From the book
Stobaeus, Volume I
John Stobaeus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordAtraktos is a spindle, the tool whose turning produces thread.
- In StobaeusThe Republic describes souls approaching the Fates after choosing lives.
- In this edition“Spindle” preserves the concrete instrument and the relation between turning and thread.
- A place to beginThe spindle participates in confirming and fixing chosen lives.
- English renderings
- spindle
Meaning
Atraktos is a spindle, the tool whose turning produces thread. In the afterlife narrative, spinning makes a chosen life binding.
Use in the book
The Republic describes souls approaching the Fates after choosing lives. Clotho’s turning spindle confirms the chosen lot, while Atropos makes the spun result irreversible. The order matters: choice precedes confirmation. The image does not make the souls’ choices irrelevant from the beginning.
Places to read
- I.5.21The spindle participates in confirming and fixing chosen lives.
Translation in this edition
“Spindle” preserves the concrete instrument and the relation between turning and thread.
Source note
Wachsmuth, volume I, printed pp. 82. The subsequent journey to Forgetfulness belongs to the souls; the Greek’s changing grammatical references require care in following the agents.