Stobaeus, Volume II

Name: Stobaeus, Volume II
Author: John Stobaeus

Greek and English with an introduction and explanatory footnotes.

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Stobaeus, Volume IIBook II Chapter 1 · II.1.32–II.1.33

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English Page · Branch 21 of 516

Book II Chapter 1 · II.1.32–II.1.33

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Ancient Greek

p. 38

Πορφυρίου ἐκ τοῦ Περὶ Στυγός

II.1.32

Ἔστι δὲ ἡ τοῦ ποιητοῦ δόξα οὐχ ὡς ἄν τις νομίσειεν εὔληπτος. Πάντες μὲν γὰρ οἱ παλαιοὶ τὰ περὶ τῶν θεῶν καὶ δαιμόνων δι’ αἰνιγμῶν ἐσήμαναν, Ὅμηρος δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον τὰ περὶ τούτων ἀπέκρυψε, τῷ μὴ προηγουμένως περὶ αὐτῶν διαλέγεσθαι, καταχρῆσθαι δὲ τοῖς λεγομένοις εἰς παράστασιν ἄλλων. Τῶν οὖν ἀναπτύσσειν ἐπιχειρησάντων τὰ δι’ ὑπονοίας παρ’ αὐτῷ λεγόμενα ἱκανώτατα δοκῶν ὁ Πυθαγόρειος Κρόνιος ταῦτ’ ἀπεργάσασθαι, ὅμως ἐν τοῖς πλείστοις ἄλλα τε ἐφαρμόζει ταῖς τεθείσαις ὑποθέσεσι, τὰ Ὁμήρου μὴ δυνάμενος, οὔ⟨τε τοῖς⟩ παρὰ τοῦ ποιητοῦ τὰς δόξας, τοῖς δὲ παρ’ ἑαυτοῦ προσάγειν τὸν ποιητὴν πεφιλοτίμηται.

Ξενοφῶντος

II.1.33

Δαίμονες οἱ τὰ μέγιστα διαπρασσόμενοι ἥκιστα ἀνθρώποισιν ἐπιφαίνονται. Ὁ γοῦν πάντα σείων καὶ ἀτρεμίζων ὡς μὲν μέγας τις καὶ δυνατός, φανερός· ὁποῖος δὲ τὴν μορφήν, ἀφανής. Οὐδὲ μὴν ὁ παμφαὴς δοκῶν εἶναι ἥλιος, οὐδ’ οὗτος αὑτὸν ὡς ἔοικεν ὁρᾶν ἐπιτρέπει, ἀλλ’ ἤν τις ἀναιδῶς αὐτὸν θεάσηται, τὴν ὄψιν ἀφαιρεῖται.

Stobaeus, Volume II: Book II Chapter 1

p. 39

Porphyry from On the Styx

II.1.32

The poet’s view is not as easy to grasp as one might suppose. All the ancients indicated matters concerning gods and divine spirits through riddles; Homer concealed these matters still more, since he did not discuss them as his principal subject, but used what was said about them to present other things.⁴⁸ Of those who have attempted to unfold what he says through hidden meanings, the Pythagorean Cronius seems to have accomplished this most capably. Nevertheless, in most cases he fits other material to his proposed interpretations, being unable to fit Homer’s words to them. He has been intent on bringing the poet into line with his own ideas, rather than his opinions into line with the poet’s words.⁴⁹

Xenophon

II.1.33

The divine spirits who accomplish the greatest things appear least to human beings. Thus the one who shakes all things and brings them to rest is manifest as a great and powerful being, but invisible as to what his form is like. Even the sun, which seems to be all-radiant—even he, it seems, does not permit himself to be looked upon: if someone gazes at him brazenly, he takes away that person’s sight.⁵⁰

48.Δαίμονες, here “divine spirits,” does not by itself imply evil beings. Ὑπόνοια is an underlying or implied sense. Porphyry’s account allows such meanings in Homer while insisting that an interpretation answer to the words being interpreted.

49.The difficult closing construction follows Wachsmuth’s supplied τε τοῖς. The English reverses the order of its two clauses for clarity: Cronius adapts Homer to his own views. The criticism is of this interpretive practice, not a blanket rejection of every search for an underlying meaning.

50.The attribution follows the heading. Wachsmuth notes that this wording does not occur in the surviving Memorabilia, though IV.3.13–14 offers a close parallel; he also records an alternative attribution to Aristobulus. The passage distinguishes evident power from unseen form. “Divine spirits” retains the broad sense of δαίμονες.

About This Reading Edition

The complete surviving text of Stobaeus’s second book, through II.46.22, in Ancient Greek and English, with an introduction and 1,541 explanatory notes. All forty-six chapter headings remain, including the notices for chapters whose texts are missing.

Historical Text and Translation

Greek: Curt Wachsmuth, Ioannis Stobaei Anthologii libri duo priores, volumen II (Berlin: Weidmann, 1884), printed p. 1 and pp. 3–264. The supplied edition preserves consequential editorial signs, reconstructed joins, qualified attributions, and missing-text notices. English translation, introduction, and explanatory notes: Diotimos Editions, 2026.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

Stobaeus’s ancient Greek work and Wachsmuth’s 1884 edition are in the public domain. The supplied English translation, introduction, and explanatory notes are published with the site owner’s authorization.