Thoughts on VS14 and source in Vatican manuscript

γεγόναμεν ἅπαξ, δὶς δὲ οὐκ ἔστι γενέσθαι· δεῖ δὲ τὸν αἰῶνα μηκέτι εἶναι· σὺ δὲ οὐκ ὢν τῆς αὔριον κύριος ἀναβάλλῃ τὸ χαῖρον· ὁ δὲ βίος μελλησμῷ παραπόλλυται καὶ εἷς ἕκαστος ἡμῶν ἀσχολούμενος ἀποθνῄσκει.

"Γεγόναμεν ἅπαξ." (Gegónamen hápax) We are born once and only once. Let that sink in. This life we have is the only life we will have. Make it personal: This life I am living right now is the only life I will have. This moment only happens once. What will I do with it? How shall I spend this precious, unique life?

Παραπόλλυται (Parapóllutai) refers to something "ruined undeservedly." Our precious life deserves to be lived! If we are constantly putting off and delaying living, experiencing, loving life, we ruin and squander this life and it does not deserve that. You would ruin your life undeservedly. You deserve better than that.

From Attalus: Johannes Stobaeus, Anthology, XVI.28: From Epicurus: "We are born once and there can be no second birth. For all eternity we shall no longer be. But you, although you are not master of tomorrow, are postponing your happiness. We waste away our lives in delaying, and each of us dies without having enjoyed leisure." {= Usener 204}

μελλ-ησμός, ὁ,

A procrastination, indecision of character, Epicur.Sent.Vat.14, D.H. 7.17, Gal.1.576, Paus.4.21.4.

II approach, threatening, of disease, Aret.SD1.11.

The Vat.gr.1950 manuscript text reads:

DigiVatLib

402r

The typical transcription reads:

γεγόναμεν ἅπαξ, δὶς δὲ οὐκ ἔστι γενέσθαι· δεῖ δὲ τὸν αἰῶνα μηκέτι εἶναι· σὺ δὲ οὐκ ὢν τῆς αὔριον κύριος ἀναβάλλῃ τὸ χαῖρον· ὁ δὲ βίος μελλησμῷ παραπόλλυται καὶ εἷς ἕκαστος ἡμῶν ἀσχολούμενος ἀποθνῄσκει.

However, look at the VERY beginning of the saying. There is a large red capital epsilon: Ε' γεγοναμεν αμαξ... that doesn't appear in the regular rendering of that line. Bailey makes no note of the capital epsilon. This makes it clear each of these will have to be examined more closely.

Quote from Kalosyni

Quote from Don

But you, although you are not master of tomorrow, are postponing your happiness. We waste away our lives in delaying, and each of us dies without having enjoyed leisure." {= Usener 204}

Instead of "without having enjoyed leisure" for the last line....perhaps: "without having enjoyed living".

Don ?

That's really not an option, unless you widen what you mean by living. The word is ἀσχολούμενος and comes from α a "not/un-" + σχολή:

• leisure, free time
• rest
• that in which leisure time is spent, especially lecture, disputation, discussion
• philosophy
• place where lectures were given, school, lecture hall

So a more exact translation is "not having taken advantage of leisure time in studying philosophy"