Stobaeus

Joannes Stobaeus, from Stobi in Macedonia, was a compiler of a valuable series of extracts from Greek authors. His work, originally divided into two volumes, became known as the Extracts (or Eclogues) and the Anthology (or Florilegium). Modern editions refer to both volumes as the Anthology. The Anthology contains extracts from hundreds of writers, covering subjects such as natural philosophy, dialectics, ethics, politics, economics, and maxims of practical wisdom. The work is significant for preserving fragments of many authors and works that might otherwise be unknown today. Nothing is definitively known about Stobaeus's life, but he is believed to have lived in the 5th century AD. His surname suggests he was from Stobi, and his given name, John, might indicate Christian parentage, although his silence on Christian authors has led to other inferences. His compilation was intended for his son Septimius and was preceded by a letter explaining its purpose and contents. The work was divided into four books, but in manuscript traditions, the volumes became separated. The first two books, focusing on physics, dialectics, and ethics, are known as the Eclogues, while the third and fourth books, dealing with moral, political, and economic subjects, form the Florilegium. Modern editions have largely reverted to calling the entire work the Anthology. Stobaeus's knowledge of physics is sometimes considered untrustworthy, and he occasionally mixed Platonic and Pythagorean ideas. He relied on the lost works of philosophers like Aetius and Arius Didymus for much of his material.