Expert: Maria - 4/8/2009

Question
Hello,

I have sentence of one of Marcus Aurelius's meditations, and although he wrote them in greek, I would like to have it in Latin. So I was wondering if you would be able to help in this matter?

The quote is;

Seek not external help nor the tranquillity which others give. A man then must stand erect, not be kept erect by others.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Marcus

Answer
Hello,

The English sentence you mention, i.e. "Seek not external help nor the tranquillity which others give. A man then must stand erect, not be kept erect by others", which is  nothing else but  an adaptation of the original Greek  quotation we read in Marcus Aurelius Meditations, Book 3, paragraph 5, can be translated as follows into Latin:

-“Noli externum quaerere  auxilium neu  tranquillitatem quam alii extrinsecus praebere possunt. Vir enim per se erectus stare debet, non aliorum auxilio”.

Anyway the  original Greek  quotation  which in Greek letters sounds as “τὸ ἀπροσδεὲς τῆς ἔξωθεν ὑπηρεσίας καὶ τὸ ἀπροσδεὲς ἡσυχίας, ἣν ἄλλοι παρέχουσιν. ὀρθὸν οὖν εἶναι χρή, οὐχὶ ὀρθούμενον”, while in Latin transliteration is “tò aprosdeès tes éxothen uperesías kai tò aprosdeès esuchías, hèn álloi paréchousin. Orthòn oun einai chré, ouchì orthoúmenon”, must be translated  be as follows:

-“Ne ullum externum  sit auxilium neu tranquillitas quam alii extrinsecus praebere possunt. Ipse  erectus esto, non aliorum auxilio”.

Best regards,
Maria