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Ancient Greek Page · Branch 481 of 879
Book I Chapter 48 · I.48.5.3–I.48.5.4
Ancient Greek
p. 9585.3
Πάντῃ δὲ τὸ αἰσθήσει προσχρώμενον τοῖς ἔξω ἐπιβάλλον θεωρεῖ, οὐχ ἑνούμενον ἐκείνοις ἃ θεωρεῖ, ἀλλὰ μόνον τύπον αὐτῶν ἐκ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὰ προσβολῆς λαμβάνον. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃ ὀφθαλμὸς τὸ ὁρώμενον, ἀμήχανον ἐν ταυτότητι γενέσθαι τοῦ ὁρωμένου· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἴδοι, εἰ μὴ ἐν διαστάσει γένοιτο, ὡσαύτως δὲ κἂν τὸ ἁπτόμενον, ἐν ταυτότητι γενόμενον, φθαρείη. Ἐξ ὧν δῆλον, ὅτι ἀεὶ ἥ τε αἴσθησις καὶ τὸ αἰσθήσει προσχρώμενον εἰς τὸ ἔξω φέρεται, εἰ μέλλει τὸ αἰσθητὸν καταλήψεσθαι.
5.4
Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἡ φαντασία ἀεὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἔξω φέρεται καὶ τῇ τάσει αὐτῆς τὸ εἰκόνισμα παρυφίσταται . . . . ., ἤτοι καὶ παρασκευάζον ἔξωθεν ἢ αὐτῇ τῇ πρὸς τὸ ἔξω τάσει τὴν ὡς ἔξω ὄντος εἰκονίσματος ἐνδεικνύμενον. Καὶ τούτων μὲν κατάληψις τοιαύτη, ὧν οὐδεμία εἰς ἑαυτὴν συννεύουσα καὶ συναγομένη ἐντύχοι ἂν ἢ τῷ αἰσθητῷ ἢ τῷ ἀναισθήτῳ εἴδει·
Stobaeus, Volume I: Book I Chapter 48
p. 9595.3 · Perception requires an external object
In every case, what employs perception contemplates by reaching toward external things. It does not become one with what it contemplates, but receives only their imprint through its encounter with them. Thus, when an eye sees the visible object, it cannot become identical with that object: it could not see unless there were a separation. Likewise, even what touches would be destroyed if it became identical with its object. It is clear from this that perception, and what employs perception, always moves outward if it is to apprehend the perceptible object.1227
5.4 · Imagination and the outward image
Likewise, imagination too always moves outward, and through its extension the image comes into existence alongside it . . . . . , either also producing from outside, or by the very outward extension indicating the imagination of an image as though it were outside.1228 Such is the apprehension of these powers: neither, by turning and gathering into itself, could encounter either a perceptible or an imperceptible form.1229
Socrates
Reading Stobaeus, Volume I · Book I Chapter 48 · I.48.5.3–I.48.5.4
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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.
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.
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