From the book
Stobaeus, Volume II
John Stobaeus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordStoutheartedness concerns the soul’s unconquerability, while love of effort concerns accomplishing the task despite toil; the two share a virtue context without being interchangeable names for hardship or aggression.
- In StobaeusThe definitions connect strength to knowledge and task performance, alongside endurance and confidence; the later account also distinguishes love of effort from both softness and pointless expenditure of effort.
- In this editionKeep the task at hand in love of effort’s definition, and avoid translating the pair as a general admiration for suffering, fighting or strenuous activity regardless of its purpose.
- A place to readChapter 7 · Excerpt 5b2 · Passage 5 Read the two definitions after endurance and greatness of soul, asking what each adds: the soul’s resistance to defeat differs from completing the particular action without being stopped by toil.
- English renderings
- stoutheartedness; love of effort
Meaning
Eupsychia and philoponia are distinct virtues associated with courage: an unconquerable spirit and active willingness to carry through effort. These favorable terms do not praise toil without regard to its end.
Use in the book
The Stoic definitions concern a soul rendering itself unconquerable and knowledge accomplishing the task without being hindered by toil. The Peripatetic definitions place stoutheartedness between faintheartedness and warlike frenzy, and love of effort between softness and futile toil. Its latter definition includes accomplishing the noble. These details prevent endurance from becoming mere obstinacy or a preference for the maximum amount of labor. Both the active task and its appropriate aim matter.
The two definitions identify different achievements. An unconquerable soul describes stoutheartedness, while love of effort is directed toward the work presently to be done. Neither definition says that effort is valuable simply because it is painful. Their placement beside endurance and confidence further differentiates maintaining a correct judgment, anticipating nothing terrible, resisting defeat and completing a task. The later distinction between love of effort, softness and futile toil makes this practical orientation especially important. An excessive or pointless exertion cannot become virtuous merely by receiving the same English name as purposeful perseverance.
“Love of effort is knowledge that carries out the task at hand and is not hindered by toil.” (Chapter 7 · Excerpt 5b2 · Passage 5).
Places to read
- Chapter 7 · Excerpt 5b2 · Passage 52Both are subordinate virtues defined as knowledge.
- Chapter 7 · Excerpt 25 · Passage 152Their means oppose frenzy, softness and futile toil.
Translation in this edition
Retain the two labels rather than merging them with courage or strength.
εὐψυχίαν
Attested. Chapter 7 · Excerpt 5b2 · Passage 5; Wachsmuth II, printed pp. 61-62.
πεφυκότων ἐν σπουδαίοις τε γίνεσθαι καὶ φαύλοις· εὐψυχίαν δὲ ἐπιστήμην ψυχῆς παρεχομένης ἑαυτὴν ἀήττητον· φιλοπονίαν δὲ
φιλοπονίαν
Attested. Chapter 7 · Excerpt 5b2 · Passage 5; Wachsmuth II, printed pp. 61-62.
ἐπιστήμην ψυχῆς παρεχομένης ἑαυτὴν ἀήττητον· φιλοπονίαν δὲ ἐπιστήμην ἐξεργαστικὴν τοῦ προκειμένου, οὐ κωλυομένην διὰ
Source note
Wachsmuth, volume II, printed pp. 61–62, 147. The paired article does not identify the two virtues with each other.