1. He who acts unjustly acts impiously. For since the universal nature
has made rational animals for the sake of one another to help one
another according to their deserts, but in no way to injure one
another, he who transgresses her will is clearly guilty of impiety
towards the highest divinity. And he too who lies is guilty of impiety
to the same divinity; for the universal nature is the nature of things
that are; and things that are have a relation to all things that come
into existence. And further, this universal nature is named truth, and
is the prime cause of all things that are true. He then who lies
intentionally is guilty of impiety inasmuch as he acts unjustly by
deceiving; and he also who lies unintentionally, inasmuch as he is at
variance with the universal nature, and inasmuch as he disturbs the
order by fighting against the nature of the world; for he fights
against it, who is moved of himself to that which is contrary to truth,
for he had received powers from nature through the neglect of which he
is not able now to distinguish falsehood from truth. And indeed he who
pursues pleasure as good, and avoids pain as evil, is guilty of
impiety. For of necessity such a man must often find fault with the
universal nature, alleging that it assigns things to the bad and the
good contrary to their deserts, because frequently the bad are in the
enjoyment of pleasure and possess the things which procure pleasure,
but the good have pain for their share and the things which cause pain.
And further, he who is afraid of pain will sometimes also be afraid of
some of the things which will happen in the world, and even this is
impiety. And he who pursues pleasure will not abstain from injustice,
and this is plainly impiety. Now with respect to the things towards
which the universal nature is equally affected,—for it would not have
made both, unless it was equally affected towards both,—towards these
they who wish to follow nature should be of the same mind with it, and
equally affected. With respect to pain, then, and pleasure, or death
and life, or honor and dishonor, which the universal nature employs
equally, whoever is not equally affected is manifestly acting
impiously. And I say that the universal nature employs them equally,
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 Providence, according to which it moved
from a certain beginning to this ordering of things, having conceived
certain principles of the things which were to be, and having
determined powers productive of beings and of changes and of such like
successions (VII. 75).
2. It would be a man’s happiest lot to depart from mankind without
having had any taste of lying and hypocrisy and luxury and pride.
However, to breathe out one’s life when a man has had enough of these
things is the next best voyage, as the saying is. Hast thou determined
to abide with vice, and has not experience yet induced thee to fly from
this pestilence? For the destruction of the understanding is a
pestilence, much more indeed than any such corruption and change of
this atmosphere which surrounds us. For this corruption is a pestilence
of animals so far as they are animals; but the other is a pestilence of
men so far as they are men.
3. Do not despise death, but be well content with it, since this too is
one of those things which nature wills. For such as it is to be young
and to grow old, and to increase and to reach maturity, and to have
teeth and beard and gray hairs, and to beget and to be pregnant and to
bring forth, and all the other natural operations which the seasons of
thy life bring, such also is dissolution. This, then, is consistent
with the character of a reflecting man,—to be neither careless nor
impatient nor contemptuous with respect to death, but to wait for it as
one of the operations of nature. As thou now waitest for the time when
the child shall come out of thy wife’s womb, so be ready for the time
when thy soul shall fall out of this envelope. But if thou requirest
also a vulgar kind of comfort which shall reach thy heart, thou wilt be
made best reconciled to death by observing the objects from which thou
art going to be removed, and the morals of those with whom thy soul
will no longer be mingled. For it is no way right to be offended with
men, but it is thy duty to care for them and to bear with them gently;
and yet to remember that thy departure will not be from men who have
the same principles as thyself. For this is the only thing, if there be
any, which could draw us the contrary way and attach us to life,—to be
permitted to live with those who have the same principles as ourselves.
But now thou seest how great is the trouble arising from the
discordance of those who live together, so that thou mayest say, Come
quick, O death, lest perchance I, too, should forget myself.
4. He who does wrong does wrong against himself. He who acts unjustly
acts unjustly to himself, because he makes himself bad.
5. He often acts unjustly who does not do a certain thing; not only he
who does a certain thing.
6. Thy present opinion founded on understanding, and thy present
conduct directed to social good, and thy present disposition of
contentment with everything which happens—that is enough.
7. Wipe out imagination: check desire: extinguish appetite: keep the
ruling faculty in its own power.
8. Among the animals which have not reason one life is distributed; but
among reasonable animals one intelligent soul is distributed: just as
there is one earth of all things which are of an earthy nature, and we
see by one light, and breathe one air, all of us that have the faculty
of vision and all that have life.
9. All things which participate in anything which is common to them all
move towards that which is of the same kind with themselves. Everything
which is earthy turns towards the earth, everything which is liquid
flows together, and everything which is of an aerial kind does the
same, so that they require something to keep them asunder, and the
application of force. Fire indeed moves upwards on account of the
elemental fire, but it is so ready to be kindled together with all the
fire which is here, that even every substance which is somewhat dry is
easily ignited, because there is less mingled with it of that which is
a hindrance to ignition. Accordingly, then, everything also which
participates in the common intelligent nature moves in like manner
towards that which is of the same kind with itself, or moves even more.
For so much as it is superior in comparison with all other things, in
the same degree also is it more ready to mingle with and to be fused
with that which is akin to it. Accordingly among animals devoid of
reason we find swarms of bees, and herds of cattle, and the nurture of
young birds, and in a manner, loves; for even in animals there are
souls, and that power which brings them together is seen to exert
itself in the superior degree, and in such a way as never has been
observed in plants nor in stones nor in trees. But in rational animals
there are political communities and friendships, and families and
meetings of people; and in wars, treaties, and armistices. But in the
things which are still superior, even though they are separated from
one another, unity in a manner exists, as in the stars. Thus the ascent
to the higher degree is able to produce a sympathy even in things which
are separated. See, then, what now takes place; for only intelligent
animals have now forgotten this mutual desire and inclination, and in
them alone the property of flowing together is not seen. But still,
though men strive to avoid [this union], they are caught and held by
it, for their nature is too strong for them; and thou wilt see what I
say, if thou only observest. Sooner, then, will one find anything
earthy which comes in contact with no earthy thing, than a man
altogether separated from other men.
10. Both man and God and the universe produce fruit; at the proper
seasons each produces it. But and if usage has especially fixed these
terms to the vine and like things, this is nothing. Reason produces
fruit both for all and for itself, and there are produced from it other
things of the same kind as reason itself.
11. If thou art able, correct by teaching those who do wrong; but if
thou canst not, remember that indulgence is given to thee for this
purpose. And the gods, too, are indulgent to such persons; and for some
purposes they even help them to get health, wealth, reputation; so kind
they are. And it is in thy power also; or say, who hinders thee?
12. Labor not as one who is wretched, nor yet as one who would be
pitied or admired: but direct thy will to one thing only,—to put
thyself in motion and to check thyself, as the social reason requires.
13. To-day I have got out of all trouble, or rather I have cast out all
trouble, for it was not outside, but within and in my opinions.
14. All things are the same, familiar in experience, and ephemeral in
time, and worthless in the matter. Everything now is just as it was in
the time of those whom we have buried.
15. Things stand outside of us, themselves by themselves, neither
knowing aught of themselves, nor expressing any judgment. What is it,
then, which does judge about them? The ruling faculty.
16. Not in passivity but in activity lie the evil and the good of the
rational social animal, just as his virtue and his vice lie not in
passivity but in activity.
17. For the stone which has been thrown up it is no evil to come down,
nor indeed any good to have been carried up (VIII. 20).
18. Penetrate inwards into men’s leading principles, and thou wilt see
what judges thou art afraid of, and what kind of judges they are of
themselves.
19. All things are changing: and thou thyself art in continuous
mutation and in a manner in continuous destruction, and the whole
universe too.
20. It is thy duty to leave another man’s wrongful act there where it
is (VII. 29; IX. 38).
21. Termination of activity, cessation from movement and opinion, and
in a sense their death, is no evil. Turn thy thoughts now to the
consideration of thy life, thy life as a child, as a youth, thy
manhood, thy old age, for in these also every change was a death. Is
this anything to fear? Turn thy thoughts now to thy life under thy
grandfather, then to thy life under thy mother, then to thy life under
thy father; and as thou findest many other differences and changes and
terminations, ask thyself, Is this anything to fear? In like manner,
then, neither are the termination and cessation and change of thy whole
life a thing to be afraid of.
22. Hasten [to examine] thy own ruling faculty and that of the universe
and that of thy neighbor: thy own that thou mayst make it just; and
that of the universe, that thou mayst remember of what thou art a part;
and that of thy neighbor, that thou mayst know whether he has acted
ignorantly or with knowledge, and that thou mayst also consider that
his ruling faculty is akin to thine.
23. As thou thyself art a component part of a social system, so let
every act of thine be a component part of social life. Whatever act of
thine then has no reference either immediately or remotely to a social
end, this tears asunder thy life, and does not allow it to be one, and
it is of the nature of a mutiny, just as when in a popular assembly a
man acting by himself stands apart from the general agreement.
24. Quarrels of little children and their sports, and poor spirits
carrying about dead bodies [such is everything]; and so what is
exhibited in the representation of the mansions of the dead strikes our
eyes more clearly.
25. Examine into the quality of the form of an object, and detach it
altogether from its material part, and then contemplate it; then
determine the time, the longest which a thing of this peculiar form is
naturally made to endure.
26. Thou hast endured infinite troubles through not being contented
with thy ruling faculty when it does the things which it is constituted
by nature to do. But enough [of this].
27. When another blames thee or hates thee, or when men say about thee
anything injurious, approach their poor souls, penetrate within, and
see what kind of men they are. Thou wilt discover that there is no
reason to take any trouble that these men may have this or that opinion
about thee. However, thou must be well disposed towards them, for by
nature they are friends. And the gods too aid them in all ways, by
dreams, by signs, towards the attainment of those things on which they
set a value.
28. The periodic movements of the universe are the same, up and down
from age to age. And either the universal intelligence puts itself in
motion for every separate effect, and if this is so, be thou content
with that which is the result of its activity: or it puts itself in
motion once, and everything else comes by way of sequence in a manner;
or indivisible elements are the origin of all things.—In a word, if
there is a god, all is well; and if chance rules, do not thou also be
governed by it (VI. 44; VII. 75).
Soon will the earth cover us all: then the earth, too, will change, and
the things also which result from change will continue to change
forever, and these again forever. For if a man reflects on the changes
and transformations which follow one another like wave after wave and
their rapidity, he will despise everything which is perishable (XII.
21).
29. The universal cause is like a winter torrent: it carries everything
along with it. But how worthless are all these poor people who are
engaged in matters political, and, as they suppose, are playing the
philosopher! All drivellers. Well then, man: do what nature now
requires. Set thyself in motion, if it is in thy power, and do not look
about thee to see if any one will observe it; nor yet expect Plato’s
Republic: but be content if the smallest thing goes on well, and
consider such an event to be no small matter. For who can change men’s
opinions? and without a change of opinions what else is there than the
slavery of men who groan while they pretend to obey? Come now and tell
me of Alexander and Philippus and Demetrius of Phalerum. They
themselves shall judge whether they discovered what the common nature
required, and trained themselves accordingly. But if they acted like
tragedy heroes, no one has condemned me to imitate them. Simple and
modest is the work of philosophy. Draw me not aside to insolence and
pride.
30. Look down from above on the countless herds of men and their
countless solemnities, and the infinitely varied voyagings in storms
and calms, and the differences among those who are born, who live
together, and die. And consider, too, the life lived by others in olden
time, and the life of those who will live after thee, and the life now
lived among barbarous nations, and how many know not even thy name, and
how many will soon forget it, and how they who perhaps now are praising
thee will very soon blame thee, and that neither a posthumous name is
of any value, nor reputation, nor anything else.
31. Let there be freedom from perturbations with respect to the things
which come from the external cause; and let there be justice in the
things done by virtue of the internal cause, that is, let there be
movement and action terminating in this, in social acts, for this is
according to thy nature.
32. Thou canst remove out of the way many useless things among those
which disturb thee, for they lie entirely in thy opinion; and thou wilt
then gain for thyself ample space by comprehending the whole universe
in thy mind, and by contemplating the eternity of time, and observing
the rapid change of every several thing, how short is the time from
birth to dissolution, and the illimitable time before birth as well as
the equally boundless time after dissolution!
33. All that thou seest will quickly perish, and those who have been
spectators of its dissolution will very soon perish too. And he who
dies at the extremest old age will be brought into the same condition
with him who died prematurely.
34. What are these men’s leading principles, and about what kind of
things are they busy, and for what kind of reasons do they love and
honor? Imagine that thou seest their poor souls laid bare. When they
think that they do harm by their blame or good by their praise, what an
idea!
35. Loss is nothing else than change. But the universal nature delights
in change, and in obedience to her all things are now done well, and
from eternity have been done in like form, and will be such to time
without end. What, then, dost thou say,—that all things have been and
all things always will be bad, and that no power has ever been found in
so many gods to rectify these things, but the world has been condemned
to be bound in never ceasing evil (IV. 45; VII. 88)?
36. The rottenness of the matter which is the foundation of everything:
water, dust, bones, filth: or again, marble rocks, the callosities of
the earth; and gold and silver, the sediments; and garments, only bits
of hair; and purple dye, blood; and everything else is of the same
kind. And that which is of the nature of breath is also another thing
of the same kind, changing from this to that.
37. Enough of this wretched life and murmuring and apish tricks. Why
art thou disturbed? What is there new in this? What unsettles thee? Is
it the form of the thing? Look at it. Or is it the matter? Look at it.
But besides these there is nothing. Towards the gods then, now become
at last more simple and better. It is the same whether we examine these
things for a hundred years or three.
38. If any man has done wrong, the harm is his own. But perhaps he has
not done wrong.
39. Either all things proceed from one intelligent source and come
together as in one body, and the part ought not to find fault with what
is done for the benefit of the whole; or there are only atoms, and
nothing else than mixture and dispersion. Why, then, art thou
disturbed? Say to the ruling faculty, Art thou dead, art thou
corrupted, art thou playing the hypocrite, art thou become a beast,
dost thou herd and feed with the rest?
40. Either the gods have no power or they have power. If, then, they
have no power, why dost thou pray to them? But if they have power, why
dost thou not pray for them to give thee the faculty of not fearing any
of the things which thou fearest, or of not desiring any of the things
which thou desirest, or not being pained at anything, rather than pray
that any of these things should not happen or happen? for certainly if
they can co-operate with men, they can co-operate for these purposes.
But perhaps thou wilt say the gods have placed them in thy power. Well,
then, 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 power? And who
has told thee that the gods do not aid us even in the things which are
in our power? Begin, then, to pray for such things, and thou wilt see.
One man prays thus: How shall I be able to lie with that woman? Do thou
pray thus: How shall I not desire to lie with her? Another prays thus:
How shall I be released from this? Another prays: How shall I not
desire to be released? Another thus: How shall I not lose my little
son? Thou thus: How shall I not be afraid to lose him? In fine, turn
thy prayers this way, and see what comes.
41. Epicurus says, In my sickness my conversation was not about my
bodily sufferings, nor, says he, did I talk on such subjects to those
who visited me; but I continued to discourse on the nature of things as
before, keeping to this main point, how the mind, while participating
in such movements as go on in the poor flesh, shall be free from
perturbations and maintain its proper good. Nor did I, he says, give
the physicians an opportunity of putting on solemn looks, as if they
were doing something great, but my life went on well and happily. Do,
then, the same that he did both in sickness, if thou art sick, and in
any other circumstances; for never to desert philosophy in any events
that may befall us, nor to hold trifling talk either with an ignorant
man or with one unacquainted with nature, is a principle of all schools
of philosophy; but to be intent only on that which thou art now doing
and on the instrument by which thou dost it.
42. When thou art offended with any man’s shameless conduct,
immediately ask thyself, Is it possible, then, that shameless men
should not be in the world? It is not possible. Do not, then, require
what is impossible. For this man also is one of those shameless men who
must of necessity be in the world. Let the same considerations be
present to thy mind in the case of the knave, and the faithless man,
and of every man who does wrong in any way. For at the same time that
thou dost remind thyself that it is impossible that such kind of men
should not exist, thou wilt become more kindly disposed towards every
one individually. It is useful to perceive this, too, immediately when
the occasion arises, what virtue nature has given to man to oppose to
every wrongful act. For she has given to man, as an antidote against
the stupid man, mildness, and against another kind of man some other
power. And in all cases it is possible for thee to correct by teaching
the man who is gone astray; for every man who errs misses his object
and is gone astray. Besides, wherein hast thou been injured? For thou
wilt find that no one among those against whom thou art irritated has
done anything by which thy mind could be made worse; but that which is
evil to thee and harmful has its foundation only in the mind. And what
harm is done or what is there strange, if the man who has not been
instructed does the acts of an uninstructed man? Consider whether thou
shouldst not rather blame thyself, because thou didst not expect such a
man to err in such a way. For thou hadst means given thee by thy reason
to suppose that it was likely that he would commit this error, and yet
thou hast forgotten and art amazed that he has erred. But most of all
when thou blamest a man as faithless or ungrateful, turn to thyself.
For the fault is manifestly thy own, whether thou didst trust that a
man who had such a disposition would keep his promise, or when
conferring thy kindness thou didst not confer it absolutely, nor yet in
such way as to have received from thy very act all the profit. For what
more dost thou want when thou hast done a man a service? art thou not
content that thou hast done something comformable to thy nature, and
dost thou seek to be paid for it? just as if the eye demanded a
recompense for seeing, or the feet for walking. For as these members
are formed for a particular purpose, and by working according to their
several constitutions obtain what is their own; so also as man is
formed by nature to acts of benevolence, when he has done anything
benevolent or in any other way conducive to the common interest, he has
acted conformably to his constitution, and he gets what is his own.