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Book I Chapter 49 · I.49.25a.11–I.49.25a.12
Ancient Greek
p. 111025a.11
Διαφέρει δὲ καὶ τούτων· τέχνη μὲν γάρ, ⟨ἂν⟩ ἀπῇ τι μέρος, οὐκ ἂν εἴη ὁλόκληρος οὐδὲ τελεία, ψυχὴ δὲ πᾶσα τελεία ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ πᾶν ζῷον οὐ κομισάμενον τὸ κατὰ φύσιν τέλος ἀτελές ἐστιν.
25a.12
Ἀκούει τοίνυν Νικόλαος τὰ μέρη τῆς ψυχῆς ὡς δυνάμεις τοῦ ἔχοντος· τὸ γὰρ ζῷον καὶ ὅλως τὸ ἔμψυχον τῷ ψυχὴν ἔχειν πολλὰ δύναται, οἷον ζῆν, αἰσθάνεσθαι, κινεῖσθαι, νοεῖν, ὀρέγεσθαι, ὧν πάντων αἰτία καὶ ἀρχὴ ἡ ψυχή. Ταύτας οὖν τὰς δυνάμεις, ἀφ᾽ ὧν λέγεται τὸ ἔμψυχον ταῦτα δρᾶν ἢ πάσχειν, μέρη τῆς ψυχῆς τίθεται ὡς εἴρηται. Οὐδὲν ⟨δὲ⟩ κωλύει αὐτῆς ἀμεροῦς οὔσης μεριστῶς δέχεσθαι τὰς ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς τῶν ἐνεργειῶν ἐνδόσεις.
Stobaeus, Volume I: Book I Chapter 49
p. 111125a.11 · The limit of the analogy with an art
But soul differs from these as well. An art, ⟨if⟩ some part is absent, would not be whole or complete. Every soul, however, is complete, while every living creature that has not attained its natural end is incomplete.1379
25a.12 · Powers of the being that possesses soul
Nicolaus therefore understands the parts of soul as powers of the being that possesses it. For a living creature, and in general anything ensouled, can do many things by possessing soul: live, perceive, move, think, and desire. Soul is the cause and source of all these. Accordingly, as has been said, he posits as parts of soul those powers by which the ensouled being is said to do or undergo these things. ⟨But⟩ nothing prevents the being from receiving in a divided manner the activities imparted by soul, although soul itself is without parts.1380
Socrates
Reading Stobaeus, Volume I · Book I Chapter 49 · I.49.25a.11–I.49.25a.12
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Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.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.
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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.
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