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 15 · II.15.45–II.15.46.1

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Ancient Greek Page · Branch 361 of 516

Book II Chapter 15 · II.15.45–II.15.46.1

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Ancient Greek

p. 718

Ἐν ταὐτῷ περὶ Δημοσθένους

II.15.45

. . τοῖς λόγοις καλλωπιζόμενος, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἔργοις ὑπερβάλλων τοὺς λόγους, εἴγε δὴ βάσανον τῆς ἀληθείας εἶναι χρὴ νομίζειν ὅταν τῷ λέγειν καὶ τὸ πράττειν ἕπηται.

Λυκίου ἐκ τῶν Μουσωνίου, Πότερον ἰσχυρότερον ἔθος ἢ λόγος

II.15.46.1

Αὖθις ἐνέπεσεν ἡμῖν ζήτησις, πότερον ἀνυσιμώτερον πρὸς κτῆσιν ἀρετῆς ἔθος ἢ λόγος ⟨εἴη⟩, εἰ ὁ μὲν λόγος διδάσκοι ὀρθῶς τί εἴη ποιητέον, τὸ δὲ ἔθος γίνοιτο κατὰ τοιοῦτον λόγον πράττειν ἐθιζομένων. Τῷ δὲ Μουσωνίῳ τὸ ἔθος ἐδόκει εἶναι ἀνυσιμώτερον, καὶ συνηγορῶν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δόξῃ ἤρετο τῶν παρόντων τινὰ οὕτως· Δυοῖν ὄντοιν ἰατροῖν, τοῦ μὲν ἱκανοῦ λέγειν καὶ περὶ τῶν ἰατρικῶν ὡς ὅτι ἐμπειρότατα, περὶ δὲ θεραπείαν τῶν καμνόντων μηδὲν τετριμμένου, τοῦ δ’ εἰπεῖν μὲν ἀδυνάτου, θεραπεύειν δ’ εἰθισμένου κατὰ τὸν λόγον τὸν ἰατρικόν, πότερον, ἔφη, μᾶλλον ἕλοιο ἂν παρεῖναί σοι νοσοῦντι; Ὁ δ’ ἀπεκρίνατο, τὸν θεραπεύειν εἰθισμένον.

Stobaeus, Volume II: Book II Chapter 15

p. 719

In the same work, on Demosthenes

II.15.45

. . adorning himself with words,¹⁰²⁹ but surpassing his words by his deeds—if indeed one must regard it as a test of truth when action also follows speech.¹⁰³⁰

Lucius, from the accounts of Musonius: Whether Habit or Reason Is Stronger

II.15.46.1

Again the question arose among us whether habit or reasoned teaching ⟨would be⟩ more effective for acquiring virtue, if teaching correctly showed what ought to be done, while habit arose in those becoming accustomed to act according to such teaching.¹⁰³¹ Musonius thought habit more effective, and in support of his view asked one of those present: “Of two physicians, one can speak most knowledgeably about medicine but has no practice in treating the sick; the other cannot expound it but is accustomed to treating according to medical teaching. Which would you prefer to have with you when ill?” He answered, “The one accustomed to treating.”¹⁰³²

1029.Two printed dots mark missing text at the beginning. The surviving opening contains no negative; none has been supplied before adorning himself with words. The missing clause may have qualified the contrast, but it is not reconstructed here.

1030.The heading says in the same work, on Demosthenes. Wachsmuth questions the same-work reference and discusses a possible confusion between persons named Polyaenus; the attribution is therefore not made more definite. The two excerpts remain separate as printed. Βάσανος evokes a touchstone or test: conduct accompanying speech supplies the proposed criterion of truth.

1031.The heading names Lucius as the recorder of Musonius’s discussion. Λόγος here is reasoned teaching or an explanatory account directing practice; ἔθος is habit formed by repeated action. Supplied ⟨εἴη⟩ is marked as ⟨would be⟩.

1032.The phrase περὶ τῶν ἰατρικῶν ὡς ὅτι ἐμπειρότατα is awkward, and the apparatus records several proposed repairs. The English keeps the adverb’s reference to speaking knowledgeably about medicine. The contrast is with practical experience treating patients; the printed Greek is retained.

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.