Stobæus, John

, an ancient Greek writer, lived in the fifth century, as is generally supposed. What remains of him is a collection of extracts from ancient poets and philosophers, which has not come down to us entire; and even what we have of it appears to be intermixed with the additions of those who lived after him. These extracts, though they give us no greater idea of Stobaeus than that of a common-place transcriber, present us with many things which are to be found no where else; and therefore have always been highly valued by the learned. It appears beyond dispute, in Fabricius’s opinion, that Stobaeus was not a Christian, because he never meddled with Christian writers, nor made the least use of them in any of his | collections. The “Excerpta of Stobseus,” were first published in Greek at Venice in 1536, 4to, and dedicated to Bembus, who was the curator of St. Mark’s library there, and furnished the manuscript. They were republished since by Canter, 1609, folio, under the title of “Sententiae,” under that of “Eclogae,” by Heern, 1792, 4 vols. 8vo. Grotius published an excellent edition of the “Dicta Poetarum,” at Paris in 1623, 4to. ¹