From the book
Stobaeus, Volume I
John Stobaeus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordApathēs denies undergoing an affection or alteration in the relevant respect.
- In StobaeusThe account of Epicurus explains an atom’s indivisibility through its being unaffected and containing no internal void.
- In this edition“Unaffected” is accessible in the physical account; “impassible” is useful when contrasted systematically with what undergoes affection.
- A place to beginAn atom is unaffected in the explanation of why it cannot be cut.
- English renderings
- unaffected; impassible
Meaning
Apathēs denies undergoing an affection or alteration in the relevant respect. It can describe physical invariability rather than emotional detachment.
Use in the book
The account of Epicurus explains an atom’s indivisibility through its being unaffected and containing no internal void. The context specifies inability to be fractured or altered. Calling the atom impassible here does not mean that it cannot change position, nor that it possesses an ethical state of calm.
Places to read
- I.10.14.3An atom is unaffected in the explanation of why it cannot be cut.
Translation in this edition
“Unaffected” is accessible in the physical account; “impassible” is useful when contrasted systematically with what undergoes affection.
Source note
Wachsmuth, volume I, printed pp. 126–127. The same passage explicitly says that an atom is not named merely because it is the smallest magnitude.