Роздуми
Book 8
Tochoosetherightwords.
31.Augustus’scourt:hiswife,hisdaughter,hisgrandsons,hisstepsons,hissister,Agrippa,therelatives,servants,friends,Areius,Maecenas,thedoctors,thesacrificialpriests...thewholecourt,dead.
Andconsidertheothers...notjustthedeathsofindividuals(likethefamilyofthePompeys).
Thatlinetheywriteontombs—"lastsurvivingdescendant."Considertheirancestors’anxiety—thattherebeasuccessor.Butsomeonehastobethelast.There,too,thedeathofawholehouse.
32.Youhavetoassembleyourlifeyourself—actionbyaction.Andbesatisfiedifeachoneachievesitsgoal,asfarasitcan.Noonecankeepthatfromhappening.
—Butthereareexternalobstacles....
Nottobehavingwithjustice,self-control,andgoodsense.
—Well,butperhapstosomemoreconcreteaction.
Butifyouaccepttheobstacleandworkwithwhatyou’regiven,analternativewillpresentitself—anotherpieceofwhatyou’retryingtoassemble.Actionbyaction.
33.Toacceptitwithoutarrogance,toletitgowithindifference.
34.Haveyoueverseenaseveredhandorfoot,oradecapitatedhead,justlyingsomewherefarawayfromthebodyitbelongedto...?That’swhatwedotoourselves—ortryto—whenwerebelagainstwhathappenstous,whenwesegregateourselves.Orwhenwedosomethingselfish.
