DiotimosReading Desk

Diotimos Library · Greek Antiquity Collection · Bilingual Edition

John Stobaeus

Stobaeus, Volume I

Greek with an independent English translation.

Explore the Lexicon
Stobaeus, Volume IBook I Chapter 40 · I.40.1.50–I.40.1.52

Swipe or use the arrow keys.

Ancient Greek Page · Branch 401 of 879

Book I Chapter 40 · I.40.1.50–I.40.1.52

Ancient Greek

p. 798

50

I.40.1.50

Πολλάκις δὲ καὶ συγγενές τι πνεῦμα εὔκρατον ἐν γῇ, παρεξωσθὲν εἰς μυχίους σήραγγας αὐτῆς, ἔξεδρον γενόμενον ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων τόπων, πολλὰ μέρη συνεκράδανε· πολλάκις δὲ πολὺ γενόμενον ἐξωσθὲν ἐν τοῖς ταύτης κοιλώμασι καὶ ἀποκλεισθὲν ἐξόδου μετὰ βίας αὐτὴν συνετίναξε, ζητοῦν ἔξοδον αὐτῷ καὶ ἀπειργάσατο τὸ πάθος τοῦτο, ὃ καλεῖν σεισμοὺς εἰώθαμεν.

51

I.40.1.51

Τῶν δὲ σεισμῶν οἱ μὲν εἰς τὰ πλάγια σείοντες κατ᾽ ὀξείας γωνίας ἐπικλίνται καλοῦνται· οἱ δὲ ἄνω ῥιπτοῦντες καὶ κάτω κατ᾽ ὀρθὰς γωνίας βράσται· οἱ δὲ συνιζήσεις ποιοῦντες καὶ τὰ κοῖλα χασματίαι· οἱ δὲ χάσματα ποιοῦντες καὶ γῆν ἀναρρηγνύντες ῥῆκται. Τούτων δὲ οἱ μὲν καὶ πνεῦμα προσαναβάλλουσιν, οἱ δὲ πέτρας, οἱ δὲ πηλόν, οἱ δὲ πηγὰς φαίνουσι τὰς πρότερον οὐκ οὔσας.

52

I.40.1.52

Τινὲς δὲ ἀποτρέπονται κατὰ μίαν πρόωσιν, οὓς καλοῦσιν ⟨ὤστας· οἱ δὲ ἀναπάλλοντες καὶ ταῖς εἰς ἑκάτερον ἐγκλίσεσι⟩ καὶ ἀποπάλσεσι διορθοῦντες ἀεὶ τὸ σειόμενον παλματίαι λέγονται, τρόμῳ πάθος ὅμοιον ἀπεργαζόμενοι.

798

Stobaeus, Volume I: Book I Chapter 40

p. 799

50 · The cause of earthquakes

I.40.1.50

Often a naturally present, well-tempered wind within the earth, driven aside into its deep passages and displaced from its proper regions, shakes many parts together. Often, too, when it accumulates in great quantity, is driven into the earth’s hollows, and is barred from an outlet, it shakes the earth violently in seeking a way out for itself, producing the disturbance we customarily call earthquakes.1034

51 · Kinds of earthquake

I.40.1.51

Of earthquakes, those that shake sideways at acute angles are called tilting; those that toss up and down at right angles, heaving; those that cause subsidence and hollows, gaping; and those that make clefts and split the earth, rending. Some of these also throw up wind, others rocks, others mud, while others reveal springs that did not exist before.1035

52 · Thrusts and tremors

I.40.1.52

Some turn aside in a single thrust and are called ⟨thrusting; those that toss up and, through inclinations to either side⟩ and rebounds, repeatedly set the shaken object upright are called trembling, producing an effect like a shudder.1036

799

About This Reading Edition

Stobaeus gathered Greek philosophy and poetry for his son Septimius. Volume I presents the dedication testimony, On Arithmetic, Book I through chapter 60, and the ancient contents of all four books. This complete bilingual edition includes an introduction and 2,117 explanatory notes.

Historical Text and Translation

The Greek follows Curt Wachsmuth’s 1884 Volume I, checked against the supplied scan. Gaps, lost-chapter headings, and uncertain attributions remain visible. Chapter 2 includes a labeled proposed reconstruction. The appendix outlines Books I–IV; the full texts of Books II–IV are outside this volume. Reader pages preserve the companion PDF’s numbering.

About Diotimos Editions

Diotimos Editions prepared this independent English translation directly from the Greek. Prose and verse retain their distinct forms, with mixed passages preserving their quoted verse. Every passage is paired with its Greek and identified by the edition’s reference number. All 2,117 notes remain linked to their passages, with continuous numbering across the introduction and text.

Rights

Stobaeus’s ancient Greek work and Wachsmuth’s 1884 printing are in the public domain. The independent English translation, introduction, and explanatory notes are © 2026 Diotimos Editions. The complete supplied edition is available as PDF, EPUB, Word, and Markdown. The PDF retains the fixed page locations used by the companion lexicon.