From the book
Stobaeus, Volume I
John Stobaeus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordSynkrousis is collision or striking together.
- In StobaeusThe report about Democritus calls lightning a collision of clouds and connects it with friction gathering fire-producing constituents through porous structures.
- In this edition“Collision” preserves the encounter; distinguish synkrousis from synkrisis, aggregation.
- A place to beginColliding clouds explain lightning through material interactions.
- English renderings
- collision; striking together
Meaning
Synkrousis is collision or striking together. It describes an encounter between bodies rather than their mere combination.
Use in the book
The report about Democritus calls lightning a collision of clouds and connects it with friction gathering fire-producing constituents through porous structures. Collision initiates an account involving arrangement and passage. It is not identical with the compound aggregate invoked in the preceding explanation of thunder.
Places to read
- I.29.1.9Colliding clouds explain lightning through material interactions.
Translation in this edition
“Collision” preserves the encounter; distinguish synkrousis from synkrisis, aggregation.
Source note
Wachsmuth, volume I, printed pp. 232–233. The similar-looking Greek nouns for collision and aggregation have different roles in this report and should not be conflated.