circumstance, likewise, which by the ignorant is trans- ferred 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 be- come 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 Nau- sithus 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.
by him from the pirates, and brought with great safety
to Messena. When the Carthaginians, also, were about
to send more than five thousand soldiers into a desert
island, Miltiades the Carthaginian, perceiving among
them the Argive Possiden (both of them being Pytha-
goreans), went to him, and not manifesting what he
intended to do, advised him to return to his native
country, with all possible celerity, and having placed
him in a ship that was then sailing near the shore,
supplied him with what was necessary for his voyage,
and thus saved the man from the dangers [to which he
was exposed]. In short, he who should relate all that
has taken place among the Pythagoreans in their
associations with each other, would by the length of
his narration exceed the proper quantity and the
occasion of his treatise.
I shall therefore rather pass on to show, that some
of the Pythagoreans were political characters, and
adapted to govern. For they were guardians of the
laws, and ruled over certain Italian cities, unfolding
to them, and counselling them to adopt the most ex-
cellent measures, but abstaining from public revenues.
And though they were greatly calumniated, yet at the
same time the probity of the Pythagoreans, and the
wish of the cities themselves prevailed, so that they
were desired by them to administer their political
concerns. But at this time the most beautiful of
polities appear to have existed in Italy and in Sicily.
For Charondas the Catanean, who appears to have been
one of the best legislators, was a Pythagorean; as were
also the Locrians Zaleucus and Timares, who were
celebrated for their legislation. Those also who
established the Rheginic polities, that polity which is
called Gymnasiarchic, and that which is denominated
from Theocles, are said to have been Pythagoreans.
Phytius likewise, Theocles, Elecaon, and Aristocrates,
excelled among the Pythagoreans in their studies and
manners, which also the cities in those places adopted
7O at those times. In short, it is asserted that Pythagoras was the inventor of the whole of political erudition, when he said that nothing is pure among things that have an existence; but that earth participates of fire, fire of air, air of water, and water of spirit. And in a similar manner the beautiful participates of the deformed, the just of the unjust, and other things conformably to these. From this hypothesis, however, the reasoning tends to either part. He also said, that there are two motions of the body and the soul; the one being irrational, but the other the effect of deliberate choice. That three certain lines also constitute polities, the extremes of which mutually touch each other, and produce one right angle; so that one of them has the nature of thesesquitertian; another that of the diapente ; and the third is a medium between the other two.! But when we consider by a reasoning process the coincidences of the lines with each other, and also of the places under these, we shall find that they represent the best image of a polity. Plato has made the glory of this invention his own; for he clearly says in his Republic, “that the sesquitertian progeny conjoined with the pentad produces two harmonies.” ? It is also said, that Pythagoras cultivated the moderation of the passions, and mediocrity, and that by the conjunction of a certain precedaneous good, he rendered the life of each of his disciples happy. And in short, it is said that he discovered the choice of our good, and of the works adapted to our nature. It is likewise narrated of him, that he withdrew the Crotonians from harlots, and universally from an association with women that were not affianced. For the wives of the Crotonians came to Theano the wife of Brontinus, one of the
1 These lines are as the numbers 4, 3, 2. For 4 to 3 is sesqui- tertian, 3 to 2 is sesquialter, and 2 is an arithmetical medium between 4 and 3.
2 For an explanation of this assertion of Plato in the Republic, see my Theoretic Arithmetic.
Pythagoreans, a woman of a wise and excellent soul,
(and who was the author of that beautiful and admir-
able saying, “that it is lawful for a woman to sacrifice
on the very day in which she has risen from the embraces
of her husband,” which some ascribe to Theano the wife
of Pythagoras) the Crotonian wives came therefore to
her, and entreated her to persuade Pythagoras to dis-
course to them on the continence which was due from
them to their husbands. This she promised to do;
and Pythagoras having accordingly made an oration to
the Crotonians, which had the desired effect, the in-
continence which then preyailed was entirely destroyed.
It is further related likewise, that when ambassadors
came to the city of the Crotonians from Sybaris, for
the purpose of demanding the exiles, Pythagoras behold-
ing one of the ambassadors, who with his own hand had
slain one of his friends, made him noanswer. But when
the man interrogated him, and wished to converse with
him, Pythagoras said, that it was not lawful to discourse
with homicides. Whence also by certain persons he
was thought to be Apollo. All these particulars there-
fore, and such as we have a little before mentioned
concerning the destruction of tyrants, and the libera-
tion of the cities of Italy and Sicily, and many other
circumstances, are indications of the benefits conferred
on mankind by Pythagoras in political concerns.
CHAP. XXVIII.
Tar which follows after this, we shall no longer
discuss generally, but direct our attention particularly
to the works resulting from the virtues of Pythagoras.
And we shall begin in the first place from the Gods,
as it is usual to do, and indeavour to exhibit his piety,
and the admirable works which he performed. Let
this, therefore, be one specimen of his piety, which
also we have before mentioned, that he knew what his soul was, and whence it came into the body, and also its former lives, and that of these things he gave most evident indications. After this also, let the following be another specimen; that once passing over the river Nessus with many of his associates, he spoke to it, and the river in a distinct and clear voice, in the hearing of all his followers, answered, Hail Pythagoras ! Farther still, nearly all historians of his life confidently assert, that in one and the same day he was present at Metapontum in Italy, and Tauromenium in Sicily, and discoursed in common with his disciples in both places, though these cities are separated from each other by many stadia both by land and sea, and cannot be passed through in a great number of days. The report, also, is very much disseminated, that he showed his golden thigh to the Hyperborean Abaris, who said that he resembled the Apollo among the Hyperboreanis, and of whom Abaris was the priest; and that he did this in order that Abaris might apprehend this to be true, and that he was not deceived in his opinion. ‘Ten thousand other more divine and more admirable particulars like- wise are uniformly and unanimously related of the man: such as infallible predictions of earthquakes, rapid expulsions of pestilence and violent winds, instantan- eous cessations of the effusion of hail, and a tranquilliza- tion of the waves of rivers and seas, in order that his disciples might easily pass over them. Of which things also, Empedocles the Agrigentine, Epimenides the Cretan, and Abaris the Hyperborean, receiving the power of effecting, performed certain miracles of this kind in many places. Their deeds, however, are manifest. To which we may add, that Empedocles was surnamed an expeller of winds; Epimenides, an expiator; and Abaris, a walker on air; because being carried on the dart which was given to him by the Hyperborean Apollo, he passed over rivers and seas and inaccessible places, like one walking on the air. Certain
persons likewise are of opinion, that Pythagoras did the
same thing, when in the same day he discoursed with
his disciples at Metapontum and Tauromenium. It is
also said, that he predicted there would be an earthquake
from the water of a well which he had tasted; and that
a ship which was sailing with a prosperous wind, would
be merged in the sea. And let these, indeed, be the
indications of his piety.
Again, however, assuming a more elevated exordium,
I am desirous to exhibit the principles of the worship
of the Gods, which Pythagoras and his followers estab-
lished; viz. that all such. particulars as they define
with respect to doing or not doing a thing, have for
the mark at which they aim, a consent with divinity.
This also is with them the principle, [of piety] and
their whole life is arranged with a view to follow God.
The language, too, of their philosophy is this, that men
act ridiculously in exploring good from any other
source than the Gods; and that their conduct in this
respect resembles that of a man, who in a country
governed by a king should reverence one of the magis-
trates in the city, and neglect him who is the ruler of
all of them. For they were of opinion that such was
the conduct of mankind. For since God is, and is the
Lord of all things, it is universally acknowledged that
good is to be requested of him. For all men impart
good to those whom they love, and to those with whom
they are delighted; but they give the contrary to good,
to those to whom they are contrarily disposed. It is
evident, therefore, that those things are to be done,
in which God delights. It is, however, not easy for a
man to know what these are, unless he obtains this
knowledge from one who has heard God, or has heard
God himself, or procures it through divine art. Hence
also, the Pythagoreans were studious of divination.
For this alone is an interpretation of the benevolence
of the Gods. And in short, he will conceive an em-
ployment of this kind to be worthy of regard, who
believes that there are Gods; but he who thinks that
either of these is folly, will also be of opinion that both
are foolish. Many of the mandates, however, of the
Pythagoreans were introduced from the mysteries; for
they did not conceive them to be the productions of
arrogance, but to originate from a certain divinity.
And in a similar manner, all the Pythagoreans believe
such things as are mythologically related of Aristeas
the Proconesian, and Abaris the Hyperborean, and
other particulars of a like nature. For they consider
every thing of this kind to be credible; and of many
[such] things they make trial themselves. They also
frequently recollect such-like particulars as appear to
be fabulous, as not disbelieving in any thing which
may be referred to divinity. A certain person there-
fore relates, that Eurytus said, that a shepherd feeding
his sheep near the tomb of Philolaus, heard some one
singing. But the person to whom this was related,
did not at all disbelieve the narration, but asked what
kind of harmony it was? Both of them, however,
were Pythagoreans, and Eurytus was the disciple of
Philolaus. It is likewise said, that a certain person
told Pythagoras, that he appeared to himself once to
converse with his father who was dead, and that he
asked Pythagoras what this indicated? Pythagoras
replied, that it indicated nothing; but that he had
in reality conversed with his father. As therefore,
said he, nothing is signified by my now discoursing
with you, so neither is any thing signified by your con-
versing with your father. Hence, in all particulars of
this kind, they did not think that they were stupid,
but those that disbelieved in them. For they did not
conceive that some things are possible to the Gods,
but others impossible, as those fancy who reason
sophistically; but they believed that all things are
ossible to the Gods. And this very assertion is the
bosianine of the verses, which they ascribe to Linus,
and which are as follow:
All things may be the objects of our hope,
Since nothing hopeless any where is found:
All things with ease Divinity effects,