Disgraceful: for the soul to give up when the body is still going strong.
~ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 6.29
Somehow this meditation spoke to me today. It was Marcus’s belief that giving up was not part of the deal of living.
As an emperor Marcus Aurelius had one of the longest, but also toughest reigns as the leader of the Roman Empire. To name a few… the emperor he had to deal with:
The Antonine Plague that lasted 15 years and took 5-10 million citizens, 10% of the population (!).
Constant external conflict as more surrounding countries were pushing back the borders of the Roman Empire.
Internal conflict as people inside the capital wanting to grab power.
Losing 9 of his 14 children, leaving an unfit Commodus as his heir.
At the end of the history of Marcus's reign, Cassius Dio wrote an encomium to the emperor, and described the transition to Commodus in his own lifetime with sorrow:
[Marcus] did not meet with the good fortune that he deserved, for he was not strong in body and was involved in a multitude of troubles throughout practically his entire reign. But for my part, I admire him all the more for this very reason, that amid unusual and extraordinary difficulties he both survived himself and preserved the empire. Just one thing prevented him from being completely happy, namely, that after rearing and educating his son in the best possible way he was vastly disappointed in him. This matter must be our next topic; for our history now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust, as affairs did for the Romans of that day.
–Dio lxxi. 36.3–4 [297]
We may not rule an empire, but you have family and friends. How are you doing amid the pandemic, wars and other difficulties thrown your way?
Are you giving up?
Or are you moving forward, making sure you take care of yourself and those around you?
Everywhere that I have read comments on this quote, people focus on the 'don't quit' part and exclude the conditional of the second part 'when the body is still going strong.' Knowing how the Stoics felt about service to mankind and also having a good death, I wonder if Aurelius held the logical inverse to be true, i.e., if the body is not going strong, then it is not disgraceful for the soul to give up. Obviously, Aurelius was, as you mentioned, of questionable constitution, but what mattered was that he was still of use to people. Great use. Even 2000 years later. But if that usefulness to others becomes a burden to self and others, such as through decay of body, then I think Stoics would agree that the solution is on the inside of your wrist. That said, I ask only in contemplation of my own inevitable future.