Thank the gods! Marcus Aurelius 1.17.1-4
The last benefactors on Marcus' list are the gods. Note that he thanks them for events, beneficence, not for motivation or will, benevolence. In the universe he inhabits, the gods preside over what happens beyond our control; their motives are inscrutable. This presents an interesting contrast with Unamuno's take on Kant (Life 1.6). Pagan divinity is material order, including but beyond humanity; Christian divinity, at least in its Lutheran guise, is moral order, projecting outward from humanity. You can hear this passage <here>.
Παρὰ τῶν θεῶν τὸ ἀγαθοὺς πάππους, ἀγαθοὺς γονέας, ἀγαθὴν ἀδελφήν, ἀγαθοὺς διδασκάλους, ἀγαθοὺς οἰκείους, συγγενεῖς, φίλους σχεδὸν ἅπαντας ἔχειν· καὶ ὅτι περὶ οὐδένα αὐτῶν προέπεσον πλημμελῆσαί τι, καίτοι διάθεσιν ἔχων τοιαύτην, ἀφ̓ ἧς, εἰ ἔτυχε, κἂν ἔπραξά τι τοιοῦτο· τῶν θεῶν δὲ εὐποιία τὸ μηδεμίαν συνδρομὴν πραγμάτων γενέσθαι, ἥτις ἔμελλέ με ἐλέγξειν.
καὶ τὸ μὴ ἐπὶ πλέον τραφῆναι παρὰ τῇ παλλακῇ τοῦ πάππου καὶ τὸ τὴν ὥραν διασῶσαι καὶ τὸ μὴ πρὸ ὥρας ἀνδρωθῆναι, ἀλλ̓ ἔτι καὶ ἐπιλαβεῖν τοῦ χρόνου. τὸ ἄρχοντι καὶ πατρὶ ὑποταχθῆναι, ὃς ἔμελλε πάντα τὸν τῦφον ἀφαιρήσειν μου καὶ εἰς ἔννοιαν ἄξειν τοῦ ὅτι δυνατόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐλῇ βιοῦντα μήτε δορυφορήσεων χρῄζειν μήτε ἐσθήτων σημειωδῶν μήτε λαμπάδων καὶ ἀνδριάντων τοιῶνδέ τινων καὶ τοῦ ὁμοίου κόμπου, ἀλλ̓ ἔξεστιν ἐγγυτάτω ἰδιώτου συστέλλειν ἑαυτὸν καὶ μὴ διὰ τοῦτο ταπεινότερον ἢ ῥᾳθυμότερον ἔχειν πρὸς τὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν κοινῶν ἡγεμονικῶς πραχθῆναι δέοντα.
From the gods I received good parents and grandparents, a gentle sister, noble teachers, and a household with capable servants and kin who were almost all friends. Also the blessing of never causing any of them harm or suffering, myself, despite being in a position to do so, if occasion demanded it. The beneficence of the gods was that no ill-fated concourse of events appeared to test my character.
From the gods I received good parents and grandparents, a gentle sister, noble teachers, and a household with capable servants and kin who were almost all friends. Also the blessing of never causing any of them harm or suffering, myself, despite being in a position to do so, if occasion demanded it. The beneficence of the gods was that no ill-fated concourse of events appeared to test my character.
Another blessing: that I was not raised too close to my grandfather's concubine, and was able to save my youth, avoiding early manhood and taking my time. That I was reared by a father who was also a ruler, intent upon clearing all the fog from my eyes and leading me to the realization that it is possible to live at court without guards, fine clothes, torches, slaves, or any of the normal pomp and circumstance. That you can reduce yourself as near as possible to the standing of a private citizen without thereby relinquishing or weakening your contribution toward the government of public affairs.