Diotimos Library · Greek Antiquity Collection · Bilingual Edition
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On arithmetic · Arith.1–Arith.1a
Ancient Greek
p. 101 Αἰσχύλου ἐκ Προμηθέως
1a [Τοῦ αὐτοῦ Παλαμήδους]
Stobaeus, Volume I: On arithmetic
p. 111 Aeschylus, from Prometheus
They had no certain sign of winter, of blossoming spring, or fruit-bearing summer; they did everything without understanding, until I showed them the rising of the stars and their courses, so difficult to discern, discovering number, foremost of inventions.7
1a [The same author, from Palamedes]
Then I set in order the life of all Greece and her allies, which before was confused and like the life of beasts. First I discovered all-wise number, foremost of inventions. …8
Socrates
Reading Stobaeus, Volume I · On arithmetic · Arith.1–Arith.1a
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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.
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.