Chapter 2 volume one

1. From my grandfather Villes, I learned about virtue and restraining anger. 2. From my father's fame and memory of him, I have learned humility and courage. 3. From my mother, I have been imbued with the qualities of piety, benevolence, not only abstaining from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts, and a simple way of life far from luxury. 4. From my great-grandfather I learned not to frequent public schools, but to have good teachers at home; 5. From my teacher, I learned not to get involved in any faction in the circus, nor to get involved in the faction in the gladiatorial show; I also learned from him to endure labor, to be ascetic, to do everything myself, not to interfere in other people's affairs and not Qingban rumors and slander.

6. From Diogenatus, I learned not to busy myself with trifles, not to trust the words of sorcerers and wizards, to exorcise ghosts, spirits, and the like; Learned to approach philosophy.I was first Bacchus, then Tandesis, a listener of Marcellus, from whom I learned to write dialogues in my youth, longing for beds and rough furs, and from him I learned everything else that belongs to Greece something learned. 7. From Rustics, I learned that my character needed refinement and discipline, knowing not to stray into the contest of sophistry, not to write speculatively, not to give tedious exhortations, not to show myself disciplined, or to do ostentatious deeds of kindness; learned to avoid flamboyant, well-conceived writing; not to walk indoors in out-clothes, and the like; learned to write letters in a modest style, as Rusticus As Sinui Esther wrote to my mother; and to those who have offended me with words, or have done wrong to me, gladly reconcile with them, as soon as they show a willingness to reconcile; learned to read carefully, not to be content with superficial understandings, not to agree lightly with those who boast; .

8. From Apelonius, I learned the freedom of will and the firmness of purpose; I learned to rely on reason at all times, not on anything else; From him, I also clearly saw a living example who was both firm and flexible, and he was not irritable when he taught others; A man of artistic pride; from him, too, I learned how to be well liked by respectable friends without appearing humble, or turning a blind eye to them. 9. In Sextus, I saw a benevolent temperament, an example of lovingly managing the family and the concept of living in harmony with nature, seeing unpretentious solemnity, carefulness for the benefit of friends, and a respect for ignorance. Tolerance of those who express their opinion without hesitation: he has a power of associating himself with all persons, so that the pleasure of his association outweighs any flattery, and at the same time he is highly respected by those with whom he associates.He had a power of discovering and ordering the necessary principles of life in a wise and systematic manner, he never showed any anger or other passion, he avoided passion altogether and at the same time was gentle and generous, he was able to applaud without instigating, Possess profound knowledge without boasting.

10. From the grammarian Alexander, I learned to avoid nitpicking, not to criticize those who have problems with vulgarity, illiteracy and artificiality in expression, but to deftly discuss the things themselves rather than Lexical way, or other appropriate revelation, to elicit the correct expression that should be used. 11. From Front I learned to observe the envy, hypocrisy, and gossip that exist only in a tyrant, and to know that those of us who are called gentlemen are generally rather devoid of charity. 12. From the Platonist Alexander, I learned that it is not necessary to speak or write to people often but not without necessity, that I have no leisure; obligations of those persons.

13. From Kettles, I learned that when a friend complains, even when he complains unreasonably, he should not be indifferent, but try to calm him down; Said Domitius is the same as Yatrodotus.From him, I also learned to love my children sincerely. 14. From my brother Severus, I learned to love my relatives, to love truth, and to love justice; Tess; from him I received the idea of ​​a government that treats all with the same law, that enforces equality of rights and freedom of speech, and a conception of a monarchy that respects to the greatest extent all the liberties of the governed; I also got from him a consistent and unwavering respect for philosophy, a quality of doing good, being easygoing, expecting good things, and believing that he was loved by his friends; His friends need not guess at his wishes regarding the opinions of those he condemns; they are quite transparent.

15. From Maximus, I have learned to be self-controlled, not to be influenced by anything, to be happy in any environment and disease, to form a sweet and dignified appropriate combination in terms of moral character; to do what is in front of me Things worked without complaint.I noticed that all believed in what they said, and that there was no malice in any of their actions; he never acted strangely or appalled, never hurried, never procrastinated, never confused or frustrated, and he didn't hide his feelings with laughter. Anxiety, on the other hand not fanatical or suspicious.Accustomed to acts of kindness, he was always ready to forgive, to evade all wrongs; he gave the impression of constant improvement rather than consistent justice.I also noticed that no one could think that he despised him, or dared to think that he was a better person than him.He also has a delightful knack for humor.

16. In my father, I saw a gentle temperament, and an unalterable determination in the things he decided after due consideration; he had no pride in things that the world thinks honorable, Love of work, persevering, willing to listen to suggestions for the common good; unwavering in rewards for merit, and possessing a knowledge gained by experience of distinguishing between vigorous and feeble actions.I noticed that all passions for the child were overcome; he saw himself as an equal citizen with any other citizen; Duty, those who were not with him on urgent business, always found him the same to them as ever.I also saw his habit of examining all things that required consideration, and he was persistent, never stopping his inquiry when he was satisfied with the first impression; He does not indulge his tenderness; he is content and happy in all circumstances; he is sensuous and far-sighted without ostentation; he directly resists popular praise and all flattery; He lives within his means, calculates his budget, and patiently bears the reproaches that result from it; he is not superstitious, nor courts men by reward, entertainment, or flattery; in all things he displays a sobriety and firmness, showing Nor is there anything new about any base thought or action.He neither flaunts nor refuses the abundance of life-giving things that fortune offers, so that when he has them he enjoys them without affectation, and when he has them he does not desire them. .No one can say that he is like a sophist, a glib house-slave, or a pedant, but all admit that he is a mature man, a perfect man, unaffected by flattery, able to arrange his own and other people's affairs .Besides that he respected the true philosophers, he did not condemn those who claimed to be philosophers, and at the same time he was not easily influenced by them.He is socially easy going, too, and he makes people feel at ease without any detrimental airs.He has a legitimate concern for his physical health, and he's neither too attached to life nor indifferent (although still a little careless) about his personal image, but he still rarely needs to see a doctor, take medicine, or Supplements.He gladly and without envy opens the way for any special talent, as those who possess eloquence, or knowledge of laws, morals, etc., and he helps them, that each may be famous according to his merit; He always behaved according to the institutions of his country and without affectation.Moreover, he does not like to be constantly changing, but prefers to live in the same place and concentrate on the same thing. After his headache attack is over, he will be refreshed and energetic to do his usual work.His secrets were few, and those few secrets were of business; he showed prudence and economy in the construction of objects of public view and public buildings, and in his endowments to the people, for in these matters In fact, he pays attention to whether these things should be done, rather than paying attention to gaining fame from these things.He does not bathe at inopportune hours, nor spend much time in building a house, nor pay attention to his diet, the material and color of his clothes, or the beauty of his slaves.His clothes generally come from his villa on the seashore at Ronem, from Ranuviam.We all know what he did to the Tuschutian tax collectors who begged his pardon, such was his general attitude.There was nothing to be found in him; he looked at everything separately, as if he had had time enough, without confusion, orderly, energetic, consistent.The record of Socrates applies to him also, that he was able to relinquish and enjoy those things--things that many are too weak to neither relinquish nor enjoy in moderation.And this quality of being strong enough to bear on the one hand and being sober on the other is the mark of a man who has a perfect and invincible soul, just as he did in Maximus's disease. same as shown in .

17. I thank God for my good grandparents, good parents, good sisters, good teachers, good companions, good relatives and friends, and almost everything.I thank the gods for that too: I was not involved in offending either of them.Though I have a disposition which might have led me to do such a thing, yet, by their kindness, no such occasion has happened to put me to this test.Moreover, I thank the gods: I was not raised by my grandfather's concubine at an early age, I protected my youthful beauty, and did not prove my manliness until the right hour, or even slightly delayed the hour; I belonged to a A ruler, a father, who can take all vanity from me, and bring me the knowledge that one can live in a palace without guards, rich food, torches, and statues and that a man has the power to live a life which he desires, without being thereby cheapened in his thoughts and slack in his actions, because he values ​​what must be done for the benefit of the public in a manner favorable to a ruler.I thank the gods for giving me a brother who can alert me with his moral character and delight me with his respect and tenderness; Familiar with rhetoric, poetry, and other learnings, which I might have thoroughly enjoyed if I had seen myself making progress in them; honors, without postponing the expectations they had placed on me (for they were young then) that I would do so later; Seamus, this has given me a clear and firm impression of living according to nature, of a life dependent on the gods and their gifts, help and inspiration, and nothing prevents me from living according to nature at once, yet I still For my own fault, for failing to heed the counsels of the gods (I could almost say their direct directions) and not reach it; my body has been kept out of such a life for so long, and I have never reached Benny The heights of Dictitus or Theodotus, but I was healed after falling into lust; and though I often fell short of the temperament of Lastix, I did not do anything to remorse me; Though my mother did not live her life to the fullest, hers was with me; and I did not feel that I was lacking when I wished to help anyone in need, or on any other occasion. means of doing; but I do not have the same need for myself: what I need from others; I have a very submissive, affectionate, and down-to-earth wife; I have many good teachers to educate my children ; by dreams and other means, I discovered various medicines for hemoptysis and dizziness.... While I had a penchant for philosophy, I did not fall into the hands of any sophists, neither in historical works, nor in syllogisms. time was wasted on the solution of the celestial realm, nor was it absorbed in the inquiry into the phenomena of the kingdom; and all these things called upon the help of the gods and fate.

Written at Quedai of Granois.