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Ancient Greek Page · Branch 787 of 879
Book I Chapter 49 · I.49.69.36–I.49.69.38
Ancient Greek
p. 157069.36
Ὅσα δὲ πλείονος μὲν ὕδατος, πλείονος δὲ γῆς, μετρίου δὲ πνεύματος, [καὶ] ὀλίγου δὲ πυρός, ταῦτ᾽ ἀποτεθηρίωται, τῇ δὲ τοῦ θερμοῦ περιουσίᾳ ἀλκιμώτερα γέγονε τῶν ἄλλων.
69.37
Ὅσα δὲ γῆς καὶ ὕδατος ἴσων κεκοινώνηκε, ταῦτα ἀφηρπέτωται καὶ τῇ τοῦ πυρὸς στερήσει ἄτολμα γέγονε καὶ ἀπαρρησίαστα, τῇ δὲ τοῦ ὕδατος κοινωνίᾳ ψυχρὰ ἐγένετο, τῇ δὲ τῆς γῆς βαρέα καὶ νωθρά, τῇ δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος εὐκίνητα, εἰ ⟨ἐν⟩ προαιρέσει τὸ κινεῖσθαι.
69.38
Ὅσα δὲ πλείονος μὲν ὑγροῦ, ὀλίγου δὲ ξηροῦ, ταῦτα ἀπιχθύωται καὶ τῇ μὲν τοῦ θερμοῦ καὶ ἀέρος στερήσει δειλά ἐστι καὶ αὐτά, τῇ δὲ τοῦ ὑγροῦ περιουσίᾳ καὶ τῇ τοῦ γεώδους παρουσίᾳ ἐν λελυμένῃ γῇ καὶ ὕδατι διὰ τὸ συγγενὲς κατοικεῖ.
Stobaeus, Volume I: Book I Chapter 49
p. 157169.36 · The composition of wild beasts
“Those sharing in more water, more earth, a moderate amount of breath, [and] little fire have become wild beasts; through their surplus of heat they have become more vigorous than the others.”1897
69.37 · The composition of creeping creatures
“Those sharing equally in earth and water have become creeping creatures. Through lack of fire they have become timid and without boldness; through their share of water, cold; through their share of earth, heavy and sluggish; and through their share of breath, readily moved, if movement lies ⟨within⟩ their choice.”1898
69.38 · The composition of fish
“Those sharing in more moisture and little dryness have become fish. Through lack of heat and air they too are timid; through their abundance of moisture and the presence of earth, they dwell in dissolved earth and water because of their kinship with them.”1899
Socrates
Reading Stobaeus, Volume I · Book I Chapter 49 · I.49.69.36–I.49.69.38
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.