Diotimos Library · Greek Antiquity Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Facing Pages · Branch 53 of 879
Book I Chapter 1 · I.1.40a–I.1.40b
Ancient Greek
p. 10240 Ἀρριανοῦ Ἐπικτητείου· περὶ εὐαρεστήσεως (αʹ)
Περὶ θεῶν οἱ μέν τινές εἰσιν οἱ λέγοντες, μηδὲ εἶναι τὸ θεῖον· οἱ δὲ εἶναι μέν, ἀργὸν δὲ καὶ ἀμελὲς καὶ μὴ προνοεῖν μηδενός· τρίτοι δέ, οἱ καὶ εἶναι καὶ προνοεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῶν μεγάλων καὶ οὐρανίων, τῶν δὲ ἐπὶ γῆς μηδενός· τέταρτοι ⟨δὲ⟩ οἱ καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων, εἰς κοινὸν δὲ μόνον καὶ οὐχὶ καὶ κατ’ ἰδίαν ἑκάστου· πέμπτοι δέ, ὧν ἦν καὶ Ὀδυσσεὺς καὶ Σωκράτης, οἱ λέγοντες ὅτι
οὐδέ σε λήθω κινύμενος.40 Ἀρριανοῦ Ἐπικτητείου (βʹ)
Εἴπερ οὖν ὑγιῶς λέγεται τέλος εἶναι τὸ ἕπεσθαι θεῷ, ἀναγκαῖον περὶ ἑκάστου τούτων ἐπεσκέφθαι. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ εἰσὶ θεοί, πῶς ἐστι τέλος ἕπεσθαι θεοῖς; Εἰ δὲ εἰσὶ μέν, μηδενὸς δὲ ἐπιμελούμενοι, καὶ οὕτω πῶς ὑγιὲς ἔσται; Ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ ὄντων καὶ ἐπιμελουμένων, εἰ μηδεμία διάδοσις εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἐστὶν ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ νὴ Δία γε καὶ εἰς ἐμέ, πῶς ἔτι καὶ οὕτως ὑγιὲς ἔσται; Πάντα οὖν ταῦτα ὁ καλὸς κἀγαθὸς ἐπεσκεμμένος τὴν αὑτοῦ γνώμην ὑποτέταχε τῷ διοικοῦντι τὰ πάντα, καθάπερ οἱ ἀγαθοὶ πολῖται τῷ νόμῳ τῆς πόλεως.
Stobaeus, Volume I: Book I Chapter 1
p. 10340 Arrian’s Epictetus: On Contentment (1)
Concerning the gods, some say that the divine does not even exist. Others say it exists but is inactive and indifferent, taking forethought for nothing. A third group says it exists and exercises providence, but only over great and heavenly matters, not over anything on earth. ⟨And⟩ a fourth extends this care to earthly and human affairs, but only collectively, not to each individual. A fifth group, which included Odysseus and Socrates, says:
“Nor do I escape your notice when I move.”99
40 Arrian’s Epictetus (2)
If, then, it is sound to say that our end is to follow God, we must have examined each of these positions. If there are no gods, how can following the gods be our end? If they exist but care for nothing, how can the statement be sound even then? And if they both exist and care, but nothing passes from them to human beings—and, by Zeus, to me as well—how can it still be sound?
The good and honorable person, having examined all these matters, has subordinated his own judgment to the one who governs everything, as good citizens subordinate theirs to the law of their city.100
Socrates
Reading Stobaeus, Volume I · Book I Chapter 1 · I.1.40a–I.1.40b
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
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.