39.1 Μέτρον κτήσεως τὸ σῶμα ἑκάστῳ, ὡς ὁ ποὺς ὑποδήματος. ἐὰν μὲν ἐπὶ τούτου στῇς, φυλάξεις τὸ μέτρον· ἐὰν δὲ ὑπερβῇς, ὡς κατὰ κρημνοῦ λοιπὸν ἀνάγκη φέρεσθαι· καθάπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὑποδήματος, ἐὰν ὑπὲρ τὸν πόδα ὑπερβῇς, γίνεται κατάχρυσον ὑπόδημα, εἶτα πορφυροῦν, εἶτα κεντητόν· τοῦ γὰρ ἅπαξ ὑπὲρ τὸ μέτρον ὅρος οὐδείς ἐστιν.

    Moderation in Material Possessions

    If you go beyond the appropriate needs of the body you will not be able to stop accumulating.

    μέτρον κτήσεως: “the measure of possessing,” i.e., “the appropriate size of one’s possessions.” Supply ἐστί.

    ὡς ὁ ποὺς: supply μέτρον ἐστί.

    ἐὰν ... στῇς: “if you stand upon this,” i.e., “if you abide by this principle”

    ὡς: “as it were”

    λοιπόν: supply χρόνον, “for the remaining time,” i.e., “in the end,” “inevitably”

    ἐπὶ τοῦ ὑποδήματος: “when it comes to one’s shoes,” (LSJ ἐπί A.I.2.f, + gen. with verbs of perceiving, observing, judging, etc. = “in the case of”)

    τοῦ … τὸ μέτρον: genitive after ὅρος, “of (the thing) once beyond appropriate limit,” i.e., “once you go beyond the appropriate limit.”

    μέτρον, -ου, τό, a measure, moderation

    κτῆσις, -εως, ἡ, possession, property

    ὑπόδημα, -ατος, τό, a sandal, shoe

    ὑπερβαίνω, ὑπερβήσομαι, ὑπερέβην, to go beyond, overstep, transgress

    κρημνός, -οῦ, ὁ, cliff

    καθάπερ, (adv.) just as, as if

    κατάχρυσος, -ον, gilded

    πορφύρεος, -η, -ον, dark red, purple or crimson

    κεντητός, -ή, -όν, embroidered

    ἅπαξ, (adv.) once

    ὅρος,-ου, ὁ, limit

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    Suggested Citation

    Albert Watanabe, Epictetus: Encheiridion. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2020. ISBN: 978-1-947822-13-9.
    https://dcc.dickinson.edu/el/epictetus-encheiridion/chapter-39