Life of Pythagoras — Iamblichus, trans. Thomas Taylor (1818)
The text is shown on its own: no facing layer is held for this issue.
p. 67
deposited a garment with a woman who belonged to a court of justice, and told her she was not to give it to either of them unless both were present. Some time after, for the purpose of circumvention, one of them received the common deposit, and said that it was with the consent of the other. But the other, who had not been present [when the garment was returned], acted the part of a sycophant, and related the compact that was made at the beginning, to the magistrates. A certain Pythagorean, however, taking up the affair said, that the woman had acted conformably to the compact, as both parties had been present. Two other persons also appeared to have a strong friendship for each other, but had fallen into a silent susicion through a flatterer of one of them, who told im that his wife had been corrupted by the other. It so happened, however, that a Pythagorean came into a brazier’s shop, where he who conceived himself to be injured, was showing to the artist a sword which he had given him to sharpen, and was indignant with him because it was not sufficiently sharp. The Pythagorean, therefore, suspecting that the sword was intended to be used against him who was accused of adultery, said, This sword is sharper than all things except calumny. This being said, caused the man to consider with himself [what it was he intended to do], and not rashly to sin against his friend who was within, and who had been previously called [by him in order that he might kill him]. A zone also that had golden ornaments having fallen [at the feet] of a certain stranger in the temple of Esculapius, and the laws forbidding any one to take up that which had fallen on the ground, a Pythagorean advised the stranger, who was indignant at this prohibition, to take away the golden ornaments which had not fallen to the ground, but to leave the zone, because this was on the ground. That
1 The first part of this sentence in the original is févov twos éx BeBAykoros ev’ AckAnmeiw Zovyv xpvoiov éxoveay, and in translating
p. 68
circumstance, likewise, which by the ignorant is transferred to other places, is said to have happened in Crotona, viz. that during a public spectacle, some cranes flew over the theatre, and one of those who had sailed into the port, said to the person who sat near him, Do you see the witnesses? which being heard by a certain Pythagorean, he brought them into the court, consisting of a thousand magistrates, where being examined, it was found that they had thrown certain boys into the sea, and that they called the cranes who flew over the ship [at the time, ] witnesses of the deed.
When likewise certain persons who had recently become disciples of Pythagoras were at variance with each other, he who was the junior of the two came to the other and said to him, that there was no occasion to refer the affair to a third person, but that it rested with them to commit their anger to oblivion.
He, therefore, to whom these words were addressed, replied that he was very much pleased in other respects with what had been said, but that he was ashamed that, being the elder, he had not first said the same thing to the other [who was the junior]. We might here also narrate what is said of Phinthias and Damon,}! of Plato and Archytas, and likewise of Clinias and Prorus.?
Omitting, however, these [for the present], we shall mention what is related of Eubulus the Messenian, who when he was sailing homeward, and was taken captive by the Tyrrhenians, was recognized by Nausithus a Tyrrhenian and also a Pythagorean, because he was one of the disciples of Pythagoras, and was taken it I have followed the version of Obrechtus, because it appeared to me to convey the meaning of lamblichus, though the translation is certainly forced, and not such as the natural construction of the words will admit.
The translation of Arcerius is, ‘Cum hospes quidam in ede Asculapii feminam zonam auream habentem ejecisset ; ” and this is perfectly conformable to the natural construction of the words, but then it is void of sense. 1 This history is copiously narrated in chap. 33. 2 See chap. 33.
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.