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 who all soul 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 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 toward 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
are, 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 being 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.
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 experienced 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 rounds 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. 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 be get and 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 thou 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 be not 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 mayst say, come quick, o death,
lest perchance I too should forget myself. He who does wrong does wrong
against himself. He who acts unjustly acts unjustly to himself, because he makes
himself bad. He often acts unjustly who does not do a certain thing,
not only he who does a certain thing. Thy present opinion found it on
understanding, and thy present conduct directed to social good, and thy present disposition
of contentment with everything which happens. That is enough wipe out imagination, check
desire, extinguish appetite, keep the ruling faculty in its own power. 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 earthly 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, 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 earthly turns toward 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 it is more ready to mingle with and to be refused 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, or 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 than will one
find anything earthy which comes in contact with no earthy thing than a man altogether
separated from other men. Both man and God and the universe produce fruit at
the proper seasons each produces it. But 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. 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 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. 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. 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.
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, 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. For the stone
which has been thrown up, it is no evil to come down, nor
indeed any good to have been carried up 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. All things are changing, and thou thyself art
in continuous mutation, and in a manner, in continuous destruction, and the
whole universe too. It is thy duty to leave another man's wrongful act there
where it is 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 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. As thou findest many other differences and changes in 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. Hasten to examine thy own ruling faculty, and that of the universe,
and that of thy neighbor. Thy own, that thou mayest make it
just, and that of the universe, that thou mayest remember of what thou
art apart, and that of thy neighbor, that thou mayst know whether he
has acted ignorantly or with knowledge, And that thou mayest also consider that his
ruling faculty is akin to thine. Hast thou art thyself 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 won, and 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, quarrels of little children and their sports, and poor spirits
caring 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. 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. 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.
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 to aid them in all ways, by dreams, by signs,
towards the attainment of those things on which they set a value. 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. 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. 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 are drivelers. 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 anyone 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 and Philerum.
They themselves shall judge whether they discovered what the common nature required, and train
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. Look down from above on the countless
herds of men and their countless solemnities, and the infinity varied voyagings into 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. Let there be freedom from
perturbations with speck 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. 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, 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. 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 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 done to
such 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. 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,
and 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, Enough of this wretched life and murmurings 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 toward 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. If any
man has done wrong, the harm is his own. But perhaps he has
not done wrong either. All things proceed from one intelligence 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 debt, art thou corrupted? Art Thou
playing the hypocrite, art thou become a beast? Dost thou heard and feed
with the rest. 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 cooperate with men, they can cooperate 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 hast 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? An thou wilt see one man praise
thus, how shall I be able to lie with that woman? Do thou
praise thus? How shall I not desire to lie with her? Another praise?
Thus? How shall I be released from this another praise? 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 turn? Turn thy prayers this way and see what comes?
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 well, 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. 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 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 toward every one individually. It is useful to
perceive this too immediately when the occasion arises that 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
thy 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 hast 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 amaze that he has erred. But most of all,
when thou blamest him as a father or ungrateful, turn 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 a way as to
have received from thy very act all a prophet. For what more dost thou
want when thou hast done a man of service? Art thou not content that
thou hast done something comfortable 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.