Anachoresis
ἀναχώρησις (anachôrêsis)
The *anachōrēsis* is retreat—but in Marcus Aurelius, a retreat without place: the soul’s withdrawal into itself, wherever one may be. Instead of fleeing the court, the city, or the crowd, one retreats into the inner realm that no one can reach. This retreat is available at any moment and requires no movement.
Nulle part, en effet, l’homme ne peut goûter une retraite plus sereine ni moins troublée que celle qu’il porte au dedans de son âme
The Greek word anachōrēsis refers to the act of withdrawing, of retreating—a term that was first military and geographical before becoming spiritual. Marcus Aurelius inverts its meaning in Book IV: men seek out distant retreats in the countryside, by the sea, in the mountains, when at any hour they could find refuge within themselves. True retreat is not taken in a place but in the soul.
Inner withdrawal is not an escape but a return. One renews oneself there “perpetually,” Marcus Aurelius says, by rediscovering a few brief, steadfast maxims that instantly restore serenity. It is the reverse of vigilance: prosochē keeps the soul on guard in the world’s dealings, while anachōrēsis brings it back to its citadel so it may regain composure—and return “free from all bitterness.”
This should not be confused with Christian monastic anachoresis, from which the word directly derives. The Desert Fathers—the anachoretes—physically leave the city for the Egyptian desert; their retreat is a place, a geographical solitude, a break with the world. Marcus Aurelius’s retreat changes nothing about the body’s location: the emperor remains in the palace, amid affairs. Retreat to the desert ≠ retreat without a place.