    
didst receive at thy birth yesterday and
  the day before1 to give it back to the
 element from which thou didst  first   
draw it4    #af4 ,neither is            
transpiration1 as in plants1 a thing to 
be valued1 nor  respiration1 as in      
domesticated animals and wild beasts1   
nor the  receiving of impressions by the
 appearances of things1 nor being moved 
by desires as puppets by strings1 nor   

assembling in herds1 nor being          
nourished by food2 for this is just like
 the act of separating and  parting with
 the useless part of our food4 ,what    
then is worth being  valued8 ,to be     
received with clapping of hands8 ,no4   
,neither must we  value the clapping of 
tongues2 for the praise which comes from
 the many  is a clapping of tongues4    
,suppose then that thou hast given up   
this  worthless thing called fame1 what 
remains that is worth valuing8 ,this1   
in my opinion3 to move thyself and to   
restrain thyself in conformity to  thy  
proper constitution1 to which end both  
all employments and arts  lead4 ,for    
every art aims at this1 that the thing  
which has been made  should be adapted  
to the work for which it has been made2 
and both the  vine planter who looks    
after the vine1 and the horsebreaker1   
and he who  trains the dog1 seek this   
end4 ,but the education and the teaching
 of  youth aim at something4 ,in this   
then is the value of the education and  

the teaching4 ,and if this is well1 thou
 wilt not seek anything else4  ,wilt    
thou not cease to value many other      
things too8 ,then thou wilt be  neither 
free1 nor sufficient for thy own        
happiness1 nor without  passion4 ,for of
 necessity thou must be envious1        
jealous1 and suspicious  of those who   
can take away those things1 and plot    
against those who  have that which is   
valued by thee4 ,of necessity a man must
 be  altogether in a state of           
perturbation who wants any of these     
things2  and besides1 he must often find
 fault with the gods4 ,but to reverence 
and honor thy own mind will make thee   
content with thyself1 and in  harmony   
with society1 and in agreement with the 
gods1 that is1 praising  all that they  
give and have ordered4    #ag4 ,above1  
below1 all around are the movements of  
the elements4 ,but the  motion of virtue
 is in none of these3 it is something   
more divine1 and  advancing by a way    
hardly observed1 it goes happily on its 

road4    #ah4 ,how strangely men act6   
,they will not praise those who are     
living at  the same time and living with
 themselves2 but to be themselves       
praised  by posterity1 by those whom    
they have never seen or ever will see1  
this  they set much value on4 ,but this 
is very much the same as if thou        
shouldst be grieved because those who   
have lived before thee did not  praise  
thee4    #ai4 ,if a thing is difficult  
to be accomplished by thyself1 do not   
think  that it is impossible for man3   
but if anything is possible for man and 
conformable to his nature1 think that   
this can be attained by thyself  too4   
#bj4 ,in the gymnastic exercises suppose
 that a man has torn thee with  his     
nails1 and by dashing against thy head  
has inflicted a wound4 ,well1  we       
neither show any signs of vexation1 nor 
are we offended1 nor do we  suspect him 
afterwards as a treacherous fellow2 and 
yet we are on our  guard against him1   
not however as an enemy1 nor yet with   

suspicion1 but  we quietly get out of   
his way4 ,something like this let thy   
behavior be  in all the other parts of  
life2 let us overlook many things in    
those  who are like antagonists in the  
gymnasium4 ,for it is in our power1 as  
,i  said1 to get out of the way1 and to 
have no suspicion nor hatred4    #ba4   
,if any man is able to convince me and  
show me that ,i do not think  or act    
rightly1 ,i will gladly change2 for ,i  
seek the truth1 by which no  man was    
ever injured4 ,but he is injured who    
abides in his error and  ignorance4     
#bb4 ,i do my duty3 other things trouble
 me not2 for they are either  things    
without life1 or things without reason1 
or things that have  rambled and know   
not the way4    #bc4 ,as to the animals 
which have no reason1 and generally all 
things  and objects1 do thou1 since thou
 hast reason and they have none1 make   
use of them with a generous and liberal 
spirit4 ,but towards human  beings1 as  
they have reason1 behave in a social    

spirit4 ,and on all  occasions call on  
the gods1 and do not perplex thyself    
about the length  of time in which thou 
shalt do this2 for even three hours so  
spent are  sufficient4    #bd4          
,alexander the ,macedonian and his groom
 by death were brought to the  same     
state2 for either they were received    
among the same seminal  principles of   
the universe1 or they were alike        
dispersed among the  atoms4    #be4     
,consider how many things in the same   
indivisible time take place in  each of 
us1--things which concern the body and  
things which concern the  soul3 and so  
thou wilt not wonder if many more       
things1 or rather all  things which come
 into existence in that which is the one
 and all1  which we call ,cosmos1 exist 
in it at the same time4    #bf4 ,if any 
man should propose to thee the question1
 how the name  ,antoninus is written1   
wouldst thou with a straining of the    
voice utter  each letter8 ,what then if 
they grow angry1 wilt thou be angry too8

 ,wilt  thou not go on with composure   
and number every letter8 ,just so then  
in  this life also remember that every  
duty is made up of certain parts4       
,these it is thy duty to observe1 and   
without being disturbed or showing      
anger towards those who are angry with  
thee to go on thy way and finish  that  
which is set before thee4    #bg4 ,how  
cruel it is not to allow men to strive  
after the things which  appear to them  
to be suitable to their nature and      
profitable6 ,and yet  in a manner thou  
dost not allow them to do this1 when    
thou art vexed  because they do wrong4  
,for they are certainly moved towards   
things  because they suppose them to be 
suitable to their nature and profitable 
to them4--,but it is not so4--,teach    
them then1 and show them without being  
angry4    #bh4 ,death is a cessation of 
the impressions through the senses1 and 
of  the pulling of the strings which    
move the appetites1 and of the          
discursive movements of the thoughts1   

and of the service to the flesh  7,,ii4 
#ab74    #bi4 ,it is a shame for the    
soul to be first to give way in this    
life1  when thy body does not give way4 
#cj4 ,take care that thou art not made  
into a ,caesar1 that thou art not  dyed 
with this dye2 for such things happen4  
,keep thyself then simple1  good1 pure1 
serious1 free from affectation1 a friend
 of justice1 a  worshipper of the gods1 
kind1 affectionate1 strenuous in all    
proper  acts4 ,strive to continue to be 
such as philosophy wished to make thee4 
,reverence the gods1 and help men4      
,short is life4 ,there is only one      
fruit of this terrene life1--a pious    
disposition and social acts4 ,do        
everything as a disciple of ,antoninus4 
,remember his constancy in every  act   
which was conformable to reason1 and his
 evenness in all things1  and his piety1
 and the serenity of his countenance1   
and his sweetness1  and his disregard of
 empty fame1 and his efforts to         
understand things2  and how he would    

never let anything pass without having  
first most  carefully examined it and   
clearly understood it2 and how he bore  
with  those who blamed him unjustly     
without blaming them in return2 how he  
did nothing in a hurry2 and how he      
listened not to calumnies1 and how      
exact an examiner of manners and actions
 he was2 and not given to  reproach     
people1 nor timid1 nor suspicious1 nor a
 sophist2 and with how  little he was   
satisfied1 such as lodging1 bed1 dress1 
food1 servants2  and how laborious and  
patient2 and how he was able on account 
of his  sparing diet to hold out to the 
evening2 and his firmness and           
uniformity in his friendships2 and how  
he tolerated freedom of speech  in those
 who opposed his opinions2 and the      
pleasure that he had when  any man      
showed him anything better2 and how     
religious he was without  superstition4 
,imitate all this1 that thou mayest have
 as good a  conscience1 when thy last   
hour comes1 as he had4    #ca4 ,return  

to thy sober senses and call thyself    
back2 and when thou  hast roused thyself
 from sleep and hast perceived that they
 were only  dreams which troubled thee1 
now in thy waking hours look at these   
the  things about thee as thou didst    
look at those the dreams4    #cb4 ,i    
consist of a little body and a soul4    
,now to this little body all  things are
 indifferent1 for it is not able to     
perceive differences4 ,but  to the      
understanding those things only are     
indifferent which are not  the works of 
its own activity4 ,but whatever things  
are the works of its  own activity1 all 
these are in its power4 ,and of these   
however only  those which are done with 
reference to the present2 for as to the 
future and the past activities of the   
mind1 even these are for the  present   
indifferent4    #cc4 ,neither the labor 
which the hand does nor that of the foot
 is  contrary to nature1 so long as the 
foot does the foot's work and the  hand 
the hand's4 ,so then neither to a man as

 a man is his labor  contrary to nature1
 so long as it does the things of a man4
 ,but if the  labor is not contrary to  
his nature1 neither is it an evil to    
him4    #cd4 ,how many pleasures have   
been enjoyed by robbers1 patricides1    
tyrants4    #ce4 ,dost thou not see how 
the handicraftsmen accommodate          
themselves up  to a certain point to    
those who are not skilled in their      
craft1--nevertheless they cling to the  
reason the principles of their  art1 and
 do not endure to depart from it8 ,is it
 not strange if the  architect and the  
physician shall have more respect to the
 reason the  principles of their own    
arts than man to his own reason1 which  
is  common to him and the gods8    #cf4 
,asia1 ,europe1 are corners of the      
universe2 all the sea a drop in  the    
universe2 ,athos a little clod of the   
universe3 all the present time  is a    
point in eternity4 ,all things are      
little1 changeable1 perishable4  ,all   
things come from thence1 from that      

universal ruling power either  directly 
preceding or by way of sequence4 ,and   
accordingly the lion's  gaping jaws1 and
 that which is poisonous1 and every     
harmful thing1 as a  thorn1 as mud1 are 
after-products of the grand and         
beautiful4 ,do not  then imagine that   
they are of another kind from that which
 thou dost  venerate1 but form a just   
opinion of the source of all 7,,vii4    
#ge74    #cg4 ,he who has seen present  
things has seen all1 both everything    
which  has taken place from all eternity
 and everything which will be for time  
without end2 for all things are of one  
kin and of one form4    #ch4 ,frequently
 consider the connection of all things  
in the universe  and their relation to  
one another4 ,for in a manner all things
 are  implicated with one another1 and  
all in this way are friendly to one     
another2 for one thing comes in order   
after another1 and this is by  virtue of
 the active movement and mutual         
conspiration and the unity of  the      

substance 7ix4 #a74    #ci4 ,adapt      
thyself to the things with which thy lot
 has been cast3 and  the men among whom 
thou hast received thy portion1 love    
them1 but do it  truly sincerely4       
#dj4 ,every instrument1 tool1 vessel1 if
 it does that for which it has  been    
made1 is well1 and yet he who made it is
 not there4 ,but in the  things which   
are held together by nature there is    
within1 and there  abides in1 them the  
power which made them2 wherefore the    
more is it fit  to reverence this power1
 and to think1 that1 if thou dost live  
and act  according to its will1         
everything in thee is in conformity to  
intelligence4 ,and thus also in the     
universe the things which belong to  it 
are in conformity to intelligence4      
#da4 ,whatever of the things which are  
not within thy power thou shalt  suppose
 to be good for thee or evil1 it must of
 necessity be that1 if  such a bad thing
 befall thee1 or the loss of such a good
 thing1 thou  wilt not blame the gods1  

and hate men too1 those who are the     
cause of  the misfortune or the loss1 or
 those who are suspected of being likely
  to be the cause2 and indeed we do much
 injustice because we make a  difference
 between these things because we do not 
regard these things  as indifferent4    
,but if we judge only those things which
 are in our  power to be good or bad1   
there remains no reason either for      
finding  fault with ,god or standing in 
a hostile attitude to man4    #db4 ,we  
are all working together to one end1    
some with knowledge and  design1 and    
others without knowing what they do2 as 
men also when they  are asleep1 of whom 
it is ,heraclitus1 ,i think1 who says   
that they are  laborers and co-operators
 in the things which take place in the  
universe4 ,but men co-operate after     
different fashions3 and even those      
co-operate abundantly1 who find fault   
with what happens and those who  try to 
oppose it and to hinder it2 for the     
universe had need even of  such men as  

these4 ,it remains then for thee to     
understand among what  kind of workmen  
thou placest thyself2 for he who rules  
all things will  certainly make a right 
use of thee1 and he will receive thee   
among some  part of the co-operators and
 of those whose labors conduce to one   
end4  ,but be not thou such a part as   
the mean and ridiculous verse in the    
play1 which ,chrysippus speaks of4      
#dc4 ,does the sun undertake to do the  
work of the rain1 or ,aesculapius  the  
work of the ,fruit-bearer the earth8    
,and how is it with respect to  each of 
the stars1 are they not different and   
yet they work together to  the same end8
    #dd4 ,if the gods have determined   
about me and about the things which     
must happen to me1 they have determined 
well1 for it is not easy even  to       
imagine a deity without forethought2 and
 as to doing me harm1 why  should they  
have any desire towards that8 for what  
advantage would  result to them from    
this or to the whole1 which is the      

special object  of their providence8    
,but if they have not determined about  
me  individually1 they have certainly   
determined about the whole at least1    
and the things which happen by way of   
sequence in this general  arrangement ,i
 ought to accept with pleasure and to be
 content with  them4 ,but if they       
determine about nothing1--which it is   
wicked to  believe1 or if we do believe 
it1 let us neither sacrifice nor pray   
nor  swear by them1 nor do anything else
 which we do as if the gods were        
present and lived with us1--but if      
however the gods determine about none   
of the things which concern us1 ,i am   
able to determine about myself1  and ,i 
can inquire about that which is useful2 
and that is useful to  every man which  
is conformable to his own constitution  
and nature4 ,but  my nature is rational 
and social2 and my city and country1 so 
far as ,i  am ,antoninus1 is ,rome1 but 
so far as ,i am a man1 it is the world4 
,the  things then which are useful to   

these cities are alone useful to me4    
#de4 ,whatever happens to every man1    
this is for the interest of the         
universal3 this might be sufficient4    
,but further thou wilt observe this     
also as a general truth1 if thou dost   
observe1 that whatever is  profitable to
 any man is profitable also to other    
men4 ,but let the word  profitable be   
taken here in the common sense as said  
of things of the  middle kind neither   
good nor bad4    #df4 ,as it happens to 
thee in the amphitheatre and such       
places1 that the  continual sight of the
 same things1 and the uniformity make   
the  spectacle wearisome1 so it is in   
the whole of life2 for all things       
above1 below1 are the same and from the 
same4 ,how long then8    #dg4 ,think    
continually that all kinds of men and   
men of all kinds of  pursuits and of all
 nations are dead1 so that thy thoughts 
come down  even to ,philistion and      
,phoebus and ,origanion4 ,now turn thy  
thoughts to  the other kinds of men4 ,to

 that place then we must remove1 where  
there are so many great orators1 and so 
many noble philosophers1  ,heraclitus1  
,pythagoras1 ,socrates2 so many heroes  
of former days1 and so  many generals   
after them1 and tyrants2 besides these1 
,eudoxus1  ,hipparchus1 ,archimedes1 and
 other men of acute natural talents1    
great  minds1 lovers of labor1          
versatile1 confident1 mockers even of   
the  perishable and ephemeral life of   
man1 as ,menippus and such as are like  
him4 ,as to all these consider that they
 have long been in the dust4  ,what harm
 then is this to them2 and what to those
 whose names are  altogether unknown8   
,one thing here is worth a great deal1  
to pass thy  life in truth and justice1 
with a benevolent disposition even to   
liars  and unjust men4    #dh4 ,when    
thou wishest to delight thyself1 think  
of the virtues of those  who live with  
thee2 for instance1 the activity of one1
 and the modesty  of another1 and the   
liberality of a third1 and some other   

good quality  of a fourth4 ,for nothing 
delights so much as the examples of the 
virtues1 when they are exhibited in the 
morals of those who live with  us and   
present themselves in abundance1 as far 
as is possible4  ,wherefore we must keep
 them before us4    #di4 ,thou art not  
dissatisfied1 ,i suppose1 because thou  
weighest only so  many litrae and not   
three hundred4 ,be not dissatisfied then
 that thou  must live only so many years
 and not more2 for as thou art satisfied
  with the amount of substance which has
 been assigned to thee1 so be  content  
with the time4    #ej4 ,let us try to   
persuade them men4 ,but act even against
 their will1  when the principles of    
justice lead that way4 ,if however any  
man by  using force stands in thy way1  
betake thyself to contentment and       
tranquillity1 and at the same time      
employ the hindrance towards the        
exercise of some other virtue2 and      
remember that thy attempt was with a    
reservation conditionally1 that thou    

didst not desire to do  impossibilities4
 ,what then didst thou desire8--,some   
such effort as  this4--,but thou        
attainest thy object1 if the things to  
which thou wast  moved are not          
accomplished4    #ea4 ,he who loves fame
 considers another man's activity to be 
his own  good2 and he who loves         
pleasure1 his own sensations2 but he who
 has  understanding considers his own   
acts to be his own good4    #eb4 ,it is 
in our power to have no opinion about a 
thing1 and not to be  disturbed in our  
soul2 for things themselves have no     
natural power to  form our judgments4   
#ec4 ,accustom thyself to attend        
carefully to what is said by another1   
and as much as it is possible1 be in the
 speaker's mind4    #ed4 ,that which is 
not good for the swarm1 neither is it   
good for the  bee4    #ee4 ,if sailors  
abused the helmsman1 or the sick the    
doctor1 would they  listen to anybody   
else2 or how could the helmsman secure  
the safety of  those in the ship1 or the

 doctor the health of those whom he     
attends8    #ef4 ,how many together with
 whom ,i came into the world are already
 gone  out of it4    #eg4 ,to the       
jaundiced honey tastes bitter1 and to   
those bitten by mad  dogs water causes  
fear2 and to little children the ball is
 a fine  thing4 ,why then am ,i angry8  
,dost thou think that a false opinion   
has  less power than the bile in the    
jaundiced or the poison in him who is   
bitten by a mad dog8    #eh4 ,no man    
will hinder thee from living according  
to the reason of thy  own nature3       
nothing will happen to thee contrary to 
the reason of the  universal nature4    
#ei4 ,what kind of people are those whom
 men wish to please1 and for what       
objects1 and by what kind of acts8 ,how 
soon will time cover all things1  and   
how many it has covered already4        
,,book ,,vii4      #a4 ,what is badness8
 ,it is that which thou hast often seen4
 ,and on the  occasion of everything    
which happens keep this in mind1 that it

 is that  which thou hast often seen4   
,everywhere up and down thou wilt find  
the  same things1 with which the old    
histories are filled1 those of the      
middle ages and those of our own day2   
with which cities and houses are  filled
 now4 ,there is nothing new3 all things 
are both familiar and  short-lived4     
#b4 ,how can our principles become dead1
 unless the impression thoughts  which  
correspond to them are extinguished8    
,but it is in thy power  continuously to
 fan these thoughts into a flame4 ,i can
 have that  opinion about anything which
 ,i ought to have4 ,if ,i can1 why am ,i
  disturbed8 ,the things which are      
external to my mind have no relation at 
all to my mind4--,let this be the state 
of thy affects1 and thou standest       
erect4 ,to recover thy life is in thy   
power4 ,look at things again as  thou   
didst use to look at them2 for in this  
consists the recovery of  thy life4     
#c4 ,the idle business of show1 plays on
 the stage1 flocks of sheep1  herds1    

exercises with spears1 a bone cast to   
little dogs1 a bit of  bread into       
fishponds1 laborings of ants and        
burden-carrying1 runnings  about of     
frightened little mice1 puppets pulled  
by strings--all alike4  ,it is thy duty 
then in the midst of such things to show
 good humor and  not a proud air2 to    
understand however that every man is    
worth just so  much as the things are   
worth about which he busies himself4    
#d4 ,in discourse thou must attend to   
what is said1 and in every movement     
thou must observe what is doing4 ,and in
 the one thou shouldst see  immediately 
to what end it refers1 but in the other 
watch carefully  what is the thing      
signified4    #e4 ,is my understanding  
sufficient for this or not8 ,if it is   
sufficient1  ,i use it for the work as  
an instrument given by the universal    
nature4  ,but if it is not sufficient1  
then either ,i retire from the work and 
give way to him who is able to do it    
better1 unless there be some  reason why

 ,i ought not to do so2 or ,i do it as  
well as ,i can1 taking to  help me the  
man who with the aid of my ruling       
principle can do what is  now fit and   
useful for the general good4 ,for       
whatsoever either by  myself or with    
another ,i can do1 ought to be directed 
to this only1 to  that which is useful  
and well suited to society4    #f4 ,how 
many after being celebrated by fame have
 been given up to  oblivion2 and how    
many who have celebrated the fame of    
others have long  been dead4    #g4 ,be 
not ashamed to be helped2 for it is thy 
business to do thy duty  like a soldier 
in the assault on a town4 ,how then1 if 
being lame thou  canst not mount up on  
the battlements alone1 but with the help
 of  another it is possible8    #h4 ,let
 not future things disturb thee1 for    
thou wilt come to them1 if  it shall be 
necessary1 having with thee the same    
reason which now thou  usest for present
 things4    #i4 ,all things are         
implicated with one another1 and the    

bond is holy2  and there is hardly      
anything unconnected with any other     
thing4 ,for  things have been           
co-ordinated1 and they combine to form  
the same  universe order4 ,for there is 
one universe made up of all things1 and 
one god who pervades all things1 and one
 substance1 and one law1 one  common    
reason in all intelligent animals1 and  
one truth2 if indeed  there is also one 
perfection for all animals which are of 
the same  stock and participate in the  
same reason4    #aj4 ,everything        
material soon disappears in the         
substance of the whole2  and everything 
formal causal is very soon taken back   
into the  universal reason2 and the     
memory of everything is very soon       
overwhelmed  in time4    #aa4 ,to the   
rational animal the same act is         
according to nature and  according to   
reason4    #ab4 ,be thou erect1 or be   
made erect 7,,iii4 #e74    #ac4 ,just as
 it is with the members in those bodies 
which are united in  one1 so it is with 

rational beings which exist separate1   
for they have  been constituted for one 
co-operation4 ,and the perception of    
this will  be more apparent to thee if  
thou often sayest to thyself that ,i am 
a  member of the system of rational     
beings4 ,but if thou sayest that thou   
art a part1 thou dost not yet love men  
from thy heart2 beneficence does  not   
yet delight thee for its own sake2 thou 
still dost it barely as a  thing of     
propriety1 and not yet as doing good to 
thyself4    #ad4 ,let there fall        
externally what will on the parts which 
can feel the  effects of this fall4 ,for
 those parts which have felt will       
complain1 if  they choose4 ,but ,i1     
unless ,i think that what has happened  
is an evil1  am not injured4 ,and it is 
in my power not to think so4    #ae4    
,whatever any one does or says1 ,i must 
be good2 just as if the gold1  or the   
emerald1 or the purple were always      
saying this1 ,whatever any one  does or 
says1 ,i must be emerald and keep my    

color4    #af4 ,the ruling faculty does 
not disturb itself2 ,i mean1 does not   
frighten itself or cause itself pain4   
,but if any one else can frighten  or   
pain it1 let him do so4 ,for the faculty
 itself will not by its own  opinion    
turn itself into such ways4 ,let the    
body itself take care1 if  it can1 that 
it suffer nothing1 and let it speak1 if 
it suffers4 ,but  the soul itself1 that 
which is subject to fear1 to pain1 which
 has  completely the power of forming an
 opinion about these things1 will       
suffer nothing1 for it will never       
deviate into such a judgment4 ,the      
leading principle in itself wants       
nothing1 unless it makes a want for     
itself2 and therefore it is both free   
from perturbation and unimpeded1  if it 
does not disturb and impede itself4     
#ag4 ,eudaemonia happiness is a good    
daemon1 or a good thing4 ,what then  art
 thou doing here1 ,o imagination8 ,go   
away1 ,i entreat thee by the  gods1 as  
thou didst come1 for ,i want thee not4  

,but thou art come  according to thy old
 fashion4 ,i am not angry with thee3    
only go away4    #ah4 ,is any man afraid
 of change8 ,why1 what can take place   
without  change8 ,what then is more     
pleasing or more suitable to the        
universal  nature8 ,and canst thou take 
a bath unless the wood undergoes a      
change8  and canst thou be nourished1   
unless the food undergoes a change8 ,and
  can anything else that is useful be   
accomplished without change8 ,dost  thou
 not see then that for thyself also to  
change is just the same1 and  equally   
necessary for the universal nature8     
#ai4 ,through the universal substance as
 through a furious torrent all  bodies  
are carried1 being by their nature      
united with and co-operating  with the  
whole1 as the parts of our body with one
 another4 ,how many a  ,chrysippus1 how 
many a ,socrates1 how many an ,epictetus
 has time already  swallowed up6 ,and   
let the same thought occur to thee with 
reference to  every man and thing 7,v4  

#bc2 ,,vi4 #ae74    #bj4 ,one thing only
 troubles me1 lest ,i should do         
something which the  constitution of man
 does not allow1 or in the way which it 
does not  allow1 or what it does not    
allow now4    #ba4 ,near is thy         
forgetfulness of all things2 and near   
the forgetfulness  of thee by all4      
#bb4 ,it is peculiar to man to love even
 those who do wrong4 ,and this  happens1
 if when they do wrong it occurs to thee
 that they are kinsmen1  and that they  
do wrong through ignorance and          
unintentionally1 and that  soon both of 
you will die2 and above all1 that the   
wrong-doer has done  thee no harm1 for  
he has not made thy ruling faculty worse
 than it was  before4    #bc4 ,the      
universal nature out of the universal   
substance1 as if it were  wax1 now      
moulds a horse1 and when it has broken  
this up1 it uses the  material for a    
tree1 then for a man1 then for something
 else2 and each  of these things        
subsists for a very short time4 ,but it 

is no hardship  for the vessel to be    
broken up1 just as there was none in its
 being  fastened together 7,,viii4 #ej74
    #bd4 ,a scowling look is altogether 
unnatural2 when it is often  assumed1#e 
the result is that all comeliness dies  
away1 and at last is  so completely     
extinguished that it cannot be again    
lighted up at all4  ,try to conclude    
from this very fact that it is contrary 
to reason4 ,for  if even the perception 
of doing wrong shall depart1 what reason
 is  there for living any longer8       
#be4 ,nature which governs the whole    
will soon change all things which  thou 
seest1 and out of their substance will  
make other things1 and  again other     
things from the substance of them1 in   
order that the world  may be ever new   
7,,xii4 #bc74    #bf4 ,when a man has   
done thee any wrong1 immediately        
consider with what  opinion about good  
or evil he has done wrong4 ,for when    
thou hast seen  this1 thou wilt pity    
him1 and wilt neither wonder nor be     

angry4 ,for  either thou thyself        
thinkest the same thing to be good that 
he does or  another thing of the same   
kind4 ,it is thy duty then to pardon    
him4 ,but  if thou dost not think such  
things to be good or evil1 thou wilt    
more  readily be well disposed to him   
who is in error4    #bg4 ,think not so  
much of what thou hast not as of what   
thou hast3 but  of the things which thou
 hast select the best1 and then reflect 
how  eagerly they would have been       
sought1 if thou hadst them not4 ,at the 
same time1 however1 take care that thou 
dost not through being so  pleased with 
them accustom thyself to overvalue them1
 so as to be  disturbed if ever thou    
shouldst not have them4    #bh4 ,retire 
into thyself4 ,the rational principle   
which rules has this  nature1 that it is
 content with itself when it does what  
is just1 and  so secures tranquillity4  
#bi4 ,wipe out the imagination4 ,stop   
the pulling of the strings4 ,confine    
thyself to the present4 ,understand well

 what happens either to thee or  to     
another4 ,divide and distribute every   
object into the causal formal  and the  
material4 ,think of thy last hour4 ,let 
the wrong which is done  by a man stay  
there where the wrong was done 7,,viii4 
#bi74    #cj4 ,direct thy attention to  
what is said4 ,let thy understanding    
enter  into the things that are doing   
and the things which do them 7,,vii4    
#d74    #ca4 ,adorn thyself with        
simplicity and modesty1 and with        
indifference  towards the things which  
lie between virtue and vice4 ,love      
mankind4  ,follow ,god4 ,the poet says  
that law rules all--,and it is enough to
  remember that law rules all4    #cb4  
,about death3 whether it is a           
dispersion1 or a resolution into  atoms1
 or annihilation1 it is either          
extinction or change4    #cc4 ,about    
pain3 the pain which is intolerable     
carries us off2 but that  which lasts a 
long time is tolerable2 and the mind    
maintains its own  tranquillity by      

retiring into itself1 and the ruling    
faculty is not  made worse4 ,but the    
parts which are harmed by pain1 let     
them1 if they  can1 give their opinion  
about it4    #cd4 ,about fame3 look at  
the minds of those who seek fame1       
observe  what they are1 and what kind of
 things they avoid1 and what kind of    
things they pursue4 ,and consider that  
as the heaps of sand piled on one       
another hide the former sands1 so in    
life the events which go before  are    
soon covered by those which come after4 
#ce4 ,from ,plato3 ,the man who has an  
elevated mind and takes a view of  all  
time and of all substance1 dost thou    
suppose it possible for him to  think   
that human life is anything great8 ,it  
is not possible1 he  said4--,such a man 
then will think that death also is no   
evil4--,certainly  not4    #cf4 ,from   
,antisthenes3 ,it is royal to do good   
and to be abused4    #cg4 ,it is a base 
thing for the countenance to be obedient
 and to  regulate and compose itself as 

the mind commands1 and for the mind not 
to be regulated and composed by itself4 
#ch4 ,it is not right to vex ourselves  
at things1 ,for they care nought  about 
it4    #ci4 ,to the immortal gods and us
 give joy4    #dj4 ,life must be reaped 
like the ripe ears of corn4 ,one man is 
born2  another dies4    #da4 ,if gods   
care not for me and for my children1    
,there is a reason for  it4    #db4 ,for
 the good is with me1 and the just4     
#dc4 ,no joining others in their        
wailing1 no violent emotion4    #dd4    
,from ,plato3 ,but ,i would make this   
man a sufficient answer1 which is  this3
 ,thou sayest not well1 if thou thinkest
 that a man who is good for  anything at
 all ought to compute the hazard of life
 or death1 and  should not rather look  
to this only in all that he does1       
whether he is  doing what is just or    
unjust1 and the works of a good or bad  
man4    #de4 ,for thus it is1 men of    
,athens1 in truth3 wherever a man has   
placed  himself thinking it the best    

place for him1 or has been placed by a  
commander1 there in my opinion he ought 
to stay and to abide the  hazard1 taking
 nothing into the reckoning1 either     
death or anything  else1 before the     
baseness of deserting his post4    #df4 
,but1 my good friend1 reflect whether   
that which is noble and good  is not    
something different from saving and     
being saved2 for as to a man  living    
such or such a time1 at least one who is
 really a man1 consider  if this is not 
a thing to be dismissed from the        
thoughts3 and there  must be no love of 
life3 but as to these matters a man must
 intrust  them to the ,deity and believe
 what the women say1 that no man can    
escape his destiny1 the next inquiry    
being how he may best live the  time    
that he has to live4    #dg4 ,look      
around at the courses of the stars1 as  
if thou wert going  along with them2 and
 constantly consider the changes of the 
elements  into one another1 for such    
thoughts purge away the filth of the    

terrene  life4    #dh4 ,this is a fine  
saying of ,plato3 ,that he who is       
discoursing about  men should look also 
at earthly things as if he viewed them  
from some  higher place2 should look at 
them in their assemblies1 armies1       
agricultural labors1 marriages1         
treaties1 births1 deaths1 noise of the  
courts of justice1 desert places1       
various nations of barbarians1  feasts1 
lamentations1 markets1 a mixture of all 
things and an orderly  combination of   
contraries4    #di4 ,consider the       
past1--such great changes of political  
supremacies2  thou mayest foresee also  
the things which will be4 ,for they will
  certainly be of like form1 and it is  
not possible that they should  deviate  
from the order of the things which take 
place now2 accordingly  to have         
contemplated human life for forty years 
is the same as to have  contemplated it 
for ten thousand years4 ,for what more  
wilt thou see8    #ej4    ,that which   
has grown from the earth to the earth1  

,but that which has sprung from heavenly
 seed1  ,back to the heavenly realms    
returns4      ,this is either a         
dissolution of the mutual involution of 
the atoms1 or  a similar dispersion of  
the unsentient elements4    #ea4        
,with food and drinks and cunning magic 
arts  ,turning the channel's course to  
'scape from death4  ,the breeze which   
heaven has sent  ,we must endure1 and   
toil without complaining4      #eb4     
,another may be more expert in casting  
his opponent2 but he is not  more       
social1 nor more modest1 nor better     
disciplined to meet all that  happens1  
nor more considerate with respect to the
 faults of his  neighbors4    #ec4      
,where any work can be clone conformably
 to the reason which is  common to gods 
and men1 there we have nothing to fear2 
for where we are  able to get profit by 
means of the activity which is          
successful and  proceeds according to   
our constitution1 there no harm is to be
  suspected4    #ed4 ,everywhere and at 

all times it is in thy power piously to 
acquiesce  in thy present condition1 and
 to behave justly to those who are about
  thee1 and to exert thy skill upon thy 
present thoughts1 that nothing  shall   
steal into them without being well      
examined4    #ee4 ,do not look around   
thee to discover other men's ruling     
principles1  but look straight to this1 
to what nature leads thee1 both the     
universal nature through the things     
which happen to thee1 and thy own       
nature through the acts which must be   
done by thee4 ,but every being  ought to
 do that which is according to its      
constitution2 and all other  things have
 been constituted for the sake of       
rational beings1 just as  among         
irrational things the inferior for the  
sake of the superior1 but  the rational 
for the sake of one another4    ,the    
prime principle then in man's           
constitution is the social4 ,and the    
second is not to yield to the           
persuasions of the body1--for it is the 

peculiar office of the rational and     
intelligent motion to circumscribe      
itself1 and never to be overpowered     
either by the motion of the senses  or  
of the appetites1 for both are animal2  
but the intelligent motion  claims      
superiority1 and does not permit itself 
to be overpowered by the  others4 ,and  
with good reason1 for it is formed by   
nature to use all of  them4 ,the third  
thing in the rational constitution is   
freedom from  error and from deception4 
,let then the ruling principle holding  
fast to  these things go straight on1   
and it has what is its own4    #ef4     
,consider thyself to be dead1 and to    
have completed thy life up to  the      
present time2 and live according to     
nature the remainder which is  allowed  
thee4    #eg4 ,love that only which     
happens to thee and is spun with the    
thread of  thy destiny4 ,for what is    
more suitable8    #eh4 ,in everything   
which happens keep before thy eyes those
 to whom the  same things happened1 and 

how they were vexed1 and treated them as
  strange things1 and found fault with  
them3 and now where are they8  ,nowhere4
 ,why then dost thou too choose to act  
in the same way2 and why  dost thou not 
leave these agitations which are foreign
 to nature to  those who cause them and 
those who are moved by them2 and why art
 thou  not altogether intent upon the   
right way of making use of the things   
which happen to thee8 ,for then thou    
wilt use them well1 and they will  be a 
material for thee to work on4 ,only     
attend to thyself1 and  resolve to be a 
good man in every act which thou dost3  
and remember'''4    #ei4 ,look within4  
,within is the fountain of good1 and it 
will ever  bubble up1 if thou wilt ever 
dig4    #fj4 ,the body ought to be      
compact1 and to show no irregularity    
either in  motion or attitude4 ,for what
 the mind shows in the face by          
maintaining  in it the expression of    
intelligence and propriety1 that ought  
to be  required also in the whole body4 

,but all these things should be         
observed without affectation4    #fa4   
,the art of life is more like the       
wrestler's art than the dancer's1  in   
respect of this1 that it should stand   
ready and firm to meet onsets  which are
 sudden and unexpected4    #fb4         
,constantly observe who those are whose 
approbation thou wishest to  have1 and  
what ruling principles they possess4    
,for then thou wilt  neither blame those
 who offend involuntarily1 nor wilt thou
 want their  approbation1 if thou       
lookest to the sources of their opinions
 and  appetites4    #fc4 ,every soul1   
the philosopher says1 is involuntarily  
deprived of  truth2 consequently in the 
same way it is deprived of justice and  
temperance and benevolence and          
everything of the kind4 ,it is most     
necessary to bear this constantly in    
mind1 for thus thou wilt be more  gentle
 towards all4    #fd4 ,in every pain let
 this thought be present1 that there is 
no  dishonor in it1 nor does it make the

 governing intelligence worse1 for  it  
does not damage the intelligence either 
so far as the intelligence  is rational 
or so far as it is social4 ,indeed in   
the case of most pains  let this remark 
of ,epicurus aid thee1 that pain is     
neither intolerable  nor everlasting1 if
 thou bearest in mind that it has its   
limits1 and if  thou addest nothing to  
it in imagination3 and remember this    
too1 that  we do not perceive that many 
things which are disagreeable to us are 
the same as pain1 such as excessive     
drowsiness1 and the being scorched  by  
heat1 and the having no appetite4 ,when 
then thou art discontented  about any of
 these things1 say to thyself that thou 
art yielding to  pain4    #fe4 ,take    
care not to feel towards the inhuman as 
they feel towards men4    #ff4 ,how do  
we know if ,telauges was not superior in
 character to  ,socrates8 ,for it is not
 enough that ,socrates died a more noble
 death1  and disputed more skilfully    
with the ,sophists1 and passed the night

 in  the cold with more endurance1 and  
that when he was bid to arrest ,leon  of
 ,salamis1 he considered it more noble  
to refuse1 and that he walked  in a     
swaggering way in the streets--though as
 to this fact one may have  great doubts
 if it was true4 ,but we ought to       
inquire what kind of a  soul it was that
 ,socrates possessed1 and if he was able
 to be content  with being just towards 
men and pious towards the gods1 neither 
idly  vexed on account of men's         
villainy1 nor yet making himself a slave
 to  any man's ignorance1 nor receiving 
as strange anything that fell to his    
share out of the universal1 nor enduring
 it as intolerable1 nor  allowing his   
understanding to sympathize with the    
affects of the  miserable flesh4    #fg4
 ,nature has not so mingled the         
intelligence with the composition  of   
the body1 as not to have allowed thee   
the power of circumscribing  thyself and
 of bringing under subjection to thyself
 all that is thy  own2 for it is very   

possible to be a divine man and to be   
recognized as  such by no one4 ,always  
bear this in mind2 and another thing    
too1 that  very little indeed is        
necessary for living a happy life4 ,and 
because  thou hast despaired of becoming
 a dialectician and skilled in the      
knowledge of nature1 do not for this    
reason renounce the hope of being  both 
free and modest1 and social and obedient
 to ,god4    #fh4 ,it is in thy power to
 live free from all compulsion in the   
greatest  tranquillity of mind1 even if 
all the world cry out against thee as   
much as they choose1 and even if wild   
beasts tear in pieces the members  of   
this kneaded matter which has grown     
around thee4 ,for what hinders  the mind
 in the midst of all this from          
maintaining itself in  tranquillity and 
in a just judgment of all surrounding   
things and in a  ready use of the       
objects which are presented to it1 so   
that the  judgment may say to the thing 
which falls under its observation3 ,this

  thou art in substance reality1 though 
in men's opinion thou mayest  appear to 
be of a different kind2 and the use     
shall say to that which  falls under the
 hand3 ,thou art the thing that ,i was  
seeking2 for to me  that which presents 
itself is always a material for virtue  
both  rational and political1 and in a  
word1 for the exercise of art1 which    
belongs to man or ,god4 ,for everything 
which happens has a relationship  either
 to ,god or man1 and is neither new nor 
difficult to handle1 but  usual and apt 
matter to work on4    #fi4 ,the         
perfection of moral character consists  
in this1 in passing  every day as the   
last1 and in being neither violently    
excited nor  torpid nor playing the     
hypocrite4    #gj4 ,the gods who are    
immortal are not vexed because during so
 long a  time they must tolerate        
continually men such as they are and so 
many of  them bad2 and besides this1    
they also take care of them in all ways4
  ,but thou1 who art destined to end so 

soon1 art thou wearied of enduring  the 
bad1 and this too when thou art one of  
them8    #ga4 ,it is a ridiculous thing 
for a man not to fly from his own       
badness1  which is indeed possible1 but 
to fly from other men's badness1 which  
is  impossible4    #gb4 ,whatever the   
rational and political social faculty   
finds to be  neither intelligent nor    
social1 it properly judges to be        
inferior to  itself4    #gc4 ,when thou 
hast done a good act and another has    
received it1 why  dost thou still look  
for a third thing besides these1 as     
fools do1  either to have the reputation
 of having done a good act or to obtain 
a  return8    #gd4 ,no man is tired of  
receiving what is useful4 ,but it is    
useful to  act according to nature4 ,do 
not then be tired of receiving what is  
useful by doing it to others4    #ge4   
,the nature of the ,all moved to make   
the universe4 ,but now either           
everything that takes place comes by way
 of consequence or  continuity2 or even 

the chief things towards which the      
ruling power  of the universe directs   
its own movement are governed by no     
rational  principle4 ,if this is        
remembered1 it will make thee more      
tranquil in  many things 7vi4 #dd2 ix4  
#bh74          ,,book ,,viii4      #a4  
,this reflection also tends to the      
removal of the desire of empty  fame1   
that it is no longer in thy power to    
have lived the whole of thy  life1 or at
 least thy life from thy youth upwards1 
like a philosopher2  but both to many   
others and to thyself it is plain that  
thou art far  from philosophy4 ,thou    
hast fallen into disorder then1 so that 
it is no  longer easy for thee to get   
the reputation of a philosopher2 and thy
  plan of life also opposes it4 ,if then
 thou hast truly seen where the  matter 
lies1 throw away the thought1 ,how thou 
shalt seem to others1  and be content if
 thou shalt live the rest of thy life in
 such wise as  thy nature wills4        
,observe then what it wills1 and let    

nothing else  distract thee2 for thou   
hast had experience of many wanderings  
without  having found happiness         
anywhere1--not in syllogisms1 nor in    
wealth1 nor  in reputation1 nor in      
enjoyment1 nor anywhere4 ,where is it   
then8 ,in  doing what man's nature      
requires4 ,how then shall a man do this8
 ,if he  has principles from which come 
his affects and his acts4 ,what         
principles8 ,those which relate to good 
and bad3 the belief that there  is      
nothing good for man which does not make
 him just1 temperate1 manly1  free2 and 
that there is nothing bad which does not
 do the contrary to  what has been      
mentioned4    #b4 ,on the occasion of   
every act ask thyself1 ,how is this with
 respect  to me8 ,shall ,i repent of it8
 ,a little time and ,i am dead1 and all 
is  gone4 ,what more do ,i seek1 if what
 ,i am now doing is the work of an      
intelligent living being1 and a social  
being1 and one who is under the  same   
law with ,god8    #c4 ,alexander and    

,caius and ,pompeius1 what are they in  
comparison with  ,diogenes and          
,heraclitus and ,socrates8 ,for they    
were acquainted with  things1 and their 
causes forms1 and their matter1 and the 
ruling  principles of these men were the
 same or conformable to their  pursuits4
 ,but as to the others1 how many things 
had they to care for1  and to how many  
things were they slaves6    #d4         
,consider that men will do the same     
things nevertheless1 even  though thou  
shouldst burst4    #e4 ,this is the     
chief thing3 ,be not perturbed1 for all 
things are  according to the nature of  
the universal2 and in a little time thou
  wilt be nobody and nowhere1 like      
,hadrianus and ,augustus4 ,in the next  
place1 having fixed thy eyes steadily on
 thy business look at it1 and  at the   
same time remembering that it is thy    
duty to be a good man1 and  what man's  
nature demands1 do that without turning 
aside2 and speak as  it seems to thee   
most just1 only let it be with a good   

disposition and  with modesty and       
without hypocrisy4    #f4 ,the nature of
 the universal has this work to do1--to 
remove to that  place the things which  
are in this1 to change them1 to take    
them away  hence1 and to carry them     
there4 ,all things are change1 yet we   
need not  fear anything new4 ,all things
 are familiar to us2 but the            
distribution of them still remains the  
same4    #g4 ,every nature is contented 
with itself when it goes on its way     
well2  and a rational nature goes on its
 way well when in its thoughts it       
assents to nothing false or uncertain1  
and when it directs its  movements to   
social acts only1 and when it confines  
its desires and  aversions to the things
 which are in its power1 and when it is 
satisfied with everything that is       
assigned to it by the common nature4    
,for of this common nature every        
particular nature is a part1 as the     
nature of the leaf is a part of the     
nature of the plant2 except that in  the

 plant the nature of the leaf is part of
 a nature which has not  perception or  
reason1 and is subject to be impeded2   
but the nature of  man is part of a     
nature which is not subject to          
impediments1 and is  intelligent and    
just1 since it gives to everything in   
equal portions  and according to its    
worth1 times1 substance1 cause form1    
activity  and incident4 ,but examine1   
not to discover that any one thing      
compared  with any other single thing is
 equal in all respects1 but by taking   
all  the parts together of one thing and
 comparing them with all the parts      
together of another4    #h4 ,thou hast  
not leisure or ability to read4 ,but    
thou hast leisure  or ability to check  
arrogance3 thou hast leisure to be      
superior to  pleasure and pain3 thou    
hast leisure to be superior to love of  
fame1  and not to be vexed at stupid and
 ungrateful people1 nay even to care    
for them4    #i4 ,let no man any longer 
hear thee finding fault with the court  

life or  with thy own 7,v4 #af74    #aj4
 ,repentance is a kind of self-reproof  
for having neglected something  useful2 
but that which is good must be something
 useful1 and the  perfect good man      
should look after it4 ,but no such man  
would ever  repent of having refused any
 sensual pleasure4 ,pleasure then is    
neither  good nor useful4    #aa4 ,this 
thing1 what is it in itself1 in its own 
constitution6 ,what is  its substance   
and material8 ,and what its causal      
nature or form8 ,and  what is it doing  
in the world8 ,and how long does it     
subsist8    #ab4 ,when thou risest from 
sleep with reluctance1 remember that it 
is  according to thy constitution and   
according to human nature to perform    
social acts1 but sleeping is common also
 to irrational animals4 ,but  that which
 is according to each individual's      
nature is also more  peculiarly its own1
 and more suitable to its nature1 and   
indeed also  more agreeable 7,v4 #a74   
#ac4 ,constantly and1 if it be possible1

 on the occasion of every  impression on
 the soul1 apply to it the principles of
 ,physic1 of ,ethic1  and of ,dialectic4
    #ad4 ,whatever man thou meetest     
with1 immediately say to thyself3 ,what 
opinions has this man about good and    
bad8 ,for if with respect to  pleasure  
and pain and the causes of each1 and    
with respect to fame and  ignominy1     
death and life1 he has such and such    
opinions1 it will seem  nothing         
wonderful or strange to me if he does   
such and such things2 and  ,i shall bear
 in mind that he is compelled to do so4 
#ae4 ,remember that as it is a shame to 
be surprised if the fig-tree  produces  
figs1 so it is to be surprised if the   
world produces such and  such things of 
which it is productive2 and for the     
physician and the  helmsman it is a     
shame to be surprised if a man has a    
fever1 or if the  wind is unfavorable4  
#af4 ,remember that to change thy       
opinion and to follow him who corrects  
thy error is as consistent with freedom 

as it is to persist in thy  error4 ,for 
it is thy own1 the activity which is    
exerted according to  thy own movement  
and judgment1 and indeed according to   
thy own  understanding too4    #ag4 ,if 
a thing is in thy own power1 why dost   
thou do it8 but if it is  in the power  
of another1 whom dost thou blame1--the  
atoms chance or  the gods8 ,both are    
foolish4 ,thou must blame nobody4 ,for  
if thou canst1  correct that which is   
the cause2 but if thou canst not do     
this1  correct at least the thing       
itself2 but if thou canst not do even   
this1  of what use is it to thee to find
 fault8 for nothing should be done      
without a purpose4    #ah4 ,that which  
has died falls not out of the universe4 
,if it stays  here1 it also changes     
here1 and is dissolved into its proper  
parts1  which are elements of the       
universe and of thyself4 ,and these too 
change1 and they murmur not4    #ai4    
,everything exists for some end1--a     
horse1 a vine4 ,why dost thou  wonder8  

,even the sun will say1 ,i am for some  
purpose1 and the rest of  the gods will 
say the same4 ,for what purpose then art
 thou1--to enjoy  pleasure8 ,see if     
common sense allows this4    #bj4       
,nature has had regard in everything no 
less to the end than to the  beginning  
and the continuance1 just like the man  
who throws up a ball4  ,what good is it 
then for the ball to be thrown up1 or   
harm for it to  come down1 or even to   
have fallen8 and what good is it to the 
bubble  while it holds together1 or what
 harm when it is burst8 ,the same may be
  said of a light also4    #ba4 ,turn it
 the body inside out1 and see what kind 
of thing it is2  and when it has grown  
old1 what kind of thing it becomes1 and 
when it  is diseased4    ,short lived   
are both the praiser and the praised1   
and the rememberer  and the remembered3 
and all this in a nook of this part of  
the world2  and not even here do all    
agree1 no1 not any one with himself3 and
 the  whole earth too is a point4       

#bb4 ,attend to the matter which is     
before thee1 whether it is an opinion   
or an act or a word4 ,thou sufferest    
this justly3 for thou choosest  rather  
to become good to-morrow than to be good
 to-day4    #bc4 ,am ,i doing anything8 
,i do it with reference to the good of  
mankind4  ,does anything happen to me8  
,i receive it and refer it to the gods1 
and  the source of all things1 from     
which all that happens is derived4      
#bd4 ,such as bathing appears to        
thee1--oil1 sweat1 dirt1 filthy water1  
all things disgusting1--so is every part
 of life and everything4    #be4        
,lucilla saw ,verus die1 and then       
,lucilla died4 ,secunda saw ,maximus    
die1 and then ,secunda died4            
,epitynchanus saw ,diotimus die1 and    
then  ,epitynchanus died4 ,antoninus saw
 ,faustina die1 and then ,antoninus     
died4  ,such is everything4 ,celer saw  
,hadrianus die1 and then ,celer died4   
,and  those sharp-witted men1 either    
seers or men inflated with pride1 where 

are they1--for instance the sharp-witted
 men1 ,charax and ,demetrius the        
,platonist and ,eudaemon1 and any one   
else like them8 ,all ephemeral1 dead    
long ago4 ,some indeed have not been    
remembered even for a short time1  and  
others have become the heroes of fables1
 and again others have  disappeared even
 from fables4 ,remember this then1 that 
this little  compound1 thyself1 must    
either be dissolved1 or thy poor breath 
must be  extinguished1 or be removed and
 placed elsewhere4    #bf4 ,it is       
satisfaction to a man to do the proper  
works of a man4 ,now it  is a proper    
work of a man to be benevolent to his   
own kind1 to despise  the movements of  
the senses1 to form a just judgment of  
plausible  appearances1 and to take a   
survey of the nature of the universe and
 of  the things which happen in it4     
#bg4 ,there are three relations between 
thee and other things3 the one  to the  
body which surrounds thee2 the second to
 the divine cause from  which all things

 come to all2 and the third to those who
 live with  thee4    #bh4 ,pain is      
either an evil to the body--then let the
 body say what it  thinks of it--or to  
the soul2 but it is in the power of the 
soul to  maintain its own serenity and  
tranquillity1 and not to think that pain
  is an evil4 ,for every judgment and   
movement and desire and aversion is     
within1 and no evil ascends so high4    
#bi4 ,wipe out thy imaginations by often
 saying to thyself3 ,now it is in  my   
power to let no badness be in this soul1
 nor desire1 nor any  perturbation at   
all2 but looking at all things ,i see   
what is their  nature1 and ,i use each  
according to its value4--,remember this 
power  which thou hast from nature4     
#cj4 ,speak both in the senate and to   
every man1 whoever he may be1           
appropriately1 not with any affectation3
 use plain discourse4    #ca4 ,augustus'
 court1 wife1 daughter1 descendants1    
ancestors1 sister1  ,agrippa1 kinsmen1  
intimates1 friends1 ,areius1 ,maecenas1 

physicians1 and  sacrificing            
priests1--the whole court is dead4 ,then
 turn to the rest1  not considering the 
death of a single man but of a whole    
race1 as of  the ,pompeii2 and that     
which is inscribed on the tombs1--,the  
last of his  race4 ,then consider what  
trouble those before them have had that 
they  might leave a successor2 and then1
 that of necessity some one must be  the
 last4 ,again1 here consider the death  
of a whole race4    #cb4 ,it is thy duty
 to order thy life well in every single 
act2 and if  every act does its duty as 
far as is possible1 be content2 and no  
one  is able to hinder thee so that each
 act shall not do its duty4--,but       
something external will stand in the    
way4--,nothing will stand in the way  of
 thy acting justly and soberly and      
considerately4--,but perhaps some  other
 active power will be hindered4--,well1 
but by acquiescing in the  hindrance and
 by being content to transfer thy       
efforts to that which is  allowed1      

another opportunity of action is        
immediately put before thee  in place of
 that which was hindered1 and one which 
will adapt itself to  this ordering of  
which we are speaking4    #cc4 ,receive 
wealth or prosperity without arrogance2 
and be ready to  let it go4    #cd4 ,if 
thou didst ever see a hand cut off1 or a
 foot1 or a head1 lying  anywhere apart 
from the rest of the body1 such does a  
man make himself1  as far as he can1 who
 is not content with what happens1 and  
separates  himself from others1 or does 
anything unsocial4 ,suppose that thou   
hast  detached thyself from the natural 
unity1--for thou wast made by nature a  
part1 but now thou hast cut thyself     
off1--yet here there is this  beautiful 
provision1 that it is in thy power again
 to unite thyself4  ,god has allowed    
this to no other part1 after it has been
 separated and  cut asunder1 to come    
together again4 ,but consider the       
kindness by which  he has distinguished 
man1 for he has put it in his power not 

to be  separated at all from the        
universal2 and when he has been         
separated1 he  has allowed him to return
 and to be united and to resume his     
place as a  part4    #ce4 ,as the nature
 of the universal has given to every    
rational being  all the other powers    
that it has1 so we have received from it
 this  power also4 ,for as the universal
 nature converts and fixes in its       
predestined place everything which      
stands in the way and opposes it1  and  
makes such things a part of itself1 so  
also the rational animal is  able to    
make every hindrance its own material1  
and to use it for such  purposes as it  
may have designed4    #cf4 ,do not      
disturb thyself by thinking of the whole
 of thy life4 ,let  not thy thoughts at 
once embrace all the various troubles   
which thou  mayest expect to befall     
thee3 but on every occasion ask thyself1
 ,what  is there in this which is       
intolerable and past bearing8 for thou  
wilt  be ashamed to confess4 ,in the    

next place remember that neither the    
future nor the past pains thee1 but only
 the present4 ,but this is  reduced to a
 very little1 if thou only              
circumscribest it1 and chidest  thy mind
 if it is unable to hold out against    
even this4    #cg4 ,does ,panthea or    
,pergamus now sit by the tomb of ,verus8
 ,does  ,chaurias or ,diotimus sit by   
the tomb of ,hadrianus8 ,that would be  
ridiculous4 ,well1 suppose they did sit 
there1 would the dead be  conscious of  
it8 and if the dead were conscious would
 they be pleased8  and if they were     
pleased1 would that make them immortal8 
,was it not in  the order of destiny    
that these persons too should first     
become old  women and old men and then  
die8 ,what then would those do after    
these  were dead8 ,all this is foul     
smell and blood in a bag4    #ch4 ,if   
thou canst see sharp1 look and judge    
wisely1 says the  philosopher4    #ci4  
,in the constitution of the rational    
animal ,i see no virtue which is        

opposed to justice2 but ,i see a virtue 
which is opposed to love of  pleasure1  
and that is temperance4    #dj4 ,if thou
 takest away thy opinion about that     
which appears to give  thee pain1 thou  
thyself standest in perfect             
security4--,who is this  self8--,the    
reason4--,but ,i am not reason4--,be it 
so4 ,let then the reason  itself not    
trouble itself4 ,but if any other part  
of thee suffers1 let  it have its own   
opinion about itself 7,,vii4 #af74      
#da4 ,hindrance to the perceptions of   
sense is an evil to the animal  nature4 
,hindrance to the movements desires is  
equally an evil to the  animal nature4  
,and something else also is equally an  
impediment and an  evil to the          
constitution of plants4 ,so then that   
which is a hindrance  to the            
intelligence is an evil to the          
intelligent nature4 ,apply all  these   
things then to thyself4 ,does pain or   
sensuous pleasure effect  thee8 ,the    
senses will look to that4 ,has any      

obstacle opposed thee in  thy efforts   
towards an object8 ,if indeed thou wast 
making this effort  absolutely          
unconditionally1 or without any         
reservation1 certainly  this obstacle is
 an evil to thee considered as a        
rational animal4 ,but  if thou takest   
into consideration the usual course of  
things1 thou  hast not yet been injured 
nor even impeded4 ,the things however   
which  are proper to the understanding  
no other man is used to impede1 for     
neither fire1 nor iron1 nor tyrant1 nor 
abuse1 touches it in any way4  ,when it 
has been made a sphere1 it continues a  
sphere 7,,xi1 #ab74    #db4 ,it is not  
fit that ,i should give myself pain1 for
 ,i have never  intentionally given pain
 even to another4    #dc4 ,different    
things delight different people2 but it 
is my delight to  keep the ruling       
faculty sound without turning away      
either from any man  or from any of the 
things which happen to men1 but looking 
at and  receiving all with welcome eyes 

and using everything according to its   
value4    #dd4 ,see that thou secure    
this present time to thyself3 for those 
who  rather pursue posthumous fame do   
not consider that the men of after  time
 will be exactly such as these whom they
 cannot bear now2 and both  are mortal4 
,and what is it in any way to thee if   
these men of after  time utter this or  
that sound1 or have this or that opinion
 about thee8    #de4 ,take me and cast  
me where thou wilt2 for there ,i shall  
keep my  divine part tranquil1 that is1 
content1 if it can feel and act         
conformably to its proper constitution4 
,is this change of place  sufficient    
reason why my soul should be unhappy and
 worse then it was1  depressed1         
expanded1 shrinking1 affrighted8 and    
what wilt thou find  which is sufficient
 reason for this8    #df4 ,nothing can  
happen to any man which is not a human  
accident1 nor to  an ox which is not    
according to the nature of an ox1 nor to
 a vine  which is not according to the  

nature of a vine1 nor to a stone which  
is  not proper to a stone4 ,if then     
there happens to each thing both what is
  usual and natural1 why shouldst thou  
complain8 ,for the common nature  brings
 nothing which may not be borne by thee4
    #dg4 ,if thou art pained by any     
external thing1 it is not this thing    
that  disturbs thee1 but thy own        
judgment about it4 ,and it is in thy    
power to  wipe out this judgment now4   
,but if anything in thy own disposition 
gives thee pain1 who hinders thee from  
correcting thy opinion8 ,and even  if   
thou art pained because thou art not    
doing some particular thing  which seems
 to thee to be right1 why dost thou not 
rather act than  complain8--,but some   
insuperable obstacle is in the way8--,do
 not be  grieved then1 for the cause of 
its not being done depends not on       
thee4--,but it is not worth while to    
live1 if this cannot be done4--,take    
thy departure then from life            
contentedly1 just as he dies who is in  

full activity1 and well pleased too with
 the things which are  obstacles4       
#dh4 ,remember that the ruling faculty  
is invincible1 when self-collected  it  
is satisfied with itself1 if it does    
nothing which it does not  choose to do1
 even if it resist from mere obstinacy4 
,what then will it  be when it forms a  
judgment about anything aided by reason 
and  deliberately8 ,therefore the mind  
which is free from passions is a        
citadel1 for man has nothing more secure
 to which he can fly for refuge  and for
 the future be inexpugnable4 ,he then   
who has not seen this is an  ignorant   
man2 but he who has seen it and does not
 fly to this refuge is  unhappy4    #di4
 ,say nothing more to thyself than what 
the first appearances report4  ,suppose 
that it has been reported to thee that a
 certain person speaks  ill of thee4    
,this has been reported2 but that thou  
hast been injured1  that has not been   
reported4 ,i see that my child is sick4 
,i do see2 but  that he is in danger1 ,i

 do not see4 ,thus then always abide by 
the first  appearances1 and add nothing 
thyself from within1 and then nothing   
happens to thee4 ,or rather add         
something like a man who knows          
everything that happens in the world4   
#ej4 ,a cucumber is bitter--,throw it   
away4--,there are briers in the         
road--,turn aside from them4--,this is  
enough4 ,do not add1 ,and why were  such
 things made in the world8 ,for thou    
wilt be ridiculed by a man who  is      
acquainted with nature1 as thou wouldst 
be ridiculed by a carpenter  and        
shoemaker if thou didst find fault      
because thou seest in their  workshop   
shavings and cuttings from the things   
which they make4 ,and yet  they have    
places into which they can throw these  
shavings and cuttings1  and the         
universal nature has no external space2 
but the wondrous part  of her art is    
that though she has circumscribed       
herself1 everything  within her which   
appears to decay and to grow old and to 

be useless she  changes into herself1   
and again makes other new things from   
these very  same1 so that she requires  
neither substance from without nor wants
 a  place into which she may cast that  
which decays4 ,she is content then  with
 her own space1 and her own matter1 and 
her own art4    #ea4 ,neither in thy    
actions be sluggish nor in thy          
conversation without  method1 nor       
wandering in thy thoughts1 nor let there
 be in thy soul  inward contention nor  
external effusion1 nor in life be so    
busy as to  have no leisure4    ,suppose
 that men kill thee1 cut thee in pieces1
 curse thee4 ,what then  can these      
things do to prevent thy mind from      
remaining pure1 wise1  sober1 just8 ,for
 instance1 if a man should stand by a   
limpid pure  spring1 and curse it1 the  
spring never ceases sending up potable  
water2  and if he should cast clay into 
it or filth1 it will speedily disperse  
them and wash them out1 and will not be 
at all polluted4 ,how then shalt  thou  

possess a perpetual fountain and not a  
mere well8 ,by forming  thyself hourly  
to freedom conjoined with contentment1  
simplicity1 and  modesty4    #eb4 ,he   
who does not know what the world is1    
does not know where he is4  ,and he who 
does not know for what purpose the world
 exists1 does not  know who he is1 nor  
what the world is4 ,but he who has      
failed in any one  of these things could
 not even say for what purpose he exists
 himself4  ,what then dost thou think of
 him who avoids or seeks the praise of  
those who applaud1 of men who know not  
either where they are or who  they are8 
#ec4 ,dost thou wish to be praised by a 
man who curses himself thrice  every    
hour8 ,wouldst thou wish to please a man
 who does not please  himself8 ,does a  
man please himself who repents of nearly
 everything  that he does8    #ed4 ,no  
longer let thy breathing only act in    
concert with the air which  surrounds   
thee1 but let thy intelligence also now 
be in harmony with  the intelligence    

which embraces all things4 ,for the     
intelligent power  is no less diffused  
in all parts and pervades all things for
 him who is  willing to draw it to him  
than the aerial power for him who is    
able to  respire it4    #ee4 ,generally1
 wickedness does no harm at all to the  
universe2 and  particularly the         
wickedness of one man does no harm to   
another4 ,it is  only harmful to him who
 has it in his power to be released from
 it as  soon as he shall choose4    #ef4
 ,to my own free will the free will of  
my neighbor is just as  indifferent as  
his poor breath and flesh4 ,for though  
we are made  especially for the sake of 
one another1 still the ruling power of  
each  of us has its own office1 for     
otherwise my neighbor's wickedness would
  be my harm1 which ,god has not willed 
in order that my unhappiness may  not   
depend on another4    #eg4 ,the sun     
appears to be poured down1 and in all   
directions indeed it  is diffused1 yet  
it is not effused4 ,for this diffusion  

is extension3  ,accordingly its rays are
 called ,extensions because they are    
extended4  ,but one may judge what kind 
of a thing a ray is1 if he looks at the 
sun's light passing through a narrow    
opening into a darkened room1 for  it is
 extended in a right line1 and as it    
were is divided when it meets  with any 
solid body which stands in the way and  
intercepts the air  beyond2 but there   
the light remains fixed and does not    
glide or fall  off4 ,such then ought to 
be the outpouring and diffusion of the  
understanding1 and it should in no way  
be an effusion1 but an  extension1 and  
it should make no violent or impetuous  
collision with  the obstacles which are 
in its way2 nor yet fall down1 but be   
fixed1  and enlighten that which        
receives it4 ,for a body will deprive   
itself of  the illumination1 if it does 
not admit it4    #eh4 ,he who fears     
death either fears the loss of sensation
 or a  different kind of sensation4 ,but
 if thou shalt have no sensation1       

neither wilt thou feel any harm2 and if 
thou shalt acquire another kind  of     
sensation1 thou wilt be a different kind
 of living being and thou  wilt not     
cease to live4    #ei4 ,men exist for   
the sake of one another4 ,teach them    
then or bear with  them4    #fj4 ,in one
 way an arrow moves1 in another way the 
mind4 ,the mind  indeed1 both when it   
exercises caution and when it is        
employed about  inquiry1 moves straight 
onward not the less1 and to its object4 
#fa4 ,enter into every man's ruling     
faculty2 and also let every other man   
enter into thine4          ,,book ,,ix4 
#a4 ,he who acts unjustly acts          
impiously4 ,for since the universal     
nature  has made rational animals for   
the sake of one another to help one     
another according to their deserts1 but 
in no way to injure one  another1 he who
 transgresses her will is clearly guilty
 of impiety  towards the highest        
divinity4 ,and he too who lies is guilty
 of impiety  to the same divinity2 for  

the universal nature is the nature of   
things  that are2 and things that are   
have a relation to all things that come 
into existence4 ,and further1 this      
universal nature is named truth1 and  is
 the prime cause of all things that are 
true4 ,he then who lies  intentionally  
is guilty of impiety inasmuch as he acts
 unjustly by  deceiving2 and he also who
 lies unintentionally1 inasmuch as he is
 at  variance with the universal nature1
 and inasmuch as he disturbs the  order 
by fighting against the nature of the   
world2 for he fights  against it1 who is
 moved of himself to that which is      
contrary to truth1  for he had received 
powers from nature through the neglect  
of which he  is not able now to         
distinguish falsehood from truth4 ,and  
indeed he who  pursues pleasure as good1
 and avoids pain as evil1 is guilty of  
impiety4 ,for of necessity such a man   
must often find fault with the          
universal nature1 alleging that it      
assigns things to the bad and the  good 

contrary to their deserts1 because      
frequently the bad are in the  enjoyment
 of pleasure and possess the things     
which procure pleasure1  but the good   
have pain for their share and the things
 which cause pain4  ,and further1 he who
 is afraid of pain will sometimes also  
be afraid of  some of the things which  
will happen in the world1 and even this 
is  impiety4 ,and he who pursues        
pleasure will not abstain from          
injustice1  and this is plainly impiety4
 ,now with respect to the things towards
  which the universal nature is equally 
affected1--for it would not have  made  
both1 unless it was equally affected    
towards both1--towards these  they who  
wish to follow nature should be of the  
same mind with it1 and  equally         
affected4 ,with respect to pain1 then1  
and pleasure1 or death  and life1 or    
honor and dishonor1 which the universal 
nature employs  equally1 whoever is not 
equally affected is manifestly acting   
impiously4 ,and ,i say that the         

universal nature employs them equally1  
instead of saying that they happen alike
 to those who are produced in           
continuous series and to those who come 
after them by virtue of a  certain      
original movement of ,providence1       
according to which it moved  from a     
certain beginning to this ordering of   
things1 having conceived  certain       
principles of the things which were to  
be1 and having  determined powers       
productive of beings and of changes and 
of such like  successions 7,,vii4 #ge74 
#b4 ,it would be a man's happiest lot to
 depart from mankind without  having had
 any taste of lying and hypocrisy and   
luxury and pride4  ,however1 to breathe 
out one's life when a man has had enough
 of these  things is the next best      
voyage1 as the saying is4 ,hast thou    
determined  to abide with vice1 and has 
not experience yet induced thee to fly  
from  this pestilence8 ,for the         
destruction of the understanding is a   
pestilence1 much more indeed than any   

such corruption and change of  this     
atmosphere which surrounds us4 ,for this
 corruption is a pestilence  of animals 
so far as they are animals2 but the     
other is a pestilence of  men so far as 
they are men4    #c4 ,do not despise    
death1 but be well content with it1     
since this too is  one of those things  
which nature wills4 ,for such as it is  
to be young  and to grow old1 and to    
increase and to reach maturity1 and to  
have  teeth and beard and gray hairs1   
and to beget and to be pregnant and to  
bring forth1 and all the other natural  
operations which the seasons of  thy    
life bring1 such also is dissolution4   
,this1 then1 is consistent  with the    
character of a reflecting man1--to be   
neither careless nor  impatient nor     
contemptuous with respect to death1 but 
to wait for it as  one of the operations
 of nature4 ,as thou now waitest for the
 time when  the child shall come out of 
thy wife's womb1 so be ready for the    
time  when thy soul shall fall out of   

this envelope4 ,but if thou requirest   
also a vulgar kind of comfort which     
shall reach thy heart1 thou wilt be     
made best reconciled to death by        
observing the objects from which thou   
art going to be removed1 and the morals 
of those with whom thy soul  will no    
longer be mingled4 ,for it is no way    
right to be offended with  men1 but it  
is thy duty to care for them and to bear
 with them gently2  and yet to remember 
that thy departure will not be from men 
who have  the same principles as        
thyself4 ,for this is the only thing1 if
 there be  any1 which could draw us the 
contrary way and attach us to life1--to 
be  permitted to live with those who    
have the same principles as ourselves4  
,but now thou seest how great is the    
trouble arising from the  discordance of
 those who live together1 so that thou  
mayest say1 ,come  quick1 ,o death1 lest
 perchance ,i1 too1 should forget       
myself4    #d4 ,he who does wrong does  
wrong against himself4 ,he who acts     

unjustly  acts unjustly to himself1     
because he makes himself bad4    #e4 ,he
 often acts unjustly who does not do a  
certain thing2 not only he  who does a  
certain thing4    #f4 ,thy present      
opinion founded on understanding1 and   
thy present  conduct directed to social 
good1 and thy present disposition of    
contentment with everything which       
happens--that is enough4    #g4 ,wipe   
out imagination3 check desire3          
extinguish appetite3 keep the  ruling   
faculty in its own power4    #h4 ,among 
the animals which have not reason one   
life is distributed2 but  among         
reasonable animals one intelligent soul 
is distributed3 just as  there is one   
earth of all things which are of an     
earthy nature1 and we  see by one light1
 and breathe one air1 all of us that    
have the faculty  of vision and all that
 have life4    #i4 ,all things which    
participate in anything which is common 
to them all  move towards that which is 
of the same kind with themselves4       

,everything  which is earthy turns      
towards the earth1 everything which is  
liquid  flows together1 and everything  
which is of an aerial kind does the     
same1 so that they require something to 
keep them asunder1 and the  application 
of force4 ,fire indeed moves upwards on 
account of the  elemental fire1 but it  
is so ready to be kindled together with 
all the  fire which is here1 that even  
every substance which is somewhat dry is
  easily ignited1 because there is less 
mingled with it of that which is  a     
hindrance to ignition4 ,accordingly1    
then1 everything also which             
participates in the common intelligent  
nature moves in like manner  towards    
that which is of the same kind with     
itself1 or moves even more4  ,for so    
much as it is superior in comparison    
with all other things1 in  the same     
degree also is it more ready to mingle  
with and to be fused  with that which is
 akin to it4 ,accordingly among animals 
devoid of  reason we find swarms of     

bees1 and herds of cattle1 and the      
nurture of  young birds1 and in a       
manner1 loves2 for even in animals there
 are  souls1 and that power which brings
 them together is seen to exert  itself 
in the superior degree1 and in such a   
way as never has been  observed in      
plants nor in stones nor in trees4 ,but 
in rational animals  there are political
 communities and friendships1 and       
families and  meetings of people2 and in
 wars1 treaties1 and armistices4 ,but in
 the  things which are still superior1  
even though they are separated from  one
 another1 unity in a manner exists1 as  
in the stars4 ,thus the ascent  to the  
higher degree is able to produce a      
sympathy even in things which  are      
separated4 ,see1 then1 what now takes   
place2 for only intelligent  animals    
have now forgotten this mutual desire   
and inclination1 and in  them alone the 
property of flowing together is not     
seen4 ,but still1  though men strive to 
avoid this union1 they are caught and   

held by  it1 for their nature is too    
strong for them2 and thou wilt see what 
,i  say1 if thou only observest4        
,sooner1 then1 will one find anything   
earthy which comes in contact with no   
earthy thing1 than a man  altogether    
separated from other men4    #aj4 ,both 
man and ,god and the universe produce   
fruit2 at the proper  seasons each      
produces it4 ,but and if usage has      
especially fixed these  terms to the    
vine and like things1 this is nothing4  
,reason produces  fruit both for all and
 for itself1 and there are produced from
 it other  things of the same kind as   
reason itself4    #aa4 ,if thou art     
able1 correct by teaching those who do  
wrong2 but if  thou canst not1 remember 
that indulgence is given to thee for    
this  purpose4 ,and the gods1 too1 are  
indulgent to such persons2 and for some 
purposes they even help them to get     
health1 wealth1 reputation2 so kind     
they are4 ,and it is in thy power also2 
or say1 who hinders thee8    #ab4 ,labor

 not as one who is wretched1 nor yet as 
one who would be  pitied or admired3 but
 direct thy will to one thing only1--to 
put  thyself in motion and to check     
thyself1 as the social reason requires4 
#ac4 ,to-day ,i have got out of all     
trouble1 or rather ,i have cast out all 
trouble1 for it was not outside1 but    
within and in my opinions4    #ad4 ,all 
things are the same1 familiar in        
experience1 and ephemeral in  time1 and 
worthless in the matter4 ,everything now
 is just as it was in  the time of those
 whom we have buried4    #ae4 ,things   
stand outside of us1 themselves by      
themselves1 neither  knowing aught of   
themselves1 nor expressing any judgment4
 ,what is it1  then1 which does judge   
about them8 ,the ruling faculty4    #af4
 ,not in passivity but in activity lie  
the evil and the good of the  rational  
social animal1 just as his virtue and   
his vice lie not in  passivity but in   
activity4    #ag4 ,for the stone which  
has been thrown up it is no evil to come

 down1  nor indeed any good to have been
 carried up 7,,viii4 #bj74    #ah4      
,penetrate inwards into men's leading   
principles1 and thou wilt see  what     
judges thou art afraid of1 and what kind
 of judges they are of  themselves4     
#ai4 ,all things are changing3 and thou 
thyself art in continuous  mutation and 
in a manner in continuous destruction1  
and the whole  universe too4    #bj4 ,it
 is thy duty to leave another man's     
wrongful act there where it  is 7,,vii4 
#bi2 ,,ix4 #ch74    #ba4 ,termination of
 activity1 cessation from movement and  
opinion1 and  in a sense their death1 is
 no evil4 ,turn thy thoughts now to the 
consideration of thy life1 thy life as a
 child1 as a youth1 thy  manhood1 thy   
old age1 for in these also every change 
was a death4 ,is  this anything to fear8
 ,turn thy thoughts now to thy life     
under thy  grandfather1 then to thy life
 under thy mother1 then to thy life     
under  thy father2 and as thou findest  
many other differences and changes and  

terminations1 ask thyself1 ,is this     
anything to fear8 ,in like manner1      
then1 neither are the termination and   
cessation and change of thy whole  life 
a thing to be afraid of4    #bb4 ,hasten
 to examine thy own ruling faculty and  
that of the universe  and that of thy   
neighbor3 thy own that thou mayst make  
it just2 and  that of the universe1 that
 thou mayst remember of what thou art a 
part2  and that of thy neighbor1 that   
thou mayst know whether he has acted    
ignorantly or with knowledge1 and that  
thou mayst also consider that  his      
ruling faculty is akin to thine4    #bc4
 ,as thou thyself art a component part  
of a social system1 so let  every act of
 thine be a component part of social    
life4 ,whatever act of  thine then has  
no reference either immediately or      
remotely to a social  end1 this tears   
asunder thy life1 and does not allow it 
to be one1 and  it is of the nature of a
 mutiny1 just as when in a popular      
assembly a  man acting by himself stands

 apart from the general agreement4      
#bd4 ,quarrels of little children and   
their sports1 and poor spirits  carrying
 about dead bodies such is everything2  
and so what is  exhibited in the        
representation of the mansions of the   
dead strikes our  eyes more clearly4    
#be4 ,examine into the quality of the   
form of an object1 and detach it        
altogether from its material part1 and  
then contemplate it2 then  determine the
 time1 the longest which a thing of this
 peculiar form is  naturally made to    
endure4    #bf4 ,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 do4 ,but      
enough of this4    #bg4 ,when another   
blames thee or hates thee1 or when men  
say about thee  anything injurious1     
approach their poor souls1 penetrate    
within1 and  see what kind of men they  
are4 ,thou wilt discover that there is  
no  reason to take any trouble that     

these men may have this or that opinion 
about thee4 ,however1 thou must be well 
disposed towards them1 for by  nature   
they are friends4 ,and the gods too aid 
them in all ways1 by  dreams1 by signs1 
towards the attainment of those things  
on which they  set a value4    #bh4 ,the
 periodic movements of the universe are 
the same1 up and down  from age to age4 
,and either the universal intelligence  
puts itself in  motion for every        
separate effect1 and if this is so1 be  
thou content  with that which is the    
result of its activity3 or it puts      
itself in  motion once1 and everything  
else comes by way of sequence in a      
manner2  or indivisible elements are the
 origin of all things4--,in a word1 if  
there is a god1 all is well2 and if     
chance rules1 do not thou also be       
governed by it 7,,vi4 #dd2 ,,vii4 #ge74 
,soon will the earth cover us all3 then 
the earth1 too1 will change1 and  the   
things also which result from change    
will continue to change  forever1 and   

these again forever4 ,for if a man      
reflects on the changes  and            
transformations which follow one another
 like wave after wave and  their        
rapidity1 he will despise everything    
which is perishable 7,,xii4  #ba74      
#bi4 ,the universal cause is like a     
winter torrent3 it carries everything   
along with it4 ,but how worthless are   
all these poor people who are  engaged  
in matters political1 and1 as they      
suppose1 are playing the  philosopher6  
,all drivellers4 ,well then1 man3 do    
what nature now  requires4 ,set thyself 
in motion1 if it is in thy power1 and do
 not look  about thee to see if any one 
will observe it2 nor yet expect ,plato's
  ,republic3 but be content if the      
smallest thing goes on well1 and        
consider such an event to be no small   
matter4 ,for who can change men's       
opinions8 and without a change of       
opinions what else is there than the    
slavery of men who groan while they     
pretend to obey8 ,come now and tell  me 

of ,alexander and ,philippus and        
,demetrius of ,phalerum4 ,they          
themselves shall judge whether they     
discovered what the common nature       
required1 and trained themselves        
accordingly4 ,but if they acted like    
tragedy heroes1 no one has condemned me 
to imitate them4 ,simple and  modest is 
the work of philosophy4 ,draw me not    
aside to insolence and  pride4    #cj4  
,look down from above on the countless  
herds of men and their  countless       
solemnities1 and the infinitely varied  
voyagings in storms  and calms1 and the 
differences among those who are born1   
who live  together1 and die4 ,and       
consider1 too1 the life lived by others 
in olden  time1 and the life of those   
who will live after thee1 and the life  
now  lived among barbarous nations1 and 
how many know not even thy name1 and    
how many will soon forget it1 and how   
they who perhaps now are praising  thee 
will very soon blame thee1 and that     
neither a posthumous name is  of any    

value1 nor reputation1 nor anything     
else4    #ca4 ,let there be freedom from
 perturbations with respect to the      
things  which come from the external    
cause2 and let there be justice in the  
things done by virtue of the internal   
cause1 that is1 let there be  movement  
and action terminating in this1 in      
social acts1 for this is  according to  
thy nature4    #cb4 ,thou canst remove  
out of the way many useless things among
 those  which disturb thee1 for they lie
 entirely in thy opinion2 and thou wilt 
then gain for thyself ample space by    
comprehending the whole universe  in thy
 mind1 and by contemplating the eternity
 of time1 and observing  the rapid      
change of every several thing1 how short
 is the time from  birth to dissolution1
 and the illimitable time before birth  
as well as  the equally boundless time  
after dissolution6    #cc4 ,all that    
thou seest will quickly perish1 and     
those who have been  spectators of its  
dissolution will very soon perish too4  

,and he who  dies at the extremest old  
age will be brought into the same       
condition  with him who died            
prematurely4    #cd4 ,what are these    
men's leading principles1 and about what
 kind of  things are they busy1 and for 
what kind of reasons do they love and   
honor8 ,imagine that thou seest their   
poor souls laid bare4 ,when they  think 
that they do harm by their blame or good
 by their praise1 what an  idea6    #ce4
 ,loss is nothing else than change4 ,but
 the universal nature delights  in      
change1 and in obedience to her all     
things are now done well1 and  from     
eternity have been done in like form1   
and will be such to time  without end4  
,what1 then1 dost thou say1--that all   
things have been and  all things always 
will be bad1 and that no power has ever 
been found in  so many gods to rectify  
these things1 but the world has been    
condemned  to be bound in never ceasing 
evil 7,,iv4 #de2 ,,vii4 #hh78    #cf4   
,the rottenness of the matter which is  

the foundation of everything3  water1   
dust1 bones1 filth3 or again1 marble    
rocks1 the callosities of  the earth2   
and gold and silver1 the sediments2 and 
garments1 only bits  of hair2 and purple
 dye1 blood2 and everything else is of  
the same  kind4 ,and that which is of   
the nature of breath is also another    
thing  of the same kind1 changing from  
this to that4    #cg4 ,enough of this   
wretched life and murmuring and apish   
tricks4 ,why  art thou disturbed8 ,what 
is there new in this8 ,what unsettles   
thee8 ,is  it the form of the thing8    
,look at it4 ,or is it the matter8 ,look
 at it4  ,but besides these there is    
nothing4 ,towards the gods then1 now    
become  at last more simple and better4 
,it is the same whether we examine these
  things for a hundred years or three4  
#ch4 ,if any man has done wrong1 the    
harm is his own4 ,but perhaps he has    
not done wrong4    #ci4 ,either all     
things proceed from one intelligent     
source and come  together as in one     

body1 and the part ought not to find    
fault with what  is done for the benefit
 of the whole2 or there are only atoms1 
and  nothing else than mixture and      
dispersion4 ,why1 then1 art thou        
disturbed8 ,say to the ruling faculty1  
,art thou dead1 art thou  corrupted1 art
 thou playing the hypocrite1 art thou   
become a beast1  dost thou herd and feed
 with the rest8    #dj4 ,either the gods
 have no power or they have power4 ,if1 
then1 they  have no power1 why dost thou
 pray to them8 ,but if they have power1 
why  dost thou not pray for them to give
 thee the faculty of not fearing any  of
 the things which thou fearest1 or of   
not desiring any of the things  which   
thou desirest1 or not being pained at   
anything1 rather than pray  that any of 
these things should not happen or       
happen8 for certainly if  they can      
co-operate with men1 they can co-operate
 for these purposes4  ,but perhaps thou 
wilt say the gods have placed them in   
thy power4 ,well1  then1 is it not      

better to use what is in thy power like 
a free man than  to desire in a slavish 
and abject way what is not in thy power8
 ,and who  has told thee that the gods  
do not aid us even in the things which  
are  in our power8 ,begin1 then1 to pray
 for such things1 and thou wilt see4    
,one man prays thus3 ,how shall ,i be   
able to lie with that woman8 ,do thou   
pray thus3 ,how shall ,i not desire to  
lie with her8 ,another prays thus3  ,how
 shall ,i be released from this8        
,another prays3 ,how shall ,i not       
desire to be released8 ,another thus3   
,how shall ,i not lose my little  son8  
,thou thus3 ,how shall ,i not be afraid 
to lose him8 ,in fine1 turn  thy prayers
 this way1 and see what comes4    #da4  
,epicurus says1 ,in my sickness my      
conversation was not about my  bodily   
sufferings1 nor1 says he1 did ,i talk on
 such subjects to those  who visited me2
 but ,i continued to discourse on the   
nature of things as  before1 keeping to 
this main point1 how the mind1 while    

participating  in such movements as go  
on in the poor flesh1 shall be free from
  perturbations and maintain its proper 
good4 ,nor did ,i1 he says1 give  the   
physicians an opportunity of putting on 
solemn looks1 as if they  were doing    
something great1 but my life went on    
well and happily4 ,do1  then1 the same  
that he did both in sickness1 if thou   
art sick1 and in  any other             
circumstances2 for never to desert      
philosophy in any events  that may      
befall us1 nor to hold trifling talk    
either with an ignorant  man or with one
 unacquainted with nature1 is a         
principle of all schools  of philosophy2
 but to be intent only on that which    
thou art now doing  and on the          
instrument by which thou dost it4       
#db4 ,when thou art offended with any   
man's shameless conduct1  immediately   
ask thyself1 ,is it possible1 then1 that
 shameless men  should not be in the    
world8 ,it is not possible4 ,do not1    
then1 require  what is impossible4 ,for 

this man also is one of those shameless 
men who  must of necessity be in the    
world4 ,let the same considerations be  
present to thy mind in the case of the  
knave1 and the faithless man1  and of   
every man who does wrong in any way4    
,for at the same time that  thou dost   
remind thyself that it is impossible    
that such kind of men  should not exist1
 thou wilt become more kindly disposed  
towards every  one individually4 ,it is 
useful to perceive this1 too1           
immediately when  the occasion arises1  
what virtue nature has given to man to  
oppose to  every wrongful act4 ,for she 
has given to man1 as an antidote against
  the stupid man1 mildness1 and against 
another kind of man some other  power4  
,and in all cases it is possible for    
thee to correct by teaching  the man who
 is gone astray2 for every man who errs 
misses his object  and is gone astray4  
,besides1 wherein hast thou been        
injured8 ,for thou  wilt find that no   
one among those against whom thou art   

irritated has  done anything by which   
thy mind could be made worse2 but that  
which is  evil to thee and harmful has  
its foundation only in the mind4 ,and   
what  harm is done or what is there     
strange1 if the man who has not been    
instructed does the acts of an          
uninstructed man8 ,consider whether thou
  shouldst not rather blame thyself1    
because thou didst not expect such a    
man to err in such a way4 ,for thou     
hadst means given thee by thy reason  to
 suppose that it was likely that he     
would commit this error1 and yet  thou  
hast forgotten and art amazed that he   
has erred4 ,but most of all  when thou  
blamest a man as faithless or           
ungrateful1 turn to thyself4  ,for the  
fault is manifestly thy own1 whether    
thou didst trust that a  man who had    
such a disposition would keep his       
promise1 or when  conferring thy        
kindness thou didst not confer it       
absolutely1 nor yet in  such way as to  
have received from thy very act all the 

profit4 ,for what  more dost thou want  
when thou hast done a man a service8 art
 thou not  content that thou hast done  
something comformable to thy nature1 and
  dost thou seek to be paid for it8 just
 as if the eye demanded a  recompense   
for seeing1 or the feet for walking4    
,for as these members  are formed for a 
particular purpose1 and by working      
according to their  several             
constitutions obtain what is their own2 
so also as man is  formed by nature to  
acts of benevolence1 when he has done   
anything  benevolent or in any other way
 conducive to the common interest1 he   
has  acted conformably to his           
constitution1 and he gets what is his   
own4          ,,book ,x4      #a4 ,wilt 
thou1 then1 my soul1 never be good and  
simple and one and  naked1 more manifest
 than the body which surrounds thee8    
,wilt thou  never enjoy an affectionate 
and contented disposition8 ,wilt thou   
never  be full and without a want of any
 kind1 longing for nothing more1 nor    

desiring anything1 either animate or    
inanimate1 for the enjoyment of         
pleasures8 nor yet desiring time wherein
 thou shalt have longer  enjoyment1 or  
place1 or pleasant climate1 or society  
of men with whom  thou mayest live in   
harmony8 but wilt thou be satisfied with
 thy  present condition1 and pleased    
with all that is about thee1 and wilt   
thou convince thyself that thou hast    
everything1 and that it comes from  the 
gods1 that everything is well for thee1 
and will be well whatever  shall please 
them1 and whatever they shall give for  
the conservation of  the perfect living 
being1 the good and just and beautiful1 
which  generates and holds together all 
things1 and contains and embraces all   
things which are dissolved for the      
production of other like things8  ,wilt 
thou never be such that thou shalt so   
dwell in community with gods  and men as
 neither to find fault with them at all1
 nor to be condemned  by them8    #b4   
,observe what thy nature requires1 so   

far as thou art governed by  nature     
only3 then do it and accept it1 if thy  
nature1 so far as thou  art a living    
being1 shall not be made worse by it4   
,and next thou must  observe what thy   
nature requires so far as thou art a    
living being4 ,and  all this thou mayest
 allow thyself1 if thy nature1 so far as
 thou art a  rational animal1 shall not 
be made worse by it4 ,but the rational  
animal  is consequently also a political
 social animal4 ,use these rules1  then1
 and trouble thyself about nothing else4
    #c4 ,everything which happens either
 happens in such wise as thou art       
formed by nature to bear it1 or as thou 
art not formed by nature to  bear it4   
,if1 then1 it happens to thee in such   
way as thou art formed by  nature to    
bear it1 do not complain1 but bear it as
 thou art formed by  nature to bear it4 
,but if it happens in such wise as thou 
art not  formed by nature to bear it1 do
 not complain1 for it will perish after 
it has consumed thee4 ,remember1        

however1 that thou art formed by nature 
to bear everything1 with respect to     
which it depends on thy own opinion  to 
make it endurable and tolerable1 by     
thinking that it is either thy  interest
 or thy duty to do this4    #d4 ,if a   
man is mistaken1 instruct him kindly and
 show him his error4  ,but if thou art  
not able1 blame thyself1 or blame not   
even thyself4    #e4 ,whatever may      
happen to thee1 it was prepared for thee
 from all  eternity2 and the implication
 of causes was from eternity spinning   
the  thread of thy being1 and of that   
which is incident to it 7,,iii4 ,,ii2   
,,iv4  #bf74    #f4 ,whether the        
universe is a concourse of atoms1 or    
nature is a  system1 let this first be  
established1 that ,i am a part of the   
whole  which is governed by nature2     
next1 ,i am in a manner intimately      
related  to the parts which are of the  
same kind with myself4 ,for remembering 
this1 inasmuch as ,i am a part1 ,i shall
 be discontented with none of the       

things which are assigned to me out of  
the whole2 for nothing is  injurious to 
the part if it is for the advantage of  
the whole4 ,for the  whole contains     
nothing which is not for its advantage2 
and all natures  indeed have this common
 principle1 but the nature of the       
universe has  this principle besides1   
that it cannot be compelled even by any 
external cause to generate anything     
harmful to itself4 ,by remembering1     
then1 that ,i am a part of such a whole1
 ,i shall be content with  everything   
that happens4 ,and inasmuch as ,i am in 
a manner intimately  related to the     
parts which are of the same kind with   
myself1 ,i shall do  nothing unsocial1  
but ,i shall rather direct myself to the
 things which  are of the same kind with
 myself1 and ,i shall turn all my       
efforts to  the common interest1 and    
divert them from the contrary4 ,now1 if 
these  things are done so1 life must    
flow on happily1 just as thou mayest    
observe that the life of a citizen is   

happy1 who continues a course of  action
 which is advantageous to his fellow    
citizens1 and is content  with whatever 
the state may assign to him4    #g4 ,the
 parts of the whole1 everything1 ,i     
mean1 which is naturally  comprehended  
in the universe1 must of necessity      
perish2 but let this be  understood in  
this sense1 that they must undergo      
change4 ,but if this is  naturally both 
an evil and a necessity for the parts1  
the whole would  not continue to exist  
in a good condition1 the parts being    
subject to  change and constituted so as
 to perish in various ways1 ,for whether
 did  ,nature herself design to do evil 
to the things which are parts of        
herself1 and to make them subject to    
evil and of necessity fall into  evil1  
or have such results happened without   
her knowing it8 ,both these             
suppositions1 indeed1 are incredible4   
,but if a man should even drop the  term
 ,nature as an efficient power1 and     
should speak of these things  as        

natural1 even then it would be          
ridiculous to affirm at the same time   
that the parts of the whole are in their
 nature subject to change1 and  at the  
same time to be surprised or vexed as if
 something were  happening contrary to  
nature1 particularly as the dissolution 
of things  is into those things of which
 each thing is composed4 ,for there is  
either a dispersion of the elements out 
of which everything has been            
compounded1 or a change from the solid  
to the earthy and from the airy  to the 
aerial1 so that these parts are taken   
back into the universal  reason1 whether
 this at certain periods is consumed by 
fire or renewed  by eternal changes4    
,and do not imagine that the solid and  
the airy part  belongs to thee from the 
time of generation4 ,for all this       
received its  accretion only yesterday  
and the day before1 as one may say1 from
 the  food and the air which is         
inspired4 ,this1 then1 which has        
received the  accretion1 changes1 not   

that which thy mother brought forth4    
,hut  suppose that this which thy mother
 brought forth implicates thee very     
much with that other part1 which has the
 peculiar quality of change1  this is   
nothing in fact in the way of objection 
to what is said4    #h4 ,when thou hast 
assumed these names1 good1 modest1 true1
 rational1 a  man of equanimity1 and    
magnanimous1 take care that thou dost   
not change  these names2 and if thou    
shouldst lose them1 quickly return to   
them4  ,and remember that the term      
,rational was intended to signify a     
discriminating attention to every       
several thing1 and freedom from         
negligence2 and that ,equanimity is the 
voluntary acceptance of the  things     
which are assigned to thee by the common
 nature2 and that  ,magnanimity is the  
elevation of the intelligent part above 
the  pleasurable or painful sensations  
of the flesh1 and above that poor  thing
 called fame1 and death1 and all such   
things4 ,if1 then1 thou  maintainest    

thyself in the possession of these      
names1 without desiring  to be called by
 these names by others1 thou wilt be    
another person and  wilt enter on       
another life4 ,for to continue to be    
such as thou hast  hitherto been1 and to
 be torn in pieces and defiled in such a
 life1 is  the character of a very      
stupid man and one over-fond of his     
life1 and  like those half-devoured     
fighters with wild beasts who1 though   
covered  with wounds and gore1 still    
entreat to be kept to the following day1
  though they will be exposed in the    
same state to the same claws and  bites4
 ,therefore fix thyself in the          
possession of these few names3 and  if  
thou art able to abide in them1 abide as
 if thou wast removed to  certain       
islands of the ,happy4 ,but if thou     
shalt perceive that thou  fallest out of
 them and dost not maintain thy hold1 go
 courageously  into some nook where thou
 shalt maintain them1 or even depart at 
once  from life1 not in passion1 but    

with simplicity and freedom and modesty1
  after doing this one laudable thing at
 least in thy life1 to have  gone out of
 it thus4 ,in order1 however1 to the    
remembrance of these  names1 it will    
greatly help thee if thou rememberest   
the gods1 and that  they wish not to be 
flattered1 but wish all reasonable      
beings to be  made like themselves2 and 
if thou rememberest that what does the  
work  of a fig-tree is a fig-tree1 and  
that what does the work of a dog is a   
dog1 and that what does the work of a   
bee is a bee1 and that what does  the   
work of a man is a man4    #i4 ,mimi1   
war1 astonishment1 torpor1 slavery1 will
 daily wipe out those  holy principles  
of thine4 ,how many things without      
studying nature dost  thou imagine1 and 
how many dost thou neglect8 ,but it is  
thy duty so to  look on and so to do    
everything1 that at the same time the   
power of  dealing with circumstances is 
perfected1 and the contemplative faculty
  is exercised1 and the confidence which

 comes from the knowledge of each       
several thing is maintained without     
showing it1 but yet not concealed4  ,for
 when wilt thou enjoy simplicity1 when  
gravity1 and when the  knowledge of     
every several thing1 both what it is in 
substance1 and  what place it has in the
 universe1 and how long it is formed to 
exist1  and of what things it is        
compounded1 and to whom it can belong1  
and who  are able both to give it and   
take it away8    #aj4 ,a spider is proud
 when it has caught a fly1 and another  
when he has  caught a poor hare1 and    
another when he has taken a little fish 
in a  net1 and another when he has taken
 wild boars1 and another when he has    
taken bears1 and another when he has    
taken ,sarmatians4 ,are not these       
robbers1 if thou examinest their        
opinions8    #aa4 ,acquire the          
contemplative way of seeing how all     
things change into  one another1 and    
constantly attend to it1 and exercise   
thyself about  this part of philosophy4 

,for nothing is so much adapted to      
produce  magnanimity4 ,such a man has   
put off the body1 and as he sees that he
  must1 no one knows how soon1 go away  
from among men and leave  everything    
here1 he gives himself up entirely to   
just doing in all his  actions1 and in  
everything else that happens he resigns 
himself to the  universal nature4 ,but  
as to what any man shall say or think   
about him  or do against him1 he never  
even thinks of it1 being himself        
contented  with these two things1--with 
acting justly in what he now does1 and  
being satisfied with what is now        
assigned to him2 and he lays aside all  
distracting and busy pursuits1 and      
desires nothing else than to  accomplish
 the straight course through the law1   
and by accomplishing  the straight      
course to follow ,god4    #ab4 ,what    
need is there of suspicious fear1 since 
it is in thy power to  inquire what     
ought to be done8 ,and if thou seest    
clear1 go by this way  content1 without 

turning back3 but if thou dost not see  
clear1 stop and  take the best advisers4
 ,but if any other things oppose thee1  
go on  according to thy powers with due 
consideration1 keeping to that which    
appears to be just4 ,for it is best to  
reach this object1 and if thou  dost    
fail1 let thy failure be in attempting  
this4 ,he who follows reason  in all    
things is both tranquil and active at   
the same time1 and also  cheerful and   
collected4    #ac4 ,inquire of thyself  
as soon as thou wakest from sleep       
whether it  will make any difference to 
thee if another does what is just and   
right4 ,it will make no difference      
7,,vi4 #cb2 ,,viii4 #ee74    ,thou hast 
not forgotten1 ,i suppose1 that those   
who assume arrogant airs  in bestowing  
their praise or blame on others are such
 as they are at  bed and at board1 and  
thou hast not forgotten what they do1   
and what  they avoid1 and what they     
pursue1 and how they steal and how they 
rob1  not with hands and feet1 but with 

their most valuable part1 by means of   
which there is produced1 when a man     
chooses1 fidelity1 modesty1 truth1  law1
 a good daemon happiness 7,,vii4 #ag78  
#ad4 ,to her who gives and takes back   
all1 to nature1 the man who is          
instructed and modest says1 ,give what  
thou wilt2 take back what thou  wilt4   
,and he says this not proudly1 but      
obediently1 and well pleased  with her4 
#ae4 ,short is the little which remains 
to thee of life4 ,live as on a          
mountain4 ,for it makes no difference   
whether a man lives there or here1  if  
he lives everywhere in the world as in a
 state political  community4 ,let men   
see1 let them know a real man who lives 
according  to nature4 ,if they cannot   
endure him1 let them kill him4 ,for that
 is  better than to live thus as men do4
    #af4 ,no longer talk at all about   
the kind of man that a good man ought   
to be1 but be such4    #ag4 ,constantly 
contemplate the whole of time and the   
whole of  substance1 and consider that  

all individual things as to substance   
are  a grain of a fig1 and as to time   
the turning of a gimlet4    #ah4 ,look  
at everything that exists1 and observe  
that it is already in  dissolution and  
in change1 and as it were putrefaction  
or dispersion1  or that everything is so
 constituted by nature as to die4       
#ai4 ,consider what men are when they   
are eating1 sleeping1 generating1       
easing themselves1 and so forth4 ,then  
what kind of men they are when  they are
 imperious and arrogant1 or angry and   
scolding from their  elevated place4    
,but a short time ago to how many they  
were slaves and  for what things2 and   
after a little time consider in what a  
condition  they will be4    #bj4 ,that  
is for the good of each thing1 which the
 universal nature  brings to each4 ,and 
it is for its good at the time when     
nature brings  it4    #ba4 8,the earth  
loves the shower02 and 8the solemn ether
 loves02 and the  universe loves to make
 whatever is about to be4 ,i say then to

 the  universe1 that ,i love as thou    
lovest4 ,and is not this too said1 that 
8this or that loves is wont to be       
produced08    #bb4 ,either thou livest  
here and hast already accustomed thyself
 to it1  or thou art going away1 and    
this was thy own will2 or thou art dying
  and hast discharged thy duty4 ,but    
besides these things there is  nothing4 
,be of good cheer1 then4    #bc4 ,let   
this always be plain to thee1 that this 
piece of land is like  any other2 and   
that all things here are the same with  
things on the top  of a mountain1 or on 
the sea-shore1 or wherever thou choosest
 to be4  ,for thou wilt find just what  
,plato says1 ,dwelling within the walls 
of a  city as in a shepherd's fold on a 
mountain4 ,the three last words are     
omitted in the translation4    #bd4     
,what is my ruling faculty now to me8   
and of what nature am ,i now  making it8
 and for what purpose am ,i now using   
it8 is it void of  understanding8 is it 
loosed and rent asunder from social     

life8 is it  melted into and mixed with 
the poor flesh so as to move together   
with  it8    #be4 ,he who flies from his
 master is a runaway2 but the law is    
master1  and he who breaks the law is a 
runaway4 ,and he also who is grieved or 
angry or afraid1 is dissatisfied because
 something has been or is or  shall be  
of the things which are appointed by him
 who rules all things1  and he is ,law  
and assigns to every man what is fit4   
,he then who fears  or is grieved or is 
angry is a runaway4    #bf4 ,a man      
deposits seed in a womb and goes away1  
and then another cause  takes it1 and   
labors on it and makes a child4 ,what a 
thing from such a  material6 ,again1 the
 child passes food down through the     
throat1 and  then another cause takes it
 and makes perception and motion1 and in
  fine1 life and strength and other     
things2 how many and how strange6       
,observe then the things which are      
produced in such a hidden way1 and  see 
the power just as we see the power which

 carries things downwards  and upwards1 
not with the eyes1 but still no less    
plainly 7,,vii4 #ge74    #bg4           
,constantly consider how all things such
 as they now are1 in time  past also    
were2 and consider that they will be the
 same again4 ,and  place before thy eyes
 entire dramas and stages of the same   
form1  whatever thou hast learned from  
thy experience or from older history2   
for example1 the whole court of         
,hadrianus1 and the whole court of      
,antoninus1 and the whole court of      
,philippus1 ,alexander1 ,croesus2 for   
all those were such dramas as we see    
now1 only with different actors4    #bh4
 ,imagine every man who is grieved at   
anything or discontented to be  like a  
pig which is sacrificed and kicks and   
screams4    ,like this pig also is he   
who on his bed in silence laments the   
bonds in  which we are held4 ,and       
consider that only to the rational      
animal is it  given to follow           
voluntarily what happens2 but simply to 

follow is a  necessity imposed on all4  
#bi4 ,severally on the occasion of      
everything that thou doest1 pause and   
ask thyself if death is a dreadful thing
 because it deprives thee of  this4     
#cj4 ,when thou art offended at any     
man's fault1 forthwith turn to  thyself 
and reflect in what like manner thou    
dost err thyself2 for  example1 in      
thinking that money is a good thing1 or 
pleasure1 or a bit  of reputation1 and  
the like4 ,for by attending to this thou
 wilt quickly  forget thy anger1 if this
 consideration also is added1 that the  
man is  compelled3 for what else could  
he do8 or1 if thou art able1 take away  
from him the compulsion4    #ca4 ,when  
thou hast seen ,satyron the ,socratic1  
think of either ,eutyches  or ,hymen1   
and when thou hast seen ,euphrates1     
think of ,eutychion or  ,silvanus1 and  
when thou hast seen ,alciphron think of 
,tropaeophorus1 and  when thou hast seen
 ,xenophon1 think of ,crito or ,severus1
 and when thou  hast looked on thyself1 

think of any other ,caesar1 and in the  
case of  every one do in like manner4   
,then let this thought be in thy mind1  
,where then are those men8 ,nowhere1 or 
nobody knows where4 ,for thus           
continuously thou wilt look at human    
things as smoke and nothing at  all2    
especially if thou reflectest at the    
same time that what has once  changed   
will never exist again in the infinite  
duration of time4 ,but  thou1 in what a 
brief space of time is thy existence8   
,and why art thou  not content to pass  
through this short time in an orderly   
way8 ,what  matter and opportunity for  
thy activity art thou avoiding8 ,for    
what  else are all these things1 except 
exercises for the reason1 when it has   
viewed carefully and by examination into
 their nature the things which  happen  
in life8 ,persevere then until thou     
shalt have made these things  thy own1  
as the stomach which is strengthened    
makes all things its own1  as the       
blazing fire makes flame and brightness 

out of everything that  is thrown into  
it4    #cb4 ,let it not be in any man's 
power to say truly of thee that thou art
  not simple or that thou art not good2 
but let him be a liar whoever  shall    
think anything of this kind about thee2 
and this is altogether in  thy power4   
,for who is he that shall hinder thee   
from being good and  simple8 ,do thou   
only determine to live no longer unless 
thou shalt be  such4 ,for neither does  
reason allow thee to live1 if thou art  
not  such4    #cc4 ,what is that which  
as to this material our life can be done
 or  said in the way most conformable to
 reason8 ,for whatever this may be1  it 
is in thy power to do it or to say it1  
and do not make excuses that  thou art  
hindered4 ,thou wilt not cease to lament
 till thy mind is in  such a condition  
that1 what luxury is to those who enjoy 
pleasure1 such  shall be to thee1 in the
 matter which is subjected and presented
 to  thee1 the doing of the things which
 are conformable to man's  constitution2

 for a man ought to consider as an      
enjoyment everything  which it is in his
 power to do according to his own       
nature4 ,and it is  in his power        
everywhere4 ,now1 it is not given to a  
cylinder to move  everywhere by its own 
motion1 nor yet to water nor to fire1   
nor to  anything else which is governed 
by nature or an irrational soul1 for    
the things which check them and stand in
 the way are many4 ,but  intelligence   
and reason are able to go through       
everything that opposes  them1 and in   
such manner as they are formed by nature
 and as they  choose4 ,place before thy 
eyes this facility with which the reason
 will  be carried through all things1 as
 fire upwards1 as a stone downwards1  as
 a cylinder down an inclined surface1   
and seek for nothing further4  ,for all 
other obstacles either affect the body  
only1 which is a dead  thing2 or1 except
 through opinion and the yielding of the
 reason  itself1 they do not crush nor  
do any harm of any kind2 for if they    

did1  he who felt it would immediately  
become bad4 ,now1 in the case of all    
things which have a certain             
constitution1 whatever harm may happen  
to  any of them1 that which is so       
affected becomes consequently worse2 but
  in the like case1 a man becomes both  
better1 if one may say so1 and  more    
worthy of praise by making a right use  
of these accidents4 ,and  finally       
remember that nothing harms him who is  
really a citizen1 which  does not harm  
the state2 nor yet does anything harm   
the state1 which  does not harm law     
order2 and of these things which are    
called  misfortunes not one harms law4  
,what then does not harm law does not   
harm either state or citizen4    #cd4   
,to him who is penetrated by true       
principles even the briefest  precept is
 sufficient1 and any common precept1 to 
remind him that he  should be free from 
grief and fear4 ,for example1--         
8,leaves1 some the wind scatters on the 
ground--  ,so is the race of men40      

,leaves1 also1 are thy children2 and    
leaves1 too1 are they who cry out  as if
 they were worthy of credit and bestow  
their praise1 or on the  contrary curse1
 or secretly blame and sneer2 and       
leaves1 in like  manner1 are those who  
shall receive and transmit a man's fame 
to  after-times4 ,for all such things as
 these 8are produced in the season  of  
spring10 as the poet says2 then the wind
 casts them down2 then the  forest      
produces other leaves in their places4  
,but a brief existence is  common to all
 things1 and yet thou avoidest and      
pursuest all things as  if they would be
 eternal4 ,a little time1 and thou shalt
 close thy eyes2  and him who has       
attended thee to thy grave another will 
soon lament4    #ce4 ,the healthy eye   
ought to see all visible things and not 
to say1 ,i  wish for green things2 for  
this is the condition of a diseased eye4
 ,and  the healthy hearing and smelling 
ought to be ready to perceive all that  
can be heard and smelled4 ,and the      

healthy stomach ought to be with        
respect to all food just as the mill    
with respect to all things which  it is 
formed to grind4 ,and accordingly the   
healthy understanding ought  to be      
prepared for everything which happens2  
but that which says1 ,let  my dear      
children live1 and let all men praise   
whatever ,i may do1 is an  eye which    
seeks for green things1 or teeth which  
seek for soft things4    #cf4 ,there is 
no man so fortunate that there shall not
 be by him when he  is dying some who   
are pleased with what is going to       
happen4 ,suppose  that he was a good and
 wise man1 will there not be at last    
some one to  say to himself1 ,let us at 
last breathe freely1 being relieved from
 this  schoolmaster8 ,it is true that he
 was harsh to none of us1 but ,i        
perceived that he tacitly condemns      
us4--,this is what is said of a good    
man4 ,but in our own case how many other
 things are there for which  there are  
many who wish to get rid of us4 ,thou   

wilt consider this1  then1 when thou art
 dying1 and thou wilt depart more       
contentedly by  reflecting thus3 ,i am  
going away from such a life1 in which   
even my  associates in behalf of whom ,i
 have striven so much1 prayed1 and      
cared1  themselves wish me to depart1   
hoping perchance to get some little     
advantage by it4 ,why then should a man 
cling to a longer stay here8 ,do  not   
however for this reason go away less    
kindly disposed to them1 but  preserving
 thy own character1 and friendly and    
benevolent and mild1 and  on the other  
hand not as if thou wast torn away2 but 
as when a man dies  a quiet death1 the  
poor soul is easily separated from the  
body1 such  also ought thy departure    
from men to be1 for nature united thee  
to them  and associated thee4 ,but does 
she now dissolve the union8 ,well1 ,i am
  separated as from kinsmen1 not however
 dragged resisting1 but without         
compulsion2 for this1 too1 is one of the
 things according to nature4    #cg4    

,accustom thyself as much as possible on
 the occasion of anything  being done by
 any person to inquire with thyself1    
,for what object is  this man doing     
this8 ,but begin with thyself1 and      
examine thyself first4    #ch4 ,remember
 that this which pulls the strings is   
the thing which is  hidden within3 this 
is the power of persuasion1 this is     
life1 this1 if  one may so say1 is man4 
,in contemplating thyself never include 
the  vessel which surrounds thee and    
these instruments which are attached    
about it4 ,for they are like to an axe1 
differing only in this1 that  they grow 
to the body4 ,for indeed there is no    
more use in these parts  without the    
cause which moves and checks them than  
in the weaver's  shuttle1 and the       
writer's pen1 and the driver's whip4    
,,book ,,xi4      #a4 ,these are the    
properties of the rational soul3 it sees
 itself1  analyses itself1 and makes    
itself such as it chooses2 the fruit    
which  it bears itself enjoys1--for the 

fruits of plants and that in animals    
which corresponds to fruits others      
enjoy1--it obtains its own end1         
wherever the limit of life may be fixed4
 ,not as in a dance and in a  play and  
in such like things1 where the whole    
action is incomplete if  anything cuts  
it short2 but in every part1 and        
where-ever it may be  stopped1 it makes 
what has been set before it full and    
complete1 so  that it can say1 ,i have  
what is my own4 ,and further it         
traverses the  whole universe1 and the  
surrounding vacuum1 and surveys its     
form1 and  it extends itself into the   
infinity of time1 and embraces and      
comprehends the periodical renovation of
 all things1 and it comprehends  that   
those who come after us will see nothing
 new1 nor have those  before us seen    
anything more1 but in a manner he who is
 forty years  old1 if he has any        
understanding at all1 has seen by virtue
 of the  uniformity that prevails all   
things which have been and all that will

  be4 ,this too is a property of the    
rational soul1 love of one's  neighbor1 
and truth and modesty1 and to value     
nothing more than itself1  which is also
 the property of ,law4 ,thus then right 
reason differs not  at all from the     
reason of justice4    #b4 ,thou wilt set
 little value on pleasing song and      
dancing and the  pancratium1 if thou    
wilt distribute the melody of the voice 
into its  several sounds1 and ask       
thyself as to each1 if thou art mastered
 by  this2 for thou wilt be prevented by
 shame from confessing it3 and in  the  
matter of dancing1 if at each movement  
and attitude thou wilt do  the same2 and
 the like also in the matter of the     
pancratium4 ,in all  things1 then1      
except virtue and the acts of virtue1   
remember to apply  thyself to their     
several parts1 and by this division to  
come to value  them little3 and apply   
this rule also to thy whole life4    #c4
 ,what a soul that is which is ready1 if
 at any moment it must be  separated    

from the body1 and ready either to be   
extinguished or  dispersed or continue  
to exist2 but so that this readiness    
comes from a  man's own judgment1 not   
from mere obstinacy1 as with the        
,christians1  but considerately and with
 dignity and in a way to persuade       
another1  without tragic show4    #d4   
,have ,i done something for the general 
interest8 ,well then ,i have had  my    
reward4 ,let this always be present to  
thy mind1 and never stop  doing such    
good4    #e4 ,what is thy art8 ,to be   
good4 ,and how is this accomplished well
  except by general principles1 some    
about the nature of the universe1  and  
others about the proper constitution of 
man8    #f4 ,at first tragedies were    
brought on the stage as means of        
reminding  men of the things which      
happen to them1 and that it is according
 to  nature for things to happen so1 and
 that1 if you are delighted with  what  
is shown on the stage1 you should not be
 troubled with that which  takes place  

on the larger stage4 ,for you see that  
these things must be  accomplished thus1
 and that even they bear them who cry   
out1 8,o  ,cithaeron40 ,and1 indeed1    
some things are said well by the        
dramatic  writers1 of which kind is the 
following especially3--    8,me and my  
children if the gods neglect1  ,this has
 its reason too40      ,and again1--    
8,we must not chafe and fret at that    
which happens40      ,and1--    8,life's
 harvest reap like the wheat's fruitful 
ear40      ,and other things of the same
 kind4    ,after tragedy the old comedy 
was introduced1 which had a magisterial 
freedom of speech1 and by its very      
plainness of speaking was useful in     
reminding men to beware of insolence2   
and for this purpose too ,diogenes  used
 to take from these writers4    ,but as 
to the middle comedy1 which came next1  
observe what it was1 and  again1 for    
what object the new comedy was          
introduced1 which gradually  sank down  
into a mere mimic artifice4 ,that some  

good things are said  even by these     
writers1 everybody knows3 but the whole 
plan of such  poetry and dramaturgy1 to 
what end does it look8    #g4 ,how plain
 does it appear that there is not       
another condition of life  so well      
suited for philosophizing as this in    
which thou now happenest  to be4    #h4 
,a branch cut off from the adjacent     
branch must of necessity be cut  off    
from the whole tree also4 ,so too a man 
when he is separated from  another man  
has fallen off from the whole social    
community4 ,now as to a  branch1 another
 cuts it off2 but a man by his own act  
separates himself  from his neighbor    
when he hates him and turns away from   
him1 and he  does not know that he has  
at the same time cut himself off from   
the  whole social system4 ,yet he has   
this privilege certainly from ,zeus1 who
  framed society1 for it is in our power
 to grow again to that which is  near to
 us1 and again to become a part which   
helps to make up the  whole4 ,however1  

if it often happens1 this kind of       
separation1 it makes  it difficult for  
that which detaches itself to be brought
 to unity and  to be restored to its    
former condition4 ,finally1 the branch1 
which from  the first grew together with
 the tree1 and has continued to have one
  life with it1 is not like that which  
after being cut off is then  ingrafted1 
for this is something like what the     
gardeners mean when they  say that it   
grows with the rest of the tree1 but    
that it has not the  same mind with it4 
#i4 ,as those who try to stand in thy   
way when thou art proceeding  according 
to right reason will not be able to turn
 thee aside from thy  proper action1 so 
neither let them drive thee from thy    
benevolent  feelings towards them1 but  
be on thy guard equally in both matters1
 not  only in the matter of steady      
judgment and action1 but also in the    
matter of gentleness to those who try to
 hinder or otherwise trouble  thee4 ,for
 this also is a weakness1 to be vexed at

 them1 as well as to  be diverted from  
thy course of action and to give way    
through fear2 for  both are equally     
deserters from their post1--the man who 
does it through  fear1 and the man who  
is alienated from him who is by nature a
 kinsman  and a friend4    #aj4 ,there  
is no nature which is inferior to art1  
for the arts imitate  the natures of    
things4 ,but if this is so1 that nature 
which is the most  perfect and the most 
comprehensive of all natures1 cannot    
fall short of  the skill of art4 ,now   
all arts do the inferior things for the 
sake of  the superior2 therefore the    
universal nature does so too4 ,and1     
indeed1  hence is the origin of justice1
 and in justice the other virtues have  
their foundation3 for justice will not  
be observed1 if we either care  for     
middle things things indifferent1 or are
 easily deceived and  careless and      
changeable 7,v4 #af1 #cj2 ,,vii4 #ee74  
#aa4 ,if the things do not come to thee1
 the pursuits and avoidances of  which  

disturb thee1 still in a manner thou    
goest to them4 ,let then thy  judgment  
about them be at rest1 and they will    
remain quiet1 and thou  wilt not be seen
 either pursuing or avoiding4    #ab4   
,the spherical form of the soul         
maintains its figure when it is  neither
 extended towards any object1 nor       
contracted inwards1 nor  dispersed nor  
sinks down1 but is illuminated by light1
 by which it sees  the truth1--the truth
 of all things and the truth that is in 
itself  7,,viii4 #da1 #de2 ,,xii4 #c74  
#ac4 ,suppose any man shall despise me4 
,let him look to that himself4 ,but  ,i 
will look to this1 that ,i be not       
discovered doing or saying anything     
deserving of contempt4 ,shall any man   
hate me8 ,let him look to it4 ,but ,i   
will be mild and benevolent towards     
every man1 and ready to show even  him  
his mistake1 not reproachfully1 nor yet 
as making a display of my  endurance1   
but nobly and honestly1 like the great  
,phocion1 unless  indeed he only assumed

 it4 ,for the interior parts ought to be
 such1  and a man ought to be seen by   
the gods neither dissatisfied with      
anything nor complaining4 ,for what evil
 is it to thee1 if thou art now  doing  
what is agreeable to thy own nature1 and
 art satisfied with that  which at this 
moment is suitable to the nature of the 
universe1 since  thou art a human being 
placed at thy post in order that what is
 for the  common advantage may be done  
in some way8    #ad4 ,men despise one   
another and flatter one another2 and men
 wish to  raise themselves above one    
another1 and crouch before one another4 
#ae4 ,how unsound and insincere is he   
who says1 ,i have determined to deal    
with thee in a fair way6--,what art thou
 doing1 man8 ,there is no occasion  to  
give this notice4 ,it will soon show    
itself by acts4 ,the voice ought  to be 
plainly written on the forehead4 ,such  
as a man's character is1 he  immediately
 shows it in his eyes1 just as he who is
 beloved forthwith  reads everything in 

the eyes of lovers4 ,the man who is     
honest and good  ought to be exactly    
like a man who smells strong1 so that   
the bystander  as soon as he comes near 
him must smell whether he choose or not4
 ,but  the affectation of simplicity is 
like a crooked stick4 ,nothing is more  
disgraceful than a wolfish friendship   
false friendship4 ,avoid this  most of  
all4 ,the good and simple and benevolent
 show all these things  in the eyes1 and
 there is no mistaking4    #af4 ,as to  
living in the best way1 this power is in
 the soul1 if it be  indifferent to     
things which are indifferent4 ,and it   
will be  indifferent1 if it looks on    
each of these things separately and all 
together1 and if it remembers that not  
one of them produces in us an  opinion  
about itself1 nor comes to us2 but these
 things remain  immovable1 and it is we 
ourselves who produce the judgments     
about them1  and1 as we may say1 write  
them in ourselves1 it being in our power
 not  to write them1 and it being in our

 power1 if perchance these judgments    
have imperceptibly got admission to our 
minds1 to wipe them out2 and if  we     
remember also that such attention will  
only be for a short time1 and  then life
 will be at an end4 ,besides1 what      
trouble is there at all in  doing this8 
,for if these things are according to   
nature1 rejoice in  them and they will  
be easy to thee3 but if contrary to     
nature1 seek  what is conformable to thy
 own nature1 and strive towards this1   
even if  it bring no reputation2 for    
every man is allowed to seek his own    
good4    #ag4 ,consider whence each     
thing is come1 and of what it consists1 
and  into what it changes1 and what kind
 of a thing it will be when it has      
changed1 and that it will sustain no    
harm4    #ah4 ,if any have offended     
against thee1 consider first3 ,what is  
my  relation to men1 and that we are    
made for one another2 and in another    
respect ,i was made to be set over them1
 as a ram over the flock or a  bull over

 the herd4 ,but examine the matter from 
first principles1 from  this3 ,if all   
things are not mere atoms1 it is nature 
which orders all  things3 if this is so1
 the inferior things exist for the sake 
of the  superior1 and these for the sake
 of one another 7,,ii4 #a2 ,,ix4 #ci2   
,v4 #af2  ,,iii4 #d74    ,second1       
consider what kind of men they are at   
table1 in bed1 and so  forth3 and       
particularly1 under what compulsions in 
respect of opinions  they are2 and as to
 their acts1 consider with what pride   
they do what  they do 7,,viii4 #ad2     
,,ix4 #cd74    ,third1 that if men do   
rightly what they do1 we ought not to be
  displeased3 but if they do not right1 
it is plain that they do so             
involuntarily and in ignorance4 ,for as 
every soul is unwillingly  deprived of  
the truth1 so also is it unwillingly    
deprived of the power  of behaving to   
each man according to his deserts4      
,accordingly men are  pained when they  
are called unjust1 ungrateful1 and      

greedy1 and in a  word wrong-doers to   
their neighbors 7,,vii4 #fb1 #fc2 ,,ii4 
#a2 ,,vii4 #bf2 ,,viii4  #bi74          
,fourth1 consider that thou also dost   
many things wrong1 and that thou  art a 
man like others2 and even if thou dost  
abstain from certain  faults1 still thou
 hast the disposition to commit them1   
though either  through cowardice1 or    
concern about reputation1 or some such  
mean  motive1 thou dost abstain from    
such faults 7,i4 #ag74    ,fifth1       
consider that thou dost not even        
understand whether men are  doing wrong 
or not1 for many things are done with a 
certain reference  to circumstances4    
,and in short1 a man must learn a great 
deal to enable  him to pass a correct   
judgment on another man's acts 7,,ix4   
#ch2 ,,iv4 #ea74    ,sixth1 consider    
when thou art much vexed or grieved1    
that man's life is  only a moment1 and  
after a short time we are all laid out  
dead 7,,vii4  #eh2 ,,iv4 #dh74          
,seventh1 that it is not men's acts     

which disturb us1 for those acts  have  
their foundation in men's ruling        
principles1 but it is our own  opinions 
which disturb us4 ,take away these      
opinions then1 and resolve  to dismiss  
thy judgment about an act as if it were 
something grievous1  and thy anger is   
gone4 ,how then shall ,i take away these
 opinions8 ,by  reflecting that no      
wrongful act of another brings shame on 
thee3 for  unless that which is shameful
 is alone bad1 thou also must of        
necessity  do many things wrong1 and    
become a robber and everything else 7,v4
 #be2  ,,vii4 #af74    ,eighth1 consider
 how much more pain is brought on us by 
the anger and  vexation caused by such  
acts than by the acts themselves1 at    
which we  are angry and vexed 7,,iv4    
#ci1 #di2 ,,vii4 #bd74    ,ninth1       
consider that a good disposition is     
invincible if it be genuine1  and not an
 affected smile and acting a part4 ,for 
what will the most  violent man do to   
thee1 if thou continuest to be of a kind

 disposition  towards him1 and if1 as   
opportunity offers1 thou gently         
admonishest him  and calmly correctest  
his errors at the very time when he is  
trying to  do thee harm1 saying1 ,not   
so1 my child3 we are constituted by     
nature  for something else3 ,i shall    
certainly not be injured1 but thou art  
injuring thyself1 my child4--,and show  
him with gentle tact and by  general    
principles that this is so1 and that    
even bees do not do as he  does1 nor any
 animals which are formed by nature to  
be gregarious4 ,and  thou must do this  
neither with any double meaning nor in  
the way of  reproach1 but affectionately
 and without any rancor in thy soul2 and
  not as if thou wert lecturing him1 nor
 yet that any bystander may  admire1 but
 either when he is alone1 and if others 
are present'''4#f    ,remember these    
nine rules1 as if thou hadst received   
them as a gift  from the ,muses1 and    
begin at last to be a man while thou    
livest4 ,but  thou must equally avoid   

flattering men and being vexed at them1 
for  both are unsocial and lead to harm4
 ,and let this truth be present to  thee
 in the excitement of anger1 that to be 
moved by passion is not  manly1 but that
 mildness and gentleness1 as they are   
more agreeable to  human nature1 so also
 are they more manly2 and he who        
possesses these  qualities possesses    
strength1 nerves1 and courage1 and not  
the man who  is subject to fits of      
passion and discontent4 ,for in the same
 degree in  which a man's mind is nearer
 to freedom from all passion1 in the    
same  degree also is it nearer to       
strength3 and as the sense of pain is a 
characteristic of weakness1 so also is  
anger4 ,for he who yields to pain  and  
he who yields to anger1 both are wounded
 and both submit4    ,but if thou wilt1 
receive also a tenth present from the   
leader of the  ,muses1 ,apollo1 and it  
is this1--that to expect bad men not to 
do wrong  is madness1 for he who expects
 this desires an impossibility4 ,but to 

allow men to behave so to others1 and to
 expect them not to do thee any  wrong1 
is irrational and tyrannical4    #ai4   
,there are four principal aberrations of
 the superior faculty  against which    
thou shouldst be constantly on thy      
guard1 and when thou  hast detected     
them1 thou shouldst wipe them out and   
say on each  occasion thus3 ,this       
thought is not necessary3 this tends to 
destroy  social union3 this which thou  
art going to say comes not from the real
  thoughts2 for thou shouldst consider  
it among the most absurd of things  for 
a man not to speak from his real        
thoughts4 ,but the fourth is when  thou 
shalt reproach thyself for anything1 for
 this is an evidence of  the diviner    
part within thee being overpowered and  
yielding to the less  honorable and to  
the perishable part1 the body1 and to   
its gross  pleasures 7,,iv4 #bd2 ,,ii4  
#af74    #bj4 ,thy aerial part and all  
the fiery parts which are mingled in    
thee1  though by nature they have an    

upward tendency1 still in obedience to  
the disposition of the universe they are
 overpowered here in the  compound mass 
the body4 ,and also the whole of the    
earthy part in thee  and the watery1    
though their tendency is downward1 still
 are raised up  and occupy a position   
which is not their natural one4 ,in this
 manner  then the elemental parts obey  
the universal2 for when they have been  
fixed in any place1 perforce they remain
 there until again the  universal shall 
sound the signal for dissolution4 ,is it
 not then  strange that thy intelligent 
part only should be disobedient and     
discontented with its own place8 ,and   
yet no force is imposed on it1 but  only
 those things which are comformable to  
its nature3 still it does  not submit1  
but is carried in the opposite          
direction4 ,for the movement  towards   
injustice and intemperance and to anger 
and grief and fear is  nothing else than
 the act of one who deviates from       
nature4 ,and also  when the ruling      

faculty is discontented with anything   
that happens1  then too it deserts its  
post3 for it is constituted for piety   
and  reverence towards the gods no less 
than for justice4 ,for these  qualities 
also are comprehended under the generic 
term of contentment  with the           
constitution of things1 and indeed they 
are prior to acts of  justice4    #ba4  
,he who has not one and always the same 
object in life1 cannot be  one and the  
same all through his life4 ,but what ,i 
have said is not  enough1 unless this   
also is added1 what this object ought to
 be4 ,for as  there is not the same     
opinion about all the things which in   
some way or  other are considered by the
 majority to be good1 but only about    
some  certain things1 that is1 things   
which concern the common interest1 so   
also ought we to propose to ourselves an
 object which shall be of a  common kind
 social and political4 ,for he who      
directs all his own  efforts to this    
object1 will make all his acts alike1   

and thus will  always be the same4      
#bb4 ,think of the country mouse and of 
the town mouse1 and of the alarm  and   
trepidation of the town mouse4#g    #bc4
 ,socrates used to call the opinions of 
the many by the name of                 
,lamiae1--bugbears to frighten children4
    #bd4 ,the ,lacedaemonians at their  
public spectacles used to set seats in  
the shade for strangers1 but themselves 
sat down anywhere4    #be4 ,socrates    
excused himself to ,perdiccas for not   
going to him1 saying1  ,it is because ,i
 would not perish by the worst of all   
ends2 that is1 ,i  would not receive a  
favor and then be unable to return it4  
#bf4 ,in the writings of the ,ephesians 
there was this precept1  constantly to  
think of some one of the men of former  
times who  practised virtue4    #bg4    
,the ,pythagoreans bid us in the morning
 look to the heavens that we  may be    
reminded of those bodies which          
continually do the same things  and in  
the same manner perform their work1 and 

also be reminded of  their purity and   
nudity4 ,for there is no veil over a    
star4    #bh4 ,consider what a man      
,socrates was when he dressed himself in
 a skin1  after ,xanthippe had taken his
 cloak and gone out1 and what ,socrates 
said to his friends who were ashamed of 
him and drew back from him when  they   
saw him dressed thus4    #bi4 ,neither  
in writing nor in reading wilt thou be  
able to lay down  rules for others      
before thou shalt have first learned to 
obey rules  thyself4 ,much more is this 
so in life4    #cj4 ,a slave thou art3  
free speech is not for thee4      #ca4  
,and my heart laughed within4           
,odyssey1 ,,ix4 #dac4      #cb4 ,and    
virtue they will curse1 speaking harsh  
words4       ,,hesiod1 ,works and ,days1
 #ahd4      #cc4 ,to look for the fig in
 winter is a madman's act3 such is he   
who  looks for his child when it is no  
longer allowed 7,epictetus1 ,,iii4 #bd1 
#hg74    #cd4 ,when a man kisses his    
child1 said ,epictetus1 he should       

whisper to  himself1 8,to-morrow        
perchance thou wilt die40--,but those   
are words of  bad omen4--8,no word is a 
word of bad omen10 said ,epictetus1     
8which  expresses any work of nature2 or
 if it is so1 it is also a word of bad  
omen to speak of the ears of corn being 
reaped0 7,epictetus1 ,,iii4 #bd1  #hh74 
#ce4 ,the unripe grape1 the ripe bunch1 
the dried grape all are changes1  not   
into nothing1 but into something which  
exists not yet 7,epictetus1  ,,iii4     
#bd74    #cf4 ,no man can rob us of our 
free will 7,epictetus ,,iii4 #bb1 #aje74
    #cg4 ,epictetus also said1 a man    
must discover an art or rules with      
respect to giving his assent2 and in    
respect to his movements he must  be    
careful that they be made with regard to
 circumstances1 that they be  consistent
 with social interests1 that they have  
regard to the value of  the object2 and 
as to sensual desire1 he should         
altogether keep away  from it2 and as to
 avoidance aversion1 he should not show 

it with  respect to any of the things   
which are not in our power4    #ch4 ,the
 dispute then1 he said1 is not about any
 common matter1 but  about being mad or 
not4    #ci4 ,socrates used to say1     
,what do you want1 souls of rational men
 or  irrational8--souls of rational     
men4--,of what rational men1 sound or   
unsound8--,sound4--,why then do you not 
seek for them8--,because we have        
them4--,why then do you fight and       
quarrel8          ,,book ,,xii4      #a4
 ,all those things at which thou wishest
 to arrive by a circuitous  road thou   
canst have now1 if thou dost not refuse 
them to thyself4 ,and  this means1 if   
thou wilt take no notice of all the     
past1 and trust the  future to          
providence1 and direct the present only 
conformably to piety  and justice4      
,conformably to piety1 that thou mayest 
be content with the  lot which is       
assigned to thee1 for nature designed it
 for thee and thee  for it4 ,conformably
 to justice1 that thou mayest always    

speak the truth  freely and without     
disguise1 and do the things which are   
agreeable to  law and according to the  
worth of each4 ,and let neither another 
man's  wickedness hinder thee1 nor      
opinion nor voice1 nor yet the          
sensations  of the poor flesh which has 
grown about thee2 for the passive part  
will  look to this4 ,if1 then1 whatever 
the time may be when thou shalt be  near
 to thy departure1 neglecting everything
 else thou shalt respect  only thy      
ruling faculty and the divinity within  
thee1 and if thou shalt  be afraid not  
because thou must some time cease to    
live1 but if thou  shalt fear never to  
have begun to live according to         
nature1--then thou  wilt be a man worthy
 of the universe which hast produced    
thee1 and thou  wilt cease to be a      
stranger in thy native land1 and to     
wonder at things  which happen daily as 
if they were something unexpected1 and  
not to be  dependent on this or that4   
#b4 ,god sees the minds ruling          

principles of all men bared of the      
material vesture and rind and           
impurities4 ,for with his intellectual  
part alone he touches the intelligence  
only which has flowed and been  derived 
from himself into these bodies4 ,and if 
thou also usest thyself  to do this1    
thou wilt rid thyself of thy much       
trouble4 ,for he who  regards not the   
poor flesh which envelops him1 surely   
will not trouble  himself by looking    
after raiment and dwelling and fame and 
such like  externals and show4    #c4   
,the things are three of which thou art 
composed3 a little body1 a  little      
breath life1 intelligence4 ,of these the
 first two are thine1  so far as it is  
thy duty to take care of them2 but the  
third alone is  properly thine4         
,therefore if thou shalt separate from  
thyself1 that is1  from thy             
understanding1 whatever others do or    
say1 and whatever thou  hast done or    
said thyself1 and whatever future things
 trouble thee  because they may happen1 

and whatever in the body which envelops 
thee  or in the breath life1 which is by
 nature associated with the body1  is   
attached to thee independent of thy     
will1 and whatever the external         
circumfluent vortex whirls round1 so    
that the intellectual power exempt  from
 the things of fate can live pure and   
free by itself1 doing what is  just and 
accepting what happens and saying the   
truth3 if thou wilt  separate1 ,i say1  
from this ruling faculty the things     
which are attached  to it by the        
impressions of sense1 and the things of 
time to come and  of time that is past1 
and wilt make thyself like ,empedocles' 
sphere1    8,all round and in its joyous
 rest reposing02      and if thou shalt 
strive to live only what is really thy  
life1 that is1  the present1--then thou 
wilt be able to pass that portion of    
life which  remains for thee up to the  
time of thy death free from             
perturbations1  nobly1 and obedient to  
thy own daemon to the god that is within

 thee  7,,ii4 #ac1 #ag2 ,,iii4 #e1 #f2  
,,xi4 #ab74    #d4 ,i have often        
wondered how it is that every man loves 
himself more  than all the rest of men1 
but yet sets less value on his own      
opinion of  himself than on the opinion 
of others4 ,if then a god or a wise     
teacher  should present himself to a man
 and bid him to think of nothing and to 
design nothing which he would not       
express as soon as he conceived it1  he 
could not endure it even for a single   
day4 ,so much more respect have  we to  
what our neighbors shall think of us    
than to what we shall think  of         
ourselves4    #e4 ,how can it be that   
the gods1 after having arranged all     
things well  and benevolently for       
mankind1 have overlooked this alone1    
that some  men1 and very good men1 and  
men who1 as we may say1 have had most   
communion with the divinity1 and through
 pious acts and religious  observances  
have been most intimate with the        
divinity1 when they have  once died     

should never exist again1 but should be 
completely  extinguished8    ,but if    
this is so1 be assured that if it ought 
to have been otherwise1  the gods would 
have done it4 ,for if it were just1 it  
would also be  possible2 and if it were 
according to nature1 nature would have  
had it  so4 ,but because it is not so1  
if in fact it is not so1 be thou        
convinced that it ought not to have been
 so3 for thou seest even of  thyself    
that in this inquiry thou art disputing 
with the ,deity2 and we  should not thus
 dispute with the gods1 unless they were
 most excellent  and most just2 but if  
this is so1 they would not have allowed 
anything  in the ordering of the        
universe to be neglected unjustly and   
irrationally4    #f4 ,practise thyself  
even in the things which thou despairest
 of  accomplishing4 ,for even the left  
hand1 which is ineffectual for all      
other things for want of practice1 holds
 the bridle more vigorously  than the   
right hand2 for it has been practised in

 this4    #g4 ,consider in what         
condition both in body and soul a man   
should be  when he is overtaken by      
death2 and consider the shortness of    
life1 the  boundless abyss of time past 
and future1 the feebleness of all       
matter4    #h4 ,contemplate the         
formative principles forms of things    
bare of their  coverings2 the purposes  
of actions2 consider what pain is1 what 
pleasure is1 and death1 and fame2 who is
 to himself the cause of his            
uneasiness2 how no man is hindered by   
another2 that everything is  opinion4   
#i4 ,in the application of thy          
principles thou must be like the        
pancratiast1 not like the gladiator2 for
 the gladiator lets fall the  sword     
which he uses and is killed2 but the    
other always has his hand1  and needs to
 do nothing else than use it4    #aj4   
,see what things are in themselves1     
dividing them into matter1 form1  and   
purpose4    #aa4 ,what a power man has  
to do nothing except what ,god will     

approve1  and to accept all that ,god   
may give him4    #ab4 ,with respect to  
that which happens conformably to       
nature1 we ought  to blame neither gods1
 for they do nothing wrong either       
voluntarily or  involuntarily1 nor men1 
for they do nothing wrong except        
involuntarily4  ,consequently we should 
blame nobody 7,,ii4 #aa1 #ab1 #ac2      
,,vii4 #fb2 ,,viii4 #ag1  #ah74    #ac4 
,how ridiculous and what a stranger he  
is who is surprised at  anything which  
happens in life4    #ad4 ,either there  
is a fatal necessity and invincible     
order1 or a kind  providence1 or a      
confusion without a purpose and without 
a director  7,,iv4 #bg74 ,if then there 
is an invincible necessity1 why dost    
thou  resist8 ,but if there is a        
providence which allows itself to be    
propitiated1 make thyself worthy of the 
help of the divinity4 ,but if  there is 
a confusion without a governor1 be      
content that in such a  tempest thou    
hast in thyself a certain ruling        

intelligence4 ,and even if  the tempest 
carry thee away1 let it carry away the  
poor flesh1 the poor  breath1 everything
 else2 for the intelligence at least it 
will not  carry away4    #ae4 ,does the 
light of the lamp shine without losing  
its splendor until  it is extinguished2 
and shall the truth which is in thee and
 justice  and temperance be extinguished
 before thy death8    #af4 ,when a man  
has presented the appearance of having  
done wrong say1  ,how then do ,i know if
 this is a wrongful act8 ,and even if he
 has done  wrong1 how do ,i know that he
 has not condemned himself8 ,and so this
 is  like tearing his own face4         
,consider that he who would not have the
 bad  man do wrong1 is like the man who 
would not have the fig-tree bear  juice 
in the figs1 and infants cry1 and the   
horse neigh1 and whatever  else must of 
necessity be4 ,for what must a man do   
who has such a  character8 ,if then thou
 art irritable1 cure this man's         
disposition4    #ag4 ,if it is not      

right1 do not do it3 if it is not true1 
do not say it4  ,for let thy efforts    
be--    #ah4 ,in everything always      
observe what the thing is which produces
 for  thee an appearance1 and resolve it
 by dividing it into the formal1 the    
material1 the purpose1 and the time     
within which it must end4    #ai4       
,perceive at last that thou hast in thee
 something better and more  divine than 
the things which cause the various      
effects1 and as it were  pull thee by   
the strings4 ,what is there now in my   
mind1--is it fear1 or  suspicion1 or    
desire1 or anything of the kind 7,v4    
#aa78    #bj4 ,first1 do nothing        
inconsiderately1 nor without a purpose4 
,second1  make thy acts refer to nothing
 else than to a social end4    #ba4     
,consider that before long thou wilt be 
nobody and nowhere1 nor will  any of the
 things exist which thou now seest1 nor 
any of those who are  now living4 ,for  
all things are formed by nature to      
change and be turned  and to perish1 in 

order that other things in continuous   
succession may  exist 7,,ix4 #bh74      
#bb4 ,consider that everything is       
opinion1 and opinion is in thy power4   
,take away then1 when thou choosest1 thy
 opinion1 and like a mariner who  has   
doubled the promontory1 thou wilt find  
calm1 everything stable1 and  a waveless
 bay4    #bc4 ,any one activity1        
whatever it may be1 when it has ceased  
at its  proper time1 suffers no evil    
because it has ceased2 nor he who has   
done  this act1 does he suffer any evil 
for this reason1 that the act has       
ceased4 ,in like manner then the whole  
which consists of all the acts1  which  
is our life1 if it cease at its proper  
time1 suffers no evil for  this reason1 
that it has ceased2 nor he who has      
terminated this series  at the proper   
time1 has he been ill dealt with4 ,but  
the proper time and  the limit nature   
fixes1 sometimes as in old age the      
peculiar nature of  man1 but always the 
universal nature1 by the change of whose

 parts the  whole universe continues    
ever young and perfect4 ,and everything 
which  is useful to the universal is    
always good and in season4 ,therefore   
the  termination of life for every man  
is no evil1 because neither is it       
shameful1 since it is both independent  
of the will and not opposed to  the     
general interest1 but it is good1 since 
it is seasonable1 and  profitable to and
 congruent with the universal4 ,for thus
 too he is  moved by the ,deity who is  
moved in the same manner with the       
,deity1 and  moved towards the same     
things in his mind4    #bd4 ,these three
 principles thou must have in readiness3
 ,in the things  which thou dost do     
nothing either inconsiderately or       
otherwise than as  ,justice herself     
would act2 but with respect to what may 
happen to thee  from without1 consider  
that it happens either by chance or     
according to  providence1 and thou must 
neither blame chance nor accuse         
providence4  ,second1 consider what     

every being is from the seed to the time
 of its  receiving a soul1 and from the 
reception of a soul to the giving back  
of the same1 and of what things every   
being is compounded1 and into  what     
things it is resolved4 ,third1 if thou  
shouldst suddenly be raised  up above   
the earth1 and shouldst look down on    
human things1 and observe  the variety  
of them how great it is1 and at the same
 time also shouldst  see at a glance how
 great is the number of beings who dwell
 all around  in the air and the ether1  
consider that as often as thou shouldst 
be  raised up1 thou wouldst see the same
 things1 sameness of form and  shortness
 of duration4 ,are these things to be   
proud of8    #be4 ,cast away opinion3   
thou art saved4 ,who then hinders thee  
from  casting it away8    #bf4 ,when    
thou art troubled about anything1 thou  
hast forgotten this1  that all things   
happen according to the universal       
nature2 and forgotten  this1 that a     
man's wrongful act is nothing to thee2  

and further thou  hast forgotten this1  
that everything which happens1 always   
happened so  and will happen so1 and now
 happens so everywhere2 forgotten this  
too1  how close is the kinship between a
 man and the whole human race1 for it   
is a community1 not of a little blood or
 seed1 but of intelligence4 ,and  thou  
hast forgotten this too1 that every     
man's intelligence is a god  and is an  
efflux of the ,deity2 and forgotten     
this1 that nothing is a  man's own1 but 
that his child and his body and his very
 soul came from  the ,deity2 forgotten  
this1 that everything is opinion2 and   
lastly thou  hast forgotten that every  
man lives the present time only1 and    
loses  only this4    #bg4 ,constantly   
bring to thy recollection those who have
 complained  greatly about anything1    
those who have been most conspicuous by 
the  greatest fame or misfortunes or    
enmities or fortunes of any kind3 then  
think where are they all now8 ,smoke and
 ash and a tale1 or not even a  tale4   

,and let there be present to thy mind   
also everything of this  sort1 how      
,fabius ,catullinus lived in the        
country1 and ,lucius ,lupus in  his     
gardens1 and ,stertinius at ,baiae1 and 
,tiberius at ,capreae1 and  ,velius     
,rufus or ,rufus at ,velia2 and in fine 
think of the eager  pursuit of anything 
conjoined with pride2 and how worthless 
everything  is after which men violently
 strain2 and how much more philosophical
 it  is for a man in the opportunities  
presented to him to show himself  just1 
temperate1 obedient to the gods1 and to 
do this with all  simplicity3 for the   
pride which is proud of its want of     
pride is the  most intolerable of all4  
#bh4 ,to those who ask1 ,where hast thou
 seen the gods1 or how dost thou        
comprehend that they exist and so       
worshippest them1 ,i answer1 in the     
first place1 they may be seen even with 
the eyes2#h in the second  place1       
neither have ,i seen even my own soul1  
and yet ,i honor it4 ,thus  then with   

respect to the gods1 from what ,i       
constantly experience of  their power1  
from this ,i comprehend that they exist1
 and ,i venerate  them4    #bi4 ,the    
safety of life is this1 to examine      
everything all through1 what  it is     
itself1 that is its material1 what the  
formal part2 with all thy  soul to do   
justice and to say the truth4 ,what     
remains1 except to enjoy  life by       
joining one good thing to another so as 
not to leave even the  smallest         
intervals between8    #cj4 ,there is one
 light of the sun1 though it is         
interrupted by walls1  mountains1 and   
other things infinite4 ,there is one    
common substance1  though it is         
distributed among countless bodies which
 have their  several qualities4 ,there  
is one soul1 though it is distributed   
among  infinite natures and individual  
circumscriptions or individuals4  ,there
 is one intelligent soul1 though it     
seems to be divided4 ,now in  the things
 which have been mentioned1 all the     

other parts1 such as  those which are   
air and matter1 are without sensation   
and have no  fellowship3 and yet even   
these parts the intelligent principle   
holds  together and the gravitation     
towards the same4 ,but intellect in a   
peculiar manner tends to that which is  
of the same kin1 and combines  with it1 
and the feeling for communion is not    
interrupted4    #ca4 ,what dost thou    
wish1--to continue to exist8 ,well1 dost
 thou wish to  have sensation1 movement1
 growth1 and then again to cease to     
grow1 to  use thy speech1 to think8     
,what is there of all these things which
 seems  to thee worth desiring8 ,but if 
it is easy to set little value on all   
these things1 turn to that which        
remains1 which is to follow reason and  
,god4 ,but it is inconsistent with      
honoring reason and ,god to be troubled 
because by death a man will be deprived 
of the other things4    #cb4 ,how small 
a part of the boundless and unfathomable
 time is assigned  to every man1 for it 

is very soon swallowed up in the        
eternal6 ,and how  small a part of the  
whole substance2 and how small a part of
 the  universal soul2 and on what a     
small clod of the whole earth thou      
creepest6 ,reflecting on all this1      
consider nothing to be great1 except  to
 act as thy nature leads thee1 and to   
endure that which the common  nature    
brings4    #cc4 ,how does the ruling    
faculty make use of itself8 for all lies
 in  this4 ,but everything else1 whether
 it is in the power of thy will or  not1
 is only lifeless ashes and smoke4      
#cd4 ,this reflection is most adapted to
 move us to contempt of death1  that    
even those who think pleasure to be a   
good and pain an evil still  have       
despised it4    #ce4 ,the man to whom   
that only is good which comes in due    
season1 and to  whom it is the same     
thing whether he has done more or fewer 
acts  conformable to right reason1 and  
to whom it makes no difference whether  
he contemplates the world for a longer  

or a shorter time1--for this man        
neither is death a terrible thing 7,,ii4
 #g2 ,,vi4 #bc2 ,x4 #bj2 ,,xii4 #bc74   
#cf4 ,man1 thou hast been a citizen in  
this great state the world2 what        
difference does it make to thee whether 
for five years or three8 for  that which
 is conformable to the laws is just for 
all4 ,where is the  hardship then1 if no
 tyrant nor yet an unjust judge sends   
thee away  from the state1 but nature1  
who brought thee into it8 the same as if
 a  praetor who has employed an actor   
dismisses him from the stage4--8,but ,i 
have not finished the five acts1 but    
only three of them40--,thou sayest      
well1 but in life the three acts are the
 whole drama2 for what shall be  a      
complete drama is determined by him who 
was once the cause of its  composition1 
and now of its dissolution3 but thou art
 the cause of  neither4 ,depart then    
satisfied1 for he also who releases thee
 is  satisfied4          ,,the          
,,philosophy ,,of ,,marcus ,,aurelius   

,,antoninus4      ,it has been said that
 the ,stoic philosophy first showed its 
real value  when it passed from ,greece 
to ,rome4 ,the doctrines of ,zeno and   
his  successors were well suited to the 
gravity and practical good sense of  the
 ,romans2 and even in the ,republican   
period we have an example of a  man1 ,m4
 ,cato ,uticensis1 who lived the life of
 a ,stoic and died  consistently with   
the opinions which he professed4 ,he was
 a man1 says  ,cicero1 who embraced the 
,stoic philosophy from conviction2 not  
for the  purpose of vain discussion1 as 
most did1 but in order to make his life 
conformable to the ,stoic precepts4 ,in 
the wretched times from the death  of   
,augustus to the murder of ,domitian1   
there was nothing but the ,stoic        
philosophy which could console and      
support the followers of the old        
religion under imperial tyranny and     
amidst universal corruption4 ,there     
were even then noble minds that could   
dare and endure1 sustained by a  good   

conscience and an elevated idea of the  
purposes of man's  existence4 ,such were
 ,paetus ,thrasca1 ,helvidius ,priscus1 
,cornutus1 ,c4  ,musonius ,rufus1 and   
the poets ,persius and ,juvenal1 whose  
energetic  language and manly thoughts  
may be as instructive to us now as they 
might have been to their contemporaries4
 ,persius died under ,nero's  bloody    
reign2 but ,juvenal had the good fortune
 to survive the tyrant  ,domitian and to
 see the better times of ,nerva1        
,trajan1 and ,hadrian4 ,his  best       
precepts are derived from the ,stoic    
school1 and they are enforced  in his   
finest verses by the unrivalled vigor of
 the ,latin language4    ,the best two  
expounders of the later ,stoical        
philosophy were a ,greek  slave and a   
,roman emperor4 ,epictetus1 a ,phrygian 
,greek1 was brought to  ,rome1 we know  
not how1 but he was there the slave and 
afterwards the  freedman of his unworthy
 master1 ,epaphroditus4 ,like other     
great  teachers he wrote nothing1 and we

 are indebted to his grateful pupil     
,arrian for what we have of ,epictetus' 
discourses4 ,arrian wrote eight  books  
of the discourses of ,epictetus1 of     
which only four remain and  some        
fragments4 ,we have also from ,arrian's 
hand the small ,enchiridion  or ,manual 
of the chief precepts of ,epictetus4    
,there is a valuable  commentary on the 
,enchiridion by ,simplicius1 who lived  
in the time of  the emperor ,justinian4 
,antoninus in his first book 7,i4 #g71  
in which he gratefully commemorates  his
 obligations to his teachers1 says that 
he was made acquainted by  ,junius      
,rusticus with the discourses of        
,epictetus1 whom he mentions also  in   
other passages 7,,iv4 #da2 ,,xi #cd1    
#cf74 ,indeed1 the doctrines of         
,epictetus and ,antoninus are the same1 
and ,epictetus is the best  authority   
for the explanation of the philosophical
 language of  ,antoninus and the        
exposition of his opinions4 ,but the    
method of the two  philosophers is      

entirely different4 ,epictetus addressed
 himself to his  hearers in a continuous
 discourse and in a familiar and simple 
manner4  ,antoninus wrote down his      
reflections for his own use only1 in    
short1  unconnected paragraphs1 which   
are often obscure4#i    ,the want of    
arrangement in the original and of      
connection among the  numerous          
paragraphs1 the corruption of the text1 
the obscurity of the  language and the  
style1 and sometimes perhaps the        
confusion in the  writer's own          
ideas1--besides all this1 there is      
occasionally an apparent  contradiction 
in the emperor's thoughts1 as if his    
principles were  sometimes unsettled1 as
 if doubt sometimes clouded his mind4 ,a
 man who  leads a life of tranquillity  
and reflection1 who is not disturbed at 
home and meddles not with the affairs of
 the world1 may keep his mind  at ease  
and his thoughts in one even course4    
,but such a man has not  been tried4    
,all his ,ethical philosophy and his    

passive virtue might  turn out to be    
idle words1 if he were once exposed to  
the rude  realities of human existence4 
,fine thoughts and moral dissertations  
from men who have not worked and        
suffered may be read1 but they will be  
forgotten4 ,no religion1 no ,ethical    
philosophy is worth anything1 if the    
teacher has not lived the 8life of an   
apostle10 and been ready to die  8the   
death of a martyr40 8,not in passivity  
7the passive affects7 but in  activity  
lie the evil and the good of the        
rational social animal1 just  as his    
virtue and his vice lie not in          
passivity1 but in activity0 7,,ix4      
#af74 ,the emperor ,antoninus was a     
practical moralist4 ,from his youth he  
followed a laborious discipline1 and    
though his high station placed him      
above all want or the fear of it1 he    
lived as frugally and temperately  as   
the poorest philosopher4 ,epictetus     
wanted little1 and it seems that  he    
always had the little that he wanted and

 he was content with it1 as  he had been
 with his servile station4 ,but         
,antoninus after his accession  to the  
empire sat on an uneasy seat4 ,he had   
the administration of an  empire which  
extended from the ,euphrates to the     
,atlantic1 from the cold  mountains of  
,scotland to the hot sands of ,africa2  
and we may imagine1  though we cannot   
know it by experience1 what must be the 
trials1 the  troubles1 the anxiety1 and 
the sorrows of him who has the world's  
business on his hands1 with the wish to 
do the best that he can1 and  the       
certain knowledge that he can do very   
little of the good which he  wishes4    
,in the midst of war1 pestilence1       
conspiracy1 general corruption1 and     
with the weight of so unwieldy an empire
 upon him1 we may easily  comprehend    
that ,antoninus often had need of all   
his fortitude to  support him4 ,the best
 and the bravest men have moments of    
doubt and of  weakness2 but if they are 
the best and the bravest1 they rise     

again  from their depression by         
recurring to first principles1 as       
,antoninus  does4 ,the emperor says that
 life is smoke1 a vapor1 and ,st4 ,james
 in  his ,epistle is of the same mind2  
that the world is full of envious1      
jealous1 malignant people1 and a man    
might be well content to get out  of it4
 ,he has doubts perhaps sometimes even  
about that to which he  holds most      
firmly4 ,there are only a few passages  
of this kind1 but they  are evidence of 
the struggles which even the noblest of 
the sons of men  had to maintain against
 the hard realities of his daily life4  
,a poor  remark it is which ,i have seen
 somewhere1 and made in a disparaging   
way1 that the emperor's reflections show
 that he had need of  consolation and   
comfort in life1 and even to prepare him
 to meet his  death4 ,true that he did  
need comfort and support1 and we see how
 he  found it4 ,he constantly recurs to 
his fundamental principle that the      
universe is wisely ordered1 that every  

man is a part of it and must  conform to
 that order which he cannot change1 that
 whatever the ,deity  has done is good1 
that all mankind are a man's brethren1  
that he must  love and cherish them and 
try to make them better1 even those who 
would  do him harm4 ,this is his        
conclusion 7,,ii4 #ag73 8,what then is  
that which  is able to conduct a man8   
,one thing and only one1 ,philosophy4   
,but this  consists in keeping the      
divinity within a man free from violence
 and  unharmed1 superior to pains and   
pleasures1 doing nothing without a      
purpose nor yet falsely and with        
hypocrisy1 not feeling the need of      
another man's doing or not doing        
anything2 and besides1 accepting all    
that happens and all that is allotted1  
as coming from thence1 wherever  it is1 
from whence he himself came2 and finally
 waiting for death with  a cheerful mind
 as being nothing else than a           
dissolution of the  elements of which   
every living being is compounded4 ,but  

if there is no  harm to the elements    
themselves in each continually changing 
into  another1 why should a man have any
 apprehension about the change and      
dissolution of all the elements himself8
 for it is according to  nature2 and    
nothing is evil that is according to    
nature40    ,the ,physic of ,antoninus  
is the knowledge of the ,nature of the  
,universe1  of its government1 and of   
the relation of man's nature to both4   
,he  names the universe 7,,vi4 #a71 8the
 universal substance10 and he adds that 
8reason0 governs the universe4 ,he also 
7,,vi4 #i7 uses the terms  8universal   
nature0 or 8nature of the universe40 ,he
 7,,vi4 #be7 calls the  universe 8the   
one and all1 which we name ,cosmos or   
,order40 ,if he ever  seems to use these
 general terms as significant of the    
,all1 of all that  man can in any way   
conceive to exist1 he still on other    
occasions  plainly distinguishes between
 ,matter1 ,material things1 and ,cause1 
,origin1 ,reason4 ,this is conformable  

to ,zeno's doctrine that there are  two 
original principles of all things1 that 
which acts and that which  is acted     
upon4 ,that which is acted on is the    
formless matter3 that  which acts is the
 reason1 ,god1 who is eternal and       
operates through all  matter1 and       
produces all things4 ,so ,antoninus 7,v4
 #cb7 speaks of the  reason which       
pervades all substance1 and through all 
time by fixed  periods 7revolutions7    
administers the universe4 ,god is       
eternal1 and  ,matter is eternal4 ,it is
 ,god who gives form to matter1 but he  
is not  said to have created matter4    
,according to this view1 which is as old
 as  ,anaxagoras1 ,god and matter exist 
independently1 but ,god governs matter4 
,this doctrine is simply the expression 
of the fact of the existence  both of   
matter and of ,god4 ,the ,stoics did not
 perplex themselves with  the insoluble 
question of the origin and nature of    
matter4 ,antoninus  also assumes a      
beginning of things1 as we now know     

them2 but his  language is sometimes    
very obscure4    ,matter consists of    
elemental parts of which all material   
objects are  made4 ,but nothing is      
permanent in form4 ,the nature of the   
universe1  according to ,antoninus'     
expression 7,,iv4 #cf71 8loves nothing  
so much as  to change the things which  
are1 and to make new things like them4  
,for  everything that exists is in a    
manner the seed of that which will be4  
,but thou art thinking only of seeds    
which are cast into the earth or  into a
 womb3 but this is a very vulgar        
notion40 ,all things then are in  a     
constant flux and change3 some things   
are dissolved into the  elements1 others
 come in their places2 and so the 8whole
 universe  continues ever young and     
perfect40    ,when we look at the       
motions of the planets1 the action of   
what we call  gravitation1 the elemental
 combination of unorganized bodies and  
their  resolution1 the production of    
plants and of living bodies1 their      

generation1 growth1 and their           
dissolution1 which we call their death1 
we observe a regular sequence of        
phenomena1 which within the limits of   
experience present and past1 so far as  
we know the past1 is fixed and          
invariable4 ,but if this is not so1 if  
the order and sequence of  phenomena1 as
 known to us1 are subject to change in  
the course of an  infinite              
progression1--and such change is        
conceivable1--we have not  discovered1  
nor shall we ever discover1 the whole of
 the order and  sequence of phenomena1  
in which sequence there may be involved 
according to its very nature1 that is1  
according to its fixed order1  some     
variation of what we now call the ,order
 or ,nature of ,things4 ,it is  also    
conceivable that such changes have taken
 place1--changes in the  order of       
things1 as we are compelled by the      
imperfection of language to  call them1 
but which are no changes2 and further it
 is certain that our  knowledge of the  

true sequence of all actual phenomena1  
as for instance  the phenomena of       
generation1 growth1 and dissolution1 is 
and ever must  be imperfect4    ,we do  
not fare much better when we speak of   
,causes and ,effects than  when we speak
 of ,nature4 ,for the practical purposes
 of life we may use  the terms cause and
 effect conveniently1 and we may fix a  
distinct  meaning to them1 distinct     
enough at least to prevent all          
misunderstanding4 ,but the case is      
different when we speak of causes and   
effects as of ,things4 ,all that we know
 is phenomena1 as the ,greeks  called   
them1 or appearances which follow one   
another in a regular  order1 as we      
conceive it1 so that if some one        
phenomenon should fail in  the series1  
we conceive that there must either be an
 interruption of  the series1 or that   
something else will appear after the    
phenomenon  which has failed to appear1 
and will occupy the vacant place2 and so
  the series in its progression may be  

modified or totally changed4 ,cause  and
 effect then mean nothing in the        
sequence of natural phenomena  beyond   
what ,i have said2 and the real cause1  
or the transcendent cause1  as some     
would call it1 of each successive       
phenomenon is in that which  is the     
cause of all things which are1 which    
have been1 and which will  be forever4  
,thus the word ,creation may have a real
 sense if we consider  it as the first1 
if we can conceive a first1 in the      
present order of  natural phenomena2 but
 in the vulgar sense a creation of all  
things at  a certain time1 followed by a
 quiescence of the first cause1 and an  
abandonment of all sequences of         
,phenomena to the laws of ,nature1 or to
  the other words that people may use1  
is absolutely absurd4    ,man being     
conscious that he is a spiritual power  
or an intellectual  power1 or that he   
has such a power1 in whatever way he    
conceives that  he has it1--for ,i wish 
simply to state a fact1--from this power

 which he  has in himself1 he is led1 as
 ,antoninus says1 to believe that there 
is  a greater power1 which1 as the old  
,stoics tell us1 pervades the whole     
universe as the intellect pervades man4 
,god exists then1 but what do we know of
 his nature8 ,antoninus says that  the  
soul of man is an efflux from the       
divinity4 ,we have bodies like  animals1
 but we have reason1 intelligence1 as   
the gods4 ,animals have  life and what  
we call instincts or natural principles 
of action3 but  the rational animal man 
alone has a rational1 intelligent soul4 
,antoninus insists on this continually3 
,god is in man1 and so we must          
constantly attend to the divinity within
 us1 for it is only in this way  that we
 can have any knowledge of the nature of
 ,god4 ,the human soul is  in a sense a 
portion of the divinity1 and the soul   
alone has any  communication with the   
,deity2 for as he says 7,,xii4 #b73     
8,with his  intellectual part alone ,god
 touches the intelligence only which has

  flowed and been derived from himself  
into these bodies40 ,in fact he  says   
that which is hidden within a man is    
life1 that is the man  himself4 ,all the
 rest is vesture1 covering1 organs1     
instrument1 which  the living man1 the  
real man1 uses for the purpose of his   
present  existence4 ,the air is         
universally diffused for him who is able
 to  respire2 and so for him who is     
willing to partake of it the intelligent
  power1 which holds within it all      
things1 is diffused as wide and free  as
 the air 7,,viii4 #ed74 ,it is by living
 a divine life that man  approaches to a
 knowledge of the divinity4 ,it is by   
following the  divinity within1 as      
,antoninus calls it1 that man comes     
nearest to the  ,deity1 the supreme     
good2 for man can never attain to       
perfect agreement  with his internal    
guide4 8,live with the gods4 ,and he    
does live with the  gods who constantly 
shows to them that his own soul is      
satisfied with  that which is assigned  

to him1 and that it does all the daemon 
wishes1  which ,zeus hath given to every
 man for his guardian and guide1 and a  
portion of himself4 ,and this daemon is 
every man's understanding and  reason0  
7,v4 #bg74    ,there is in man1 that is 
in the reason1 the intelligence1 a      
superior  faculty which if it is        
exercised rules all the rest4 ,a man    
must  reverence only his ruling faculty 
and the divinity within him4 ,as we     
must reverence that which is supreme in 
the universe1 so we must  reverence that
 which is supreme in ourselves2 and this
 is that which is  of like kind with    
that which is supreme in the universe   
7,v4 #ba74    ,antoninus speaks of a    
man's condemnation of himself when the  
diviner  part within him has been       
overpowered and yields to the less      
honorable  and to the perishable part1  
the body1 and its gross pleasures4      
,antoninus did not view ,god and the    
material universe as the same1 any  more
 than he viewed the body and soul of man

 as one4 ,antoninus has no  speculations
 on the absolute nature of the ,deity4  
,it was not his  fashion to waste his   
time on what man cannot understand4 ,he 
was  satisfied that ,god exists1 that he
 governs all things1 that man can  only 
have an imperfect knowledge of his      
nature1 and he must attain this         
imperfect knowledge by reverencing the  
divinity which is within him1  and      
keeping it pure4    ,from all that has  
been said1 it follows that the universe 
is  administered by the ,providence of  
,god and that all things are wisely     
ordered4 ,there are passages in which   
,antoninus expresses doubts1 or  states 
different possible theories of the      
constitution and government  of the     
universe2 but he always recurs to his   
fundamental principle2  that if we admit
 the existence of a deity1 we must also 
admit that he  orders all things wisely 
and well 7,,iv4 #bg2 ,,vi4 #a2 ,,ix4    
#bh2 ,,xii4 #e74    ,but if all things  
are wisely ordered1 how is the world so 

full of what  we call evil1 physical and
 moral8 ,if instead of saying that there
 is  evil in the world1 we use the      
expression which ,i have used1 8what we 
call evil10 we have partly anticipated  
the emperor's answer4 ,we see and  feel 
and know imperfectly very few things in 
the few years that we  live1 and all the
 knowledge and all the experience of all
 the human  race is positive ignorance  
of the whole1 which is infinite4 ,now1  
as our  reason teaches us that          
everything is in some way related to and
  connected with every other thing1 all 
notion of evil as being in the  universe
 of things is a contradiction2 for if   
the whole comes from and  is governed by
 an intelligent being1 it is impossible 
to conceive  anything in it which tends 
to the evil or destruction of the whole 
7,,vii4 #ee2 ,x4 #f74    ,everything is 
in constant mutation1 and yet the whole 
subsists4 ,we  might imagine the solar  
system resolved into its elemental      
parts1 and  yet the whole would still   

subsist 8ever young and perfect40       
,all things1 all forms1 are dissolved   
and new forms appear4 ,all living       
things undergo the change which we call 
death4 ,if we call death an  evil1 then 
all change is an evil4 ,living beings   
also suffer pain1 and  man suffers most 
of all1 for he suffers both in and by   
his body and by  his intelligent part4  
,men suffer also from one another1 and  
perhaps the  largest part of human      
suffering comes to man from those whom  
he calls  his brothers4 ,antoninus says1
 7,,viii4 #ee7 8,generally1 wickedness  
does no  harm at all to the universe2   
and particularly1 the wickedness of one 
man does no harm to another4 ,it is only
 harmful to him who has it in  his power
 to be released from it as soon as he   
shall choose40 ,the first  part of this 
is perfectly consistent with the        
doctrine that the whole  can sustain no 
evil or harm4 ,the second part must be  
explained by the  ,stoic principle that 
there is no evil in anything which is   

not in our  power4 ,what wrong we suffer
 from another is his evil1 not ours4    
,but  this is an admission that there is
 evil in a sort1 for he who does  wrong 
does evil1 and if others can endure the 
wrong1 still there is  evil in the      
wrong- doer4 ,antoninus 7,,xi4 #ah7     
gives many excellent  precepts with     
respect to wrongs and injuries1 and his 
precepts are  practical4 ,he teaches us 
to bear what we cannot avoid1 and his   
lessons  may be just as useful to him   
who denies the being and the government 
of  ,god as to him who believes in both4
 ,there is no direct answer in          
,antoninus to the objections which may  
be made to the existence and  providence
 of ,god because of the moral disorder  
and suffering which are  in the world1  
except this answer which he makes in    
reply to the  supposition that even the 
best men may be extinguished by death4  
,he  says if it is so1 we may be sure   
that if it ought to have been           
otherwise1 the gods would have ordered  

it otherwise 7,,xii4 #e74 ,his          
conviction of the wisdom which we may   
observe in the government of the  world 
is too strong to be disturbed by any    
apparent irregularities in  the order of
 things4 ,that these disorders exist is 
a fact1 and those  who would conclude   
from them against the being and         
government of ,god  conclude too        
hastily4 ,we all admit that there is an 
order in the  material world1 a         
constitution1 a system1 a relation of   
parts to one  another and a fitness of  
the whole for something4 ,so in the     
constitution of plants and of animals   
there is an order1 a fitness for  some  
end4 ,sometimes the order1 as we        
conceive it1 is interrupted and  the    
end1 as we conceive it1 is not attained4
 ,the seed1 the plant1 or  the animal   
sometimes perishes before it has passed 
through all its  changes and done all   
its uses4 ,it is according to ,nature1  
that is a  fixed order1 for some to     
perish early and for others to do all   

their  uses and leave successors to take
 their place4 ,so man has a corporeal   
and intellectual and moral constitution 
fit for certain uses1 and on  the whole 
man performs these uses1 dies1 and      
leaves other men in his  place4 ,so     
society exists1 and a social state is   
manifestly the natural  state of        
man1--the state for which his nature    
fits him1 and society  amidst           
innumerable irregularities and disorders
 still subsists2 and  perhaps we may say
 that the history of the past and our   
present  knowledge give us a reasonable 
hope that its disorders will diminish1  
and that order1 its governing principle 
may be more firmly established4  ,as    
order then1 a fixed order1 we may say1  
subject to deviations real or  apparent1
 must be admitted to exist in the whole 
nature of things1 that  which we call   
disorder or evil1 as it seems to us1    
does not in any way  alter the fact of  
the general constitution of things      
having a nature or  fixed order4 ,nobody

 will conclude from the existence of    
disorder that  order is not the rule1   
for the existence of order both physical
 and  moral is proved by daily          
experience and all past experience4 ,we 
cannot  conceive how the order of the   
universe is maintained3 we cannot even  
conceive how our own life from day to   
day is continued1 nor how we  perform   
the simplest movements of the body1 nor 
how we grow and think  and act1 though  
we know many of the conditions which are
 necessary for  all these functions4    
,knowing nothing then of the unseen     
power which  acts in ourselves except by
 what is done1 we know nothing of the   
power  which acts through what we call  
all time and all space2 but seeing that 
there is a nature or fixed order in all 
things known to us1 it is  conformable  
to the nature of our minds to believe   
that this universal  ,nature has a cause
 which operates continually1 and that we
 are totally  unable to speculate on the
 reason of any of those disorders or    

evils  which we perceive4 ,this ,i      
believe is the answer which may be      
collected  from all that ,antoninus has 
said4    ,the origin of evil is an old  
question4 ,achilles tells ,priam that   
,zeus  has two casks1 one filled with   
good things1 and the other with bad1 and
  that he gives to men out of each      
according to his pleasure2 and so we    
must be content1 for we cannot alter the
 will of ,zeus4 ,one of the ,greek      
commentators asks how must we reconcile 
this doctrine with what we find  in the 
first book of the ,odyssey1 where the   
king of the gods says1 8,men  say that  
evil comes to them from us1 but they    
bring it on themselves  through their   
own folly40 ,the answer is plain enough 
even to the ,greek  commentator4 ,the   
poets make both ,achilles and ,zeus     
speak appropriately  to their several   
characters4 ,indeed1 ,zeus says plainly 
that men do  attribute their sufferings 
to the gods1 but they do it falsely1 for
  they are the cause of their own       

sorrows4    ,epictetus in his           
,enchiridion makes short work of the    
question of evil4  ,he says1 8,as a mark
 is not set up for the purpose of       
missing it1 so  neither does the nature 
of evil exist in the universe40 ,this   
will  appear obscure enough to those who
 are not acquainted with ,epictetus1    
but he always knows what he is talking  
about4 ,we do not set up a mark  in     
order to miss it1 though we may miss it4
 ,god1 whose existence  ,epictetus      
assumes1 has not ordered all things so  
that his purpose shall  fail4 ,whatever 
there may be of what we call evil1 the  
nature of evil1  as he expresses it1    
does not exist2 that is1 evil is not a  
part of the  constitution or nature of  
things4 ,if there were a principle of   
evil in  the constitution of things1    
evil would no longer be evil1 as        
,simplicius  argues1 but evil would be  
good4    ,one passage more will conclude
 this matter4 ,it contains all that the 
emperor could say3 8,to go from among   

men1 if there are gods1 is not a  thing 
to be afraid of1 for the gods will not  
involve thee in evil2 but  if indeed    
they do not exist1 or if they have no   
concern about human  affairs1 what is it
 to me to live in a universe devoid of  
gods or  devoid of providence8 ,but in  
truth they do exist1 and they do care   
for  human things1 and they have put all
 the means in man's power to enable  him
 not to fall into real evils4 ,and as to
 the rest1 if there was  anything evil1 
they would have provided for this also1 
that it should  be altogether in a man's
 power not to fall into it4 ,but that   
which does  not make a man worse1 how   
can it make a man's life worse8 ,but    
neither  through ignorance1 nor having  
the knowledge but not the power to guard
  against or correct these things1 is it
 possible that the nature of the        
universe has overlooked them2 nor is it 
possible that it has made so  great a   
mistake1 either through want of power or
 want of skill1 that  good and evil     

should happen indiscriminately to the   
good and the bad4  ,but death certainly 
and life1 honor and dishonor1 pain and  
pleasure1  all these things equally     
happen to good and bad men1 being things
 which  make us neither better nor      
worse4 ,therefore they are neither good 
nor  evil40    ,the ,ethical part of    
,antoninus' ,philosophy follows from his
 general  principles4 ,the end of all   
his philosophy is to live conformably to
  ,nature1 both a man's own nature and  
the nature of the universe4 ,bishop     
,butler has explained what the ,greek   
philosophers meant when they spoke  of  
living according to ,nature1 and he says
 that when it is explained1  as he has  
explained it and as they understood it1 
it is1 8a manner of  speaking not loose 
and undeterminate1 but clear and        
distinct1 strictly  just and true40 ,to 
live according to ,nature is to live    
according to a  man's whole nature1 not 
according to a part of it1 and to       
reverence the  divinity within him as   

the governor of all his actions4 8,to   
the  rational animal the same act is    
according to nature and according to    
reason40 ,that which is done contrary to
 reason is also an act contrary  to     
nature1 to the whole nature1 though it  
is certainly conformable to  some part  
of man's nature1 or it could not be     
done4 ,man is made for  action1 not for 
idleness or pleasure4 ,as plants and    
animals do the uses  of their nature1 so
 man must do his 7,v4 #a74    ,man must 
also live conformably to the universal  
nature1 conformably to  the nature of   
all things of which he is one2 and as a 
citizen of a  political community he    
must direct his life and actions with   
reference  to those among whom1 and for 
whom1 among other purposes1 he lives4 ,a
  man must not retire into solitude and 
cut himself off from his  fellow-men4   
,he must be ever active to do his part  
in the great whole4  ,all men are his   
kin1 not only in blood1 but still more  
by participating  in the same           

intelligence and by being a portion of  
the same divinity4 ,a  man cannot really
 be injured by his brethren1 for no act 
of theirs can  make him bad1 and he must
 not be angry with them nor hate them3  
8,for we  are made for co-operation1    
like feet1 like hands1 like eyelids1    
like  the rows of the upper and lower   
teeth4 ,to act against one another then 
is contrary to nature2 and it is acting 
against one another to be vexed  and to 
turn away0 7,,ii4 #a74    ,further he   
says3 8,take pleasure in one thing1 and 
rest in it in passing  from one social  
act to another social act1 thinking of  
,god0 7,,vi4 #g74  ,again3 8,love       
mankind4 ,follow ,god0 7,,vi4 #ca74 ,it 
is the characteristic of  the rational  
soul for a man to love his neighbor     
7,,xi4 #a74 ,antoninus  teaches in      
various passages the forgiveness of     
injuries1 and we know  that he also     
practiced what he taught4 ,bishop       
,butler remarks that 8this  divine      
precept to forgive injuries and to love 

our enemies1 though to  be met with in  
,gentile moralists1 yet is in a peculiar
 sense a precept  of ,christianity1 as  
our ,saviour has insisted more upon it  
than on any  other single virtue40 ,the 
practise of this precept is the most    
difficult of all virtues4 ,antoninus    
often enforces it and gives us aid      
towards following it4 ,when we are      
injured1 we feel anger and  resentment1 
and the feeling is natural1 just1 and   
useful for the  conservation of society4
 ,it is useful that wrong-doers should  
feel the  natural consequences of their 
actions1 among which is the             
disapprobation of society and the       
resentment of him who is wronged4 ,but  
revenge1 in the proper sense of that    
word1 must not be practiced4 8,the  best
 way of avenging thyself10 says the     
emperor1 8is not to become  like1 the   
wrongdoer40 ,it is plain by this that he
 does not mean that we  should in any   
case practise revenge2 but he says to   
those who talk of  revenging wrongs1    

8,be not like him who has done the      
wrong4 ,when a man  has done thee any   
wrong1 immediately consider with what   
opinion about  good or evil he has done 
wrong4 ,for when thou hast seen this1   
thou wilt  pity him1 and wilt neither   
wonder nor be angry0 7,,vii4 #bf74      
,antoninus  would not deny that wrong   
naturally produces the feeling of anger 
and  resentment1 for this is implied in 
the recommendation to reflect on the    
nature of the man's mind who has done   
the wrong1 and then you will have  pity 
instead of resentment2 and so it comes  
to the same as ,st4 ,paul's  advice to  
be angry and sin not2 which1 as ,butler 
well explains it1 is  not a             
recommendation to be angry1 which nobody
 needs1 for anger is a  natural passion1
 but it is a warning against allowing   
anger to lead us  into sin4 ,in short   
the emperor's doctrine about wrongful   
acts is this3  wrong-doers do not know  
what good and bad are3 they offend out  
of  ignorance1 and in the sense of the  

,stoics this is true4 ,though this  kind
 of ignorance will never be admitted as 
a legal excuse1 and ought  not to be    
admitted as a full excuse in any way by 
society1 there may be  grievous         
injuries1 such as it is in a man's power
 to forgive without  harm to society2   
and if he forgives because he sees that 
his enemies  know not what they do1 he  
is acting in the spirit of the sublime  
prayer1 8,father1 forgive them1 for they
 know not what they do40    ,the        
emperor's moral philosophy was not a    
feeble1 narrow system1 which  teaches a 
man to look directly to his own         
happiness1 though a man's  happiness or 
tranquillity is indirectly promoted by  
living as he ought  to do4 ,a man must  
live conformably to the universal       
nature1 which  means1 as the emperor    
explains it in many passages1 that a    
man's  actions must be conformable to   
his true relations to all other human   
beings1 both as a citizen of a political
 community and as a member of  the whole

 human family4 ,this implies1 and he    
often expresses it in the  most forcible
 language1 that a man's words and       
action1 so far as they  affect others1  
must be measured by a fixed rule1 which 
is their  consistency with the          
conservation and the interests of the   
particular  society of which he is a    
member1 and of the whole human race4 ,to
 live  conformably to such a rule1 a man
 must use his rational faculties in     
order to discern clearly the            
consequences and full effect of all his 
actions and of the actions of others3 he
 must not live a life of  contemplation 
and reflection only1 though he must     
often retire within  himself to calm and
 purify his soul by thought1 but he must
 mingle in  the work of man and be a    
fellow-laborer for the general good4    
,a man should have an object or purpose 
in life1 that he may direct all  his    
energies to it2 of course a good object 
7,,ii4 #g74 ,he who has not one  object 
or purpose of life1 cannot be one and   

the same all through his  life 7,,xi4   
#ba74 ,bacon has a remark to the same   
effect1 on the best means  of 8reducing 
of the mind unto virtue and good estate2
 which is1 the  electing and propounding
 unto a man's self good and virtuous    
ends of  his life1 such as may be in a  
reasonable sort within his compass to   
attain40 ,he is a happy man who has been
 wise enough to do this when he  was    
young and has had the opportunities2 but
 the emperor seeing well  that a man    
cannot always be so wise in his youth1  
encourages himself to  do it when he    
can1 and not to let life slip away      
before he has begun4  ,he who can       
propose to himself good and virtuous    
ends of life1 and be  true to them1     
cannot fail to live conformably to his  
own interest and  the universal         
interest1 for in the nature of things   
they are one4 ,if a  thing is not good  
for the hive1 it is not good for the bee
 7,,vi4 #ed74    ,one passage may end   
this matter4 8,if the gods have         

determined about me  and about the      
things which must happen to me1 they    
have determined  well1 for it is not    
easy even to imagine a deity without    
forethought2  and as to doing me harm1  
why should they have any desire towards 
that8  ,for what advantage would result 
to them from this or to the whole1      
which is the special object of their    
providence8 ,but if they have not       
determined about me individually1 they  
have certainly determined about  the    
whole at least2 and the things which    
happen by way of sequence in  this      
general arrangement ,i ought to accept  
with pleasure and to be  content with   
them4 ,but if they determine about      
nothing--which it is  wicked to believe1
 or if we do believe it1 let us neither 
sacrifice nor  pray nor swear by them1  
nor do anything else which we do as if  
the gods  were present and lived with   
us2 but if however the gods determine   
about  none of the things which concern 
us1 ,i am able to determine about       

myself1 and ,i can inquire about that   
which is useful2 and that is  useful to 
every man which is conformable to his   
own constitution and  nature4 ,but my   
nature is rational and social2 and my   
city and country1  so far as ,i am      
,antoninus1 is ,rome2 but so far as ,i  
am a man1 it is the  world40    ,it     
would be tedious1 and it is not         
necessary to state the emperor's        
opinions on all the ways in which a man 
may profitably use his  understanding   
towards perfecting himself in practical 
virtue4 ,the  passages to this purpose  
are in all parts of his book1 but as    
they are  in no order or connection1 a  
man must use the book a long time before
  he will find out all that is in it4 ,a
 few words may be added here4 ,if  we   
analyze all other things1 we find how   
insufficient they are for  human life1  
and how truly worthless many of them    
are4 ,virtue alone is  indivisible1 one1
 and perfectly satisfying4 ,the notion  
of ,virtue cannot  be considered vague  

or unsettled1 because a man may find it 
difficult  to explain the notion fully  
to himself1 or to expound it to others  
in  such a way as to prevent cavilling4 
,virtue is a whole1 and no more         
consists of parts than man's            
intelligence does2 and yet we speak of  
various intellectual faculties as a     
convenient way of expressing the        
various powers which man's intellect    
shows by his works4 ,in the same  way we
 may speak of various virtues or parts  
of virtue1 in a practical  sense1 for   
the purpose of showing what particular  
virtues we ought to  practise in order  
to the exercise of the whole of virtue1 
that is1 as  much as man's nature is    
capable of4    ,the prime principle in  
man's constitution is social4 ,the next 
in order  is not to yield to the        
persuasions of the body1 when they are  
not  conformable to the rational        
principle1 which must govern4 ,the third
 is  freedom from error and from        
deception4 8,let then the ruling        

principle  holding fast to these things 
go straight on and it has what is its   
own0  7,,vii4 #ec74 ,the emperor selects
 justice as the virtue which is the     
basis  of all the rest 7,x4 #aa71 and   
this had been said long before his time4
    ,it is true that all people have    
some notion of what is meant by justice 
as a disposition of the mind1 and some  
notion about acting in  conformity to   
this disposition2 but experience shows  
that men's notions  about justice are as
 confused as their actions are          
inconsistent with  the true notion of   
justice4 ,the emperor's notion of       
justice is clear  enough1 but not       
practical enough for all mankind4 8,let 
there be freedom  from perturbations    
with respect to the things which come   
from the  external cause2 and let there 
be justice in the things done by virtue 
of the internal cause1 that is1 let     
there be movement and action            
terminating in this1 in social acts1 for
 this is according to thy  nature0      

7,,ix4 #ca74 ,in another place 7,,ix4   
#a7 he says that 8he who acts  unjustly 
acts impiously10 which follows of course
 from all that he says  in various      
places4 ,he insists on the practice of  
truth as a virtue and  as a means to    
virtue1 which no doubt it is3 for lying 
even in  indifferent things weakens the 
understanding2 and lying maliciously is 
as great a moral offence as a man can be
 guilty of1 viewed both as  showing an  
habitual disposition1 and viewed with   
respect to  consequences4 ,he couples   
the notion of justice with action4 ,a   
man must  not pride himself on having   
some fine notion of justice in his head1
  but he must exhibit his justice in    
act4    ,the ,stoics1 and ,antoninus    
among them1 call some things beautiful  
and  some ugly1 and as they are         
beautiful so they are good1 and as they 
are  ugly so they are evil1 or bad      
7,,ii4 #a74 ,all these things1 good and 
evil1  are in our power1 absolutely some
 of the stricter ,stoics would say2 in  

a manner only1 as those who would not   
depart altogether from common  sense    
would say2 practically they are to a    
great degree in the power of  some      
persons and in some circumstances1 but  
in a small degree only in  other persons
 and in other circumstances4 ,the       
,stoics maintain man's  free will as to 
the things which are in his power2 for  
as to the things  which are out of his  
power1 free will terminating in action  
is of  course excluded by the very terms
 of the expression4 ,i hardly know if   
we can discover exactly ,antoninus'     
notion of the free will of man1 nor  is 
the question worth the inquiry4 ,what he
 does mean and does say is              
intelligible4 ,all the things which are 
not in our power are  indifferent3 they 
are neither good nor bad1 morally4 ,such
 are life1  health1 wealth1 power1      
disease1 poverty1 and death4 ,life and  
death are  all men's portion4 ,health1  
wealth1 power1 disease1 and poverty     
happen  to men1 indifferently to the    

good and to the bad2 to those who live  
according to nature and to those who do 
not4 8,life10 says the emperor1  8is a  
warfare and a stranger's sojourn1 and   
after fame is oblivion0  7,,ii4 #ag74   
,after speaking of those men who have   
disturbed the world and  then died1 and 
of the death of philosophers such as    
,heraclitus1 and  ,democritus1 who was  
destroyed by lice1 and of ,socrates whom
 other lice  7his enemies7 destroyed1 he
 says3 8,what means all this8 ,thou hast
  embarked1 thou hast made the voyage1  
thou art come to shore2 get out4  ,if   
indeed to another life1 there is no want
 of gods1 not even there4  ,but if to a 
state without sensation1 thou wilt cease
 to be held by  pains and pleasures1 and
 to be a slave to the vessel which is as
 much  inferior as that which serves it 
is superior3 for the one is             
intelligence and ,deity2 the other is   
earth and corruption0 7,,iii4 #c74 ,it  
is not death that a man should fear1 but
 he should fear never beginning  to live

 according to nature 7,,xii4 #a74 ,every
 man should live in such a  way as to   
discharge his duty1 and to trouble      
himself about nothing  else4 ,he should 
live such a life that he shall always be
 ready for  death1 and shall depart     
content when the summons comes4 ,for    
what is  death8 8,a cessation of the    
impressions through the senses1 and of  
the  pulling of the strings which move  
the appetites1 and of the discursive    
movements of the thoughts1 and of the   
service to the flesh0 7,,vi4 #bh74      
,death is such as generation is1 a      
mystery of nature 7,,iv4 #e74 ,in       
another  passage 7,,ix4 #c71 the exact  
meaning of which is perhaps doubtful1 he
  speaks of the child which leaves the  
womb1 and so he says the soul at  death 
leaves its envelope4    ,antoninus'     
opinion of a future life is nowhere     
clearly expressed4 ,his  doctrine of the
 nature of the soul of necessity implies
 that it does  not perish absolutely1   
for a portion of the divinity cannot    

perish4 ,the  opinion is at least as old
 as the time of ,epicharmus and         
,euripides2  what comes from earth goes 
back to earth1 and what comes from      
heaven1  the divinity1 returns to him   
who gave it4 ,but ,i find nothing clear 
in  ,antoninus as to the notion of the  
man existing after death so as to be    
conscious of his sameness with that soul
 which occupied his vessel of  clay4 ,he
 seems to be perplexed on this matter1  
and finally to have  rested in this1    
that ,god or the gods will do whatever  
is best1 and  consistent with the       
university of things4    ,nor1 ,i think1
 does he speak conclusively on another  
,stoic doctrine1  which some ,stoics    
practiced1--the anticipating the regular
 course of  nature by a man's own act4  
,the reader will find some passages in  
which  this is touched on1 and he may   
make of them what he can4 ,but there are
  passages in which the emperor         
encourages himself to wait for the end  
patiently and with tranquillity2 and    

certainly it is consistent with  all his
 best teaching that a man should bear   
all that falls to his lot  and do useful
 acts as long as he lives4 ,he should   
not therefore abridge  the time of his  
usefulness by his own act4    ,happiness
 was not the direct object of a ,stoic's
 life4 ,there is no rule  of life       
contained in the precept that a man     
should pursue his own  happiness4 ,many 
men think that they are seeking         
happiness when they are  only seeking   
the gratification of some particular    
passion1 the  strongest that they have4 
,the end of a man is1 as already        
explained1 to  live conformably to      
nature1 and he will thus obtain         
happiness1  tranquillity of mind1 and   
contentment 7,,iii4 #ab2 ,,viii #b74 ,as
 a means of  living conformably to      
nature he must study the four chief     
virtues1 each  of which has its proper  
sphere3 wisdom1 or the knowledge of good
 and  evil2 justice1 or the giving to   
every man his due2 fortitude1 or the    

enduring of labor and pain2 and         
temperance1 which is moderation in all  
things4 ,by thus living conformably to  
nature the ,stoic obtained all  that he 
wished or expected4 ,his reward was in  
his virtuous life1 and he  was satisfied
 with that4    ,epictetus and ,antoninus
 both by precept and example labored to 
improve  themselves and others2 and if  
we discover imperfections in their      
teaching1 we must still honor these     
great men who attempted to show  that   
there is in man's nature and in the     
constitution of things  sufficient      
reason for living a virtuous life4 ,it  
is difficult enough to  live as we ought
 to live1 difficult even for any man to 
live in such a  way as to satisfy       
himself1 if he exercises only in a      
moderate degree  the power of reflecting
 upon and reviewing his own conduct2 and
 if all  men cannot be brought to the   
same opinions in morals and religion1 it
  is at least worth while to give them  
good reasons for as much as they  can be

 persuaded to accept4                   
,,footnotes3       #a ,this passage is  
corrupt1 and the exact meaning is       
uncertain4     #b ,lorium was a villa on
 the coast north of ,rome1 and there    
,antoninus   was brought up1 and he died
 there4 ,this also is corrupt4     #c   
,this is corrupt4     #d ,antoninus here
 uses the word  both in the sense of the
   ,universe and of ,order2 and it is   
difficult to express his meaning4     #e
 ,this is corrupt4     #f ,it appears   
that there is a defect in the text here4
     #g ,the story is told by ,horace in
 his ,satires and by others since1   but
 not better4     #h 8,seen even with the
 eyes40 ,it is supposed that this may be
   explained by the ,stoic doctrine1    
that the universe is a god or living    
being 7,,iv4 #dj71 and that the         
celestial bodies are gods 7,,viii4 #ai74
 ,but   the emperor may mean that we    
know that the gods exist1 as he         
afterwards states it1 because we see    
what they do2 as we know that man   has 

intellectual powers1 because we see what
 he does1 and in no other   way do we   
know it4     #i ,the ,stoics made three 
divisions of philosophy1--,physic1      
,ethic1 and   ,logic 7,,viii4 #ac74     
,this division1 we are told by          
,diogenes1 was made by   ,zeno of       
,citium1 the founder of the ,stoic sect1
 and by ,chrysippus2 but   these        
philosophers placed the three divisions 
in the following   order1--,logic1      
,physic1 ,ethic4 ,it appears1 however1  
that this division   was made before    
,zeno's time1 and acknowledged by       
,plato1 as ,cicero   remarks4 ,logic is 
not synonymous with our term ,logic in  
the narrower   sense of that word4      
,cleanthes1 a ,stoic1 subdivided the    
three divisions1 and made               
six1--,dialectic and ,rhetoric1         
comprised in ,logic2 ,ethic and         
,politic2      ,physic and ,theology4   
,this division was merely for practical 
use1      for all ,philosophy is one4   
,even among the earliest ,stoics ,logic1

 or      ,dialectic1 does not occupy the
 same place as in ,plato3 it is         
considered only as an instrument which  
is to be used for the other             
divisions of ,philosophy4 ,an exposition
 of the earlier ,stoic      doctrines   
and of their modifications would require
 a volume4 ,my      object is to explain
 only the opinions of ,antoninus1 so far
 as they      can be collected from his 
book4      ,according to the subdivision
 of ,cleanthes1 ,physic and ,theology go
      together1 or the study of the     
nature of ,things1 and the study of     
the nature of the ,deity1 so far as man 
can understand the ,deity1      and of  
his government of the universe4 ,this   
division or subdivision      is not     
formally adopted by ,antoninus1 for1 as 
already observed1      there is no      
method in his book2 but it is virtually 
contained in      it4      ,cleanthes   
also connects ,ethic and ,politic1 or   
the study of the      principles of     
morals and the study of the constitution

 of civil      society2 and undoubtedly 
he did well in subdividing ,ethic into  
two      parts1 ,ethic in the narrower  
sense and ,politic2 for though the two  
are intimately connected1 they are also 
very distinct1 and many      questions  
can only be properly discussed by       
carefully observing the                 
distinction4 ,antoninus does not treat  
of ,politic4 ,his subject is            
,ethic1 and ,ethic in its practical     
application to his own conduct in       
life as a man and as a governor4 ,his   
,ethic is founded on his      doctrines 
about man's nature1 the ,universal      
,nature1 and the      relation of every 
man to everything else4 ,it is therefore
      intimately and inseparably        
connected with ,physic1 or the nature of
      ,things1 and with ,theology1 or   
the ,nature of the ,deity4 ,he advises  
us to examine well all the impressions  
on our minds and to form a      right   
judgment of them1 to make just          
conclusions1 and to inquire      into   

the meaning of words1 and so far to     
apply ,dialectic2 but he      has no    
attempt at any exposition of ,dialectic1
 and his philosophy      is in substance
 purely moral and practical4 ,he says1  
8,constantly      and1 if it be         
possible1 on the occasion of every      
,impression on the      soul1 apply to  
it the principles of ,physic1 of ,ethic1
 and of      ,dialectic03 which is only 
another way of telling us to examine the
      impression in every possible way4 
,in another passage 7,,iii4 #aa7 he     
says1 8,to the aids which have been     
mentioned1 let this one still be        
added3 make for thyself a definition or 
description of the object      which is 
presented to thee1 so as to see         
distinctly what kind of a      thing it 
is in its substance1 in its nudity1 in  
its complete      entirety1 and tell    
thyself its proper name1 and the names  
of the      things of which it has been 
compounded1 and into which it will be   
resolved40 ,such an examination implies 

a use of ,dialectic1 which              
,antoninus accordingly employed as a    
means towards establishing his          
,physical1 ,theological1 and ,ethical   
principles4