16.1 ὅταν κλαίοντα ἴδῃς ἐν πένθει ἢ ἀποδημοῦντος τέκνου ἢ ἀπολωλεκότα τὰ ἑαυτοῦ, πρόσεχε μή σε ἡ φαντασία συναρπάσῃ ὡς ἐν κακοῖς ὄντος αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἐκτός, ἀλλ᾽ εὐθὺς ἔστω πρόχειρον ὅτι «τοῦτον θλίβει οὐ τὸ συμβεβηκός (ἄλλον γὰρ οὐ θλίβει), ἀλλὰ τὸ δόγμα τὸ περὶ τούτου.» μέχρι μέντοι λόγου μὴ ὄκνει συμπεριφέρεσθαι αὐτῷ, κἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, καὶ συνεπιστενάξαι· πρόσεχε μέντοι μὴ καὶ ἔσωθεν στενάξῃς.
notes
Do Not Weep Inwardly
Epictetus advises his students not to let their impressions carry them away in sympathizing with another’s apparent misfortunes. For a discussion of this passage, see Introduction, Philosophy of Epictetus.
ὅταν κλαίοντα ἴδῃς: supply τινα.
ἀποδημοῦντος τέκνου: gen. absolute (G. 589-90; S. 2070) with causal force: “because his child is away from home.”
ἀπολωλεκότα: > ἀπόλλυμι, perf. act. part. acc. masc. sg.; after the genitive absolute in which the child was the subject, Epictetus shifts to the participle construction in the accusative agreeing with the implied τινα.
τὰ ἑαυτοῦ: “his own things (property)”
συναρπάσῃ: > συναρπάζω, 3 sg. aor. act. subj. in clause after a verb of caution (G. 610 and 611b; S. 2220–2221)
ὄντος αὐτοῦ: gen. absolute to be taken together with ὠς; the phrase is in apposition to ἡ φαντασία: “the impression that.”
ἔστω: > εἰμί, 3 sg. pres. act. imper. For the phrase ἔστω πρόχειρον, cf. Ch. 1.5.
τὸ συμβεβηκός: > συμβαίνω, perf. act. part. nom. neut. sg., “what has happened”
μέχρι μέντοι λόγου: “still ... a far as words (go).”
ὄκνει: > ὀκνέω, “to shrink from or be reluctant to” + infin., 2 sg. pres. act. imper.
κἂν οὕτω τύχῃ: “and, if it should transpire in this way,” i.e., “and perhaps.”
στενάξῃς: > στενάζω, 2 sg. aor. act. subj. in a clause after a verb of caution.
vocabulary
κλαίω, κλαύσομαι, ἔκλαυσα, to cry, weep
πένθος, -εος, τό, grief, sorrow
ἀποδημέω, ἀποδημήσω, ἀπεδήμησα, to be away from home
ἀπόλλυμι, ἀπόλεσω or ἀπολῶ, ἀπώλεσα, to lose
προσέχω, προσέξω, προσχήσω, to hold to, turn to; pay attention to, be intent on + dat.; beware + μή + subj.
φαντασία,-ας, ἡ, impression, appearance, perception
συναρπάζω, -άσω, -συνήρπασα, to seize, carry away
ἐκτός, (adv.) outside
πρόχειρος, -ον, at hand, readily accessible
θλίβω, θλίψω, ἔθλιψα, to afflict, oppress, distress
συμβαίνω, συμβήσομαι, συνέβην, to happen, to occur, turn out
δόγμα, -ατος, τό, opinion, belief, judgment, decision; philosophical principle
ὀκνέω, ὀκνήσω, ὤκνησα, to shrink from, hesitate
συμπεριφέρω, συμπεριοίσω, συμπερήνεγκα, to accommodate, go along with
συνεπιστενάξω, συνεπιστενάσω, συνεπιεστέναξα, to groan, weep along with
ἔσωθεν, (adv.) from within, inwardly
στενάξω, στενάσω, ἐστέναξα, to groan, weep