Marcus Aurelius and the Later Stoics - College of Stoic Philosophers

106 MARCUS AURELIUSTOVTO yap d\\orpiov, butthat while they acted according to their nature, he might also keep to his (OTTCO?ra iSia TTOLOVVTWV cw? avrois So/eel, avrbs /JLrj&ev1Kara fyvvw e%ei. For 361 : Eicelva /AOVOV aouSeSorat, o-auroi/ irciom. He is glad, however, to be ablein the more social days of the Koman Empireto havethe figure of Socrates to set up for men s imitation.He is quite aware of the general impression which isleft by Cynical preaching. Kal f iva ^rj So 779, 339 :OTL TrapaSeLj/jia ^eiKWjJLi, dv8po$ airepiaraTov JJ,Y]T yuyaiicTeWa jiYJTC TTctTpiSa ^7 <fuXous rj crvyyevels, v<pwvK. TrepicnracrQai rj&vvaro, XaySe ScofcpaTij K.7. K. Tra&ia e^o^ra, a\\ a>?a\\6rpi,a He ismuch annoyed when on his discountenancing matrimony,the interlocutor inquires: JTw? ovv ert Smcrwcret rrjvKoivcovlav; rov Oeov crot !fjiel^ova 8* evepyerovaiv av-QptoTrovs ol rj$vo rj rpla Kaic6ppvy%aTralBia di>0 avrwveladyovres, rjol etricr/coTrovvTes Trdvras Kara Svva/jiLVdvOp. rl TTOIOVCTW, TTW? Sidyovaiv, rtVo? . . . dfi6\ovcriTrapa TO all this isTrpo<rr)Kov ; very true in a way, butsuch scornful language of pride and isolation seems topartake of that vulgar complacence (KGVOV K. fyopriKov)which he rightly repudiated above.4. It is quite easy to induce in some minds a kind ofascetic morality by dwelling on the squalid side of naturalprocesses, by pitying Hooker very much when he is foundrocking the cradle, by exciting and stimulating a disgust(ready enough to hand in most minds) at the mysteriousunion of the noblest and the most ignoble in human love.Marcus will be found even more emphatic he; analysesphysical passion until nothing remains but the sordid1So to the tyrant, there is no animosity, no reproof ;You must cutoffmy head 1 Very well, you do your part ;I will do mine."