You are a little soul carrying around a corpse, as Epictetus used to say.
[Ψυχάριον εἶ βαστάζον νεκρόν, ὡς Ἐπίκτητος ἔλεγεν.]
Epictetus (c. 55-c. 135 AD) Greek (Phrygian) Stoic philosopher [Ἐπίκτητος, Epíktētos]
Discourses, Fragment 26 (Schenkl) (AD 108) [tr. Gill (2013)]
(Source)
The sole source for this fragment is Marcus Aurelius, Meditations [To Himself; Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν], Book 4, ch. 41 (4.41) (AD 161-180). The parallel translations here are from translators of both Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus.
(Source (Greek)). Alternate translations:What art thou, that better and divine part excepted, but as Epictetus said well, a wretched soul, appointed to carry a carcass up and down?
[tr. Casaubon (1634), 4.33]Would you know what you are? Epictetus will tell you that you are a Living Soul, that drags a Carcass about with her.
[tr. Collier (1701)]“Thou art a poor spirit, carrying a dead carcase about with thee,” says Epictetus.
[tr. Hutcheson/Moor (1742)]As to your own being, "It is a living soul, that bears about with it a lifeless carcass," as Epictetus expresses it.
[tr. Graves (1792), 4.33]Thou art a little soul bearing about a corpse, as Epictetus used to say.
[tr. Long (1862)]You are a little soul carrying a dead body, as Epictetus said.
[tr. Long (1890), frag. 176]Epictetus will tell you that you are a living soul, that drags a corpse about with her.
[tr. Collier/Zimmern (1887)]What am I? "A poor soul, laden with a corpse" -- said Epictetus.
[tr. Rendall (1898)]“Thou art a poor soul, saddled with a corpse,” said Epictetus.
[tr. Hutcheson/Chrystal (1902)]You are a little soul, carrying a corpse, as Epictetus used to say.
[tr. Matheson (1916)]Thou art a little soul bearing up a corpse, as Epictetus said.
[tr. Haines (Loeb) (1916)]You are a little soul, carrying around a corpse, as Epictetus used to say.
[tr. Oldfather (Loeb) (1928)]You are a spirit bearing the weight of a dead body, as Epictetus used to say.
[tr. Farquharson (1944)]"A poor soul burdened with a corpse," Epictetus calls you.
[tr. Staniforth (1964)]"You are a little soul carrying a corpse around," as Epictetus used to say.
[tr. Hard (1997 ed.)]“A little wisp of soul carrying a corpse.” -- Epictetus.
[tr. Hays (2003)]You are a soul carrying a corpse, as Epictetus used to say.
[tr. Hammond (2006)]You are a bit of soul carrying around a dead body, as Epictetus used to say.
[tr. Dobbin (2008)]You are a little soul carrying a corpse around, as Epictetus used to say.
[tr. Hard (2011; 2014)]You're a pathetic little soul sustaining a corpse, as Epictetus used to say.
[tr. Waterfield (2012)]
Quotations about:
carcass
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