Joannes, whose compilations have been found so highly valuable, is supposed to have been born at Stobi, a city of Macedonia. Heeren has endeavoured to render it probable that he must have lived between the years 450 and 500. He does not appear to have been a Christian. From about five hundred writers, in verse as well as prose, he extracted and digested an immense collection of passages; which has most commonly been considered as one work divided into four books, the first two being described as "Eclogae Physicae et Ethicae," and the other two as Sermones. But, according to Heeren, they constitute two distinct compilations. As many of the books quoted by Stobeus have scarcely left any other vestiges behind them, his merit in preserving these numerous and variegated relics of antiquity cannot well be too highly estimated. Of the third and fourth books, otherwise called the Florilegium, the Greek text was published by Victor Trincavelius, Venet. 1536, 4to. An edition, accompanied with a Latin version, was published by Conrad Gesner, Tiguri, 1543, fol. It was reprinted at Basel in 1549, and at Zurich in 1559. Other editions succeeded; but they have all been nearly superseded by that of Gaisford, Oxon. 1832, 4 tom. 8vo. The text, which has been adjusted with great industry and skill, is not accompanied with a Latin translation. Of the "Eclogarum libri duo," the Greek text was first published together with a Latin version by Canter, Antwerp. 1575, fol. The editor made use of two manuscripts belonging to Sambucus and Sirlet; and hence a certain bibliographer has described this as Sirlet's edition. A valuable edition of the Eclogue was long afterwards published by Heeren, Gottingae, 1792-4, 2 tom. 8vo. The Florilegium and the Eclogue had been published in the same volume, under the title of "Stobei Sententiae, ex thesaurus Gracorum delocata." Lugduni, 1605, fol. Some copies have a new title, with the date of 1609. Here we must not overlook the elegant labours of Grotius: "Dicta Poetarum quae apud Stoebum existant, emendata, et Latino carmine reddita." Paris. 1623, 4to.