26.1 τὸ βούλημα τῆς φύσεως καταμαθεῖν ἔστιν ἐξ ὧν οὐ διαφερόμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους. οἷον ὅταν ἄλλου παιδάριον κατάξῃ ποτήριον, πρόχειρον εὐθὺς ὅτι «τῶν γινομένων ἐστίν.» ἴσθι οὖν ὅτι, ὅταν καὶ τὸ σὸν καταγῇ, τοιοῦτον εἶναί σε δεῖ, ὁποῖον ὅτε καὶ τὸ ἄλλου κατεάγη. οὕτω μετατίθει καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ μείζονα. τέκνον ἄλλου τέθνηκεν ἢ γυνή; οὐδείς ἐστιν ὃς οὐκ ἂν εἴποι ὅτι «ἀνθρώπινον.» ἀλλ' ὅταν τὸ αὐτοῦ τινος ἀποθάνῃ, εὐθὺς «οἴμοι» καὶ «τάλας ἐγώ.» ἐχρῆν δὲ μεμνῆσθαι τί πάσχομεν περὶ ἄλλων αὐτὸ ἀκούσαντες.
notes
The Will of Nature
We should realize, as we tell others, that the supposed misfortunes are part of the course of nature.
ἔστιν: “it is possible“
οἷον: “for example”
κατάξῃ: > κατάγνυμι, 3 sg. aor. act. subj.
πρόχειρον εὐθὺς: understand λέγειν: “it is immediately available (to say),” “we all immediately say”
τῶν γινομένων ἐστίν: “it is (one) of the things which happen,” “such things happen”
ἴσθι: > οἶδα, 2 sg. perf. act. imper.
τὸ σὸν: supply ποτήριον.
καταγῇ: > κατάγνυμι, 3 sg. aor. pass. subj.
κατεάγη: > κατάγνυμι, 3 sg. aor. pass. ind.
μετατίθει: > μετατίθημι, 3 sg. pres. act. imper. The καί following μετατίθει = “also.”
μείζονα: comparative adj. > μέγας, acc. neut. pl., used substantively
τέθνηκεν: > θνῄσκω, 3 sg. perf. act. ind.
εἴποι: > λέγω, 3 sg. aor. act. potential opt. (G. 480; S. 1824)
ἀνθρώπινον: supply ἐστί.
τὸ: the article is neut. because it refers back to τέκνον
ἀποθάνῃ: > ἀποθνῄσκω, 3 sg. aor. act. subj. in a temporal clause, equivalent to a pres. general condition.
ἐχρῆν: > χρή, 3sg. impf. act. ind. The imperfect of verbs of obligation may refer to present time and imply that the obligation or duty is not fulfilled (G. 460; S. 1905).
ἀκούσαντες: the participle is temporal, “when we hear.”
vocabulary
βούλημα, -ατος, τό, will, purpose
καταμανθάνω, -μαθήσομαι, -έμαθον, to learn
παιδάριον, -ου, τό, child
ποτήριον, -ου, τό, drinking cup
κατάγνυμι, κατάξω, κατέαξα, to break
πρόχειρος, -ον, at hand, readily accessible
ὁποῖος, -α, -ον, of such a kind
μετατίθημι, μεταθήσω, μετέθηκα, to transfer
ἀνθρώπινος, -η, -ον, human, suited for a human.
οἴμοι, woe is me!
τάλας, τάλαινα, τάλαν, sorry, wretched