This presentation opens with a general introduction to Ioannis Stobaeus’ Anthologion, focusing on the editorial choices underlying the overall purpose of the work. Rather than functioning as a passive repository of excerpts, the Anthologion reveals a clear and coherent conceptual design, evident both in its selection of material and in its internal organisation.
After briefly outlining the history of its textual transmission—from the oldest manuscripts to the early printed editions—I will turn to the strategies Stobaeus employs in manipulating his sources. Far from copying them mechanically, he reshapes them through selective excerpting, recontextualization, and subtle textual modification. Two Homeric case studies (III 7, 13 and III 39, 20) will illustrate how these interventions operate, highlighting both the types of textual transformation involved and the function of the lemmata that introduce each excerpt.
Although the Anthologion has long been regarded merely as a collection of quotations —preserving fragments whose original rationale often appears obscure— a closer analysis of its macro-structure reveals a deliberate compositional logic. This logic emerges not only in the thematic arrangement of the chapters, but also in the sequence and interaction of individual excerpts within them.
I will finally argue that this logic aims to articulate an analytical representation of the pre-Christian worldview: it constructs a demonstration of the enduring validity of pagan ethical thought before the fifth century AD.
In a historical context in which Christianity was gaining increasing social prominence, the Anthologion does more than preserve and valorise the Greek literary heritage. It articulates a coherent ethical trajectory that parallels, and implicitly responds to, contemporary Christian thought. Significantly, the work traces a conceptual arc that moves from the creation of the world (Stob. 1.1: “God is the creator of all things and governs the world with providence”) to reflections on death and the fragility of human memory (Stob. 4.58: “The remembrance of most men quickly vanishes after their death”). In doing so, the Anthologion presents the Greek tradition not as a fragmented inheritance, but as a unified and enduring system of thought.
Diletta Pompei is a PhD student in Classics at the University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT).
The event is open to the public, and all interested parties are cordially invited to attend. A Zoom link will be provided via the Classics Seminar mailing list. If you would like to subscribe to the list (or present at the seminar), please get in touch with Tor Ivar Østmoe. Following the presentation, we will gather at Café Eckers for drinks and further informal discussions. Everyone is welcome to join (please note that expenses are not covered by the seminar).