From the book
Stobaeus, Volume I
John Stobaeus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordKatastasis is a state, arrangement, or settled condition.
- In StobaeusThe Hermetic account attributes differences among kings’ characters to the disposition of the angels and daimons escorting their souls, rather than to differences in the divine character of the souls themselves.
- In this edition“Disposition” fits this use; “state” is broader and should not imply a political state automatically.
- A place to beginThe disposition of a royal soul’s escort explains differences in character.
- English renderings
- state; disposition; established condition
Meaning
Katastasis is a state, arrangement, or settled condition. Its meaning depends on what is constituted or placed in that condition.
Use in the book
The Hermetic account attributes differences among kings’ characters to the disposition of the angels and daimons escorting their souls, rather than to differences in the divine character of the souls themselves. Katastasis names the escorts’ condition within this explanation, not the act of founding a settlement.
Places to read
- I.49.45.6The disposition of a royal soul’s escort explains differences in character.
Translation in this edition
“Disposition” fits this use; “state” is broader and should not imply a political state automatically.
Source note
Wachsmuth, volume I, printed pp. 408–409. The claim that all the royal souls are divine belongs to this narrative’s explanation and is not a general historical assessment of rulers.