Epictetus · Complete work
Chapter 7
Chapter 7 of 53. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Ancient Greek
[7.1] καθάπερ ἐν πλῷ τοῦ πλοίου καθορμισθέντος εἰ ἐξέλθοις ὑδρεύσασθαι, ὁδοῦ μὲν πάρεργον καὶ κοχλίδιον ἀναλέξῃ καὶ βολβάριον, τετάσθαι δὲ δεῖ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπὶ τὸ πλοῖον καὶ συνεχῶς ἐπιστρέφεσθαι, μή ποτε ὁ κυβερνήτης καλέσῃ, κἂν καλέσῃ, πάντα ἐκεῖνα ἀφιέναι, ἵνα μὴ δεδεμένος ἐμβληθῇς ὡς τὰ πρόβατα· οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ βίῳ, ἐὰν διδῶται ἀντὶ βολβαρίου καὶ κοχλιδίου γυναικάριον καὶ παιδίον, οὐδὲν κωλύσει· ἐὰν δὲ ὁ κυβερνήτης καλέσῃ, τρέχε ἐπὶ τὸ πλοῖον ἀφεὶς ἐκεῖνα ἅπαντα μηδὲ ἐπιστρεφόμενος. ἐὰν δὲ γέρων ᾖς, μηδὲ ἀπαλλαγῇς ποτε τοῦ πλοίου μακράν, μή ποτε καλοῦντος ἐλλίπῃς.
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from all 53 Ancient Greek chapters and 105 sections for fidelity, Stoic precision, clarity, structure, and cadence.
[7.1] When a ship lies at anchor on a voyage and you go ashore for water, you may pick up a little shellfish or a bulb along the way; but your mind must remain fixed on the ship, and you must keep looking back, lest the captain call. And if he calls, you must leave all those things behind, so that you are not thrown aboard bound like a sheep. So it is in life as well: if, instead of a bulb and a shellfish, you are given a wife and child, nothing prevents you from accepting them. But if the captain calls, run to the ship, leaving all those things behind without even looking back. And if you are old, never stray far from the ship, lest you fail to answer when he calls.
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from all 53 Ancient Greek chapters and 105 sections.
[7.1] When a ship has anchored during a voyage and you go ashore to fetch water, you may pick up a little shellfish or a bulb along the way, but your attention must remain fixed on the ship, and you must keep looking back in case the helmsman calls. If he calls, you must leave all those things behind so that you are not tied up and thrown aboard like the sheep. In the same way, in life, if instead of a bulb or a little shellfish you are given a wife and a child, nothing prevents you from having them. But if the helmsman calls, run to the ship, leaving all those things behind without even looking back. And if you are old, never go far from the ship, so that when he calls you will not fail to appear.