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Facing Pages · Branch 421 of 879
Book I Chapter 41 · I.41.2.3–I.41.2.4
Ancient Greek
p. 8382.3
Οὔτε δὲ τᾷ ὠσίᾳ οἷόν τέ ἐντι μορφῶς μετεῖμεν αὐτᾷ ἐξ αὐτᾶς, οὔτε μὰν τὰν μορφὼ γενέσθαι περὶ τὰν ὠσίαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνάγκα ἁτέραν τινὰ εἶμεν αἰτίαν, τὰν κινάσοισαν τὰν ἐστὼ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπὶ τὰν μορφώ· ταύταν δὲ τὰν πράταν τᾷ δυνάμι καὶ καθυπερτάταν εἶμεν τᾶν ἀλλᾶν· ὀνομάζεσθαι δ᾽ αὐτὰν ποθάκει θεόν· ὥστε τρεῖς ἀρχὰς εἶμεν ἤδη, τόν τε θεὸν καὶ τὰν ἐστὼ τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ τὰν μορφώ. Καὶ τὸν μὲν θεὸν ⟨τὸν⟩ τεχνίταν καὶ τὸν κινέοντα, τὰν δ᾽ ἐστὼ τὰν ὕλαν καὶ τὸ κινεόμενον, τὰν δὲ μορφὼ τὰν τέχναν καὶ ποθ᾽ ἃν κινέεται ὑπὸ τῶ κινέοντος ἁ ἐστώ.
2.4
Ἀλλ᾽ ἐπεὶ τὸ κινεόμενον ἐναντίας ἑαυτῷ δυνάμιας ἴσχει τὰς τῶν ἁπλόων σωμάτων, τὰ δ᾽ ἐναντία συναρμογᾶς τινος δεῖται καὶ ἑνώσιος, ἀνάγκα ἀριθμῶν δυνάμιας καὶ ἀναλογίας καὶ τὰ ἐν ἀριθμοῖς καὶ γαμετρικοῖς δεικνύμενα παραλαμβάνεν, ἃ καὶ συναρμόξαι καὶ ἑνῶσαι τὰν ἐναντιότατα δυνασεῖται ἐν τᾷ ἐστοῖ τῶν πραγμάτων ποττὰν μορφώ. Καθ᾽ αὑτὰν μὲν γὰρ ἔσσα ἁ ἐστὼ ἄμορφός ἐντι, κιναθεῖσα δὲ ποττὰν μορφὼ ἔμμορφος γίνεται καὶ λόγον ἔχοισα τὸν τᾶς συντάξιος.
Stobaeus, Volume I: Book I Chapter 41
p. 8392.3 · The third cause: God
Underlying being cannot partake of form by itself, nor can form on its own come to be in the underlying being. There must instead be some other cause that will move the stuff of things toward form. This cause must be first in power and supreme over the others; it is fitting to call it God. There are therefore now three principles: God, the stuff of things, and form. God is ⟨the⟩ craftsman and mover; the underlying stuff is the matter and what is moved; form is the art and that toward which the mover moves the underlying stuff.1085
2.4 · Proportion unites opposites
But since what is moved contains mutually opposed powers, those of the simple bodies, and opposites require some fitting together and unification, we must bring in the powers of numbers, proportions, and the demonstrations of arithmetic and geometry. These will be able to fit together and unite the opposition in the stuff of things in accordance with form. For the underlying stuff, when left to itself, is formless; but when moved toward form, it becomes formed and possesses the rational structure of its arrangement.1086
Socrates
Reading Stobaeus, Volume I · Book I Chapter 41 · I.41.2.3–I.41.2.4
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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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