From the book
Stobaeus, Volume I
John Stobaeus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordTropē is a turning.
- In StobaeusThe seasonal account distinguishes two equinoxes from two solstices each year, assigning the latter to summer and winter.
- In this edition“Solstice” is the clearest technical rendering; “turning” explains the Greek image.
- A place to beginTwo annual solstices are distinguished from two equinoxes.
- English renderings
- turning; solstice
Meaning
Tropē is a turning. In a seasonal astronomical setting, the plural tropai denotes the sun’s solstitial turnings.
Use in the book
The seasonal account distinguishes two equinoxes from two solstices each year, assigning the latter to summer and winter. The term reflects the turning of the sun’s seasonal course at its extremes. It should not be confused with the daily rising and setting of the sun.
Places to read
- I.8.42.5Two annual solstices are distinguished from two equinoxes.
Translation in this edition
“Solstice” is the clearest technical rendering; “turning” explains the Greek image.
Source note
Wachsmuth, volume I, printed pp. 106–107. The definitions follow a gap in the transmitted excerpt; their immediate wording remains intelligible without reconstructing the missing material.