Iamblichus — Life of Pythagoras (trans. Thomas Taylor, 1818)

to be borne, and deplorable, arising from the beneficent energies of certain demoniacal and divine powers.1 Phalaris, however, shamelessly and audaciously op- posed what was said. Again therefore Pythagoras, sus- pecting that Phalaris intended to put him to death, but at the same time knowing that he was not destined to die by Phalaris, began to address him with great freedom of speech. For looking to Abaris he said, that a transition was naturally adapted to take place from the heavens to aerial and terrestrial beings. And again, he showed that all things follow the heavens, from instances most known to all men. He likewise in- dubitably demonstrated, that the [deliberative] power of the soul possesses freedom of will. And proceeding still farther, he amply discussed the perfect energy of reason and intellect. Afterwards also, with his [usual] freedom of speech, he spoke concerning tyranny, and all the prerogatives of fortune, and concerning injustice and human avarice, and solidly taught him that all these are of no worth. In the next place, he gave him a divine admonition concerning the most excellent life, and earnestly entered on a comparison of it with the most depraved life. He likewise most clearly unfolded to him, how the soul, and its powers and passions, subsist; and, what is the most beautiful thing of all, demonstrated to him that the Gods are not the causes of evils, and that diseases, and such things as are the cala- mities of the body, are the seeds of intemperance, repre- hending at the same time mythologists and poets for what they have badly said in fables [on this subject]. Confuting Phalaris also, he admonished him, and ex- hibited to him through works what the power of heaven is, and the magnitude of that power; and proved to him by many arguments, that legal punishment is reasonably established. He likewise clearly showed him 1 These energies are called beneficent, because they are of a purifying

character. Hence Plato in the Timzus says, that a deluge is the conse- quence of the Gods purifying the earth by water.

what the difference is between men and other animals ;
and scientifically discussed internal and external speech.
He also perfectly demonstrated the nature of intellect,
and of the knowledge which descends from it; together
with many other ethical dogmas consequent to these
things.

Farther still, he instructed him in what is most
beneficial among the things that are useful in life; and
in the mildest manner adapted admonitions harmoniz-
ing with these; adding at the same time prohibitions
of what ought not to be done. And that which is the
greatest of all, he unfolded to him the distinction
between the productions of fate, and those of intellect,
and also the difference between what is done by destiny,
and what is done by fate. He likewise wisely discussed
many things concerning demons, and the immortality
of the soul. These.things however pertain to another
treatise. But those particulars are more appropriate
to our present purpose which belong to the cultivation
of fortitude. ee if, when situated in the midst of
dreadful circumstances, Pythagoras appears to have

hilosophized with firmness of decision, if on all sides
he resisted and repelled fortune, and strenuously en-
dured its attacks, and if he employed the greatest
freedom of speech towards him who brought his life
into danger, it is evident that he perfectly despised
those things which are thought to be dreadful, and that
he considered them as undeserving of notice. If also,
when he expected according to appearances to be put
to death, he entirely despised this, and was not moved
by the expectation of it, it is evident that he was
perfectly free from the dread of death.1

1 Tamblichus a little before informs us, that Pythagoras suspected that Phalaris intended to put him to death, but at the same time knew that he was not destined to die by Phalaris. This being the case therefore, Pythagoras has no claim to fortitude in this instance, in being free from the fear of death. But he has great claim to it, when it is considered that he was in the power of a tyrant who might have caused him to suffer tortures worse than death.

He performed however what is still more generous
than this, by effecting the dissolution of tyranny,
restraining the tyrant when he was about to bring the
most deplorable calamities on mankind, and liberating
Sicily from the most cruel and imperious power. But
that it was Pythagoras who accomplished this, is evident
from the oracles of Apollo, in which it is predicted that
the domination of Phalaris would then be dissolved,
when those that were governed by him should become
better men, and be more concordant with each other;
such as they then became, when Pythagoras was present
with them, through the doctrines and instruction which
he imparted to them. A greater proof however of the
truth of this, is derived from the time in which it
happened. For on the very same day in which Phalaris
put Pythagoras and Abaris in danger of death, he him-
self was slain by stratagem. ‘That also which happened
to Epimenides may be an argument of the truth of
these things. For as he, who was the disciple of
Pythagoras, when certain persons intended to destroy
him, invoked the Furies, and the avenging Gods, and
by so doing caused all those that attempted his life, to
destroy each other;—thus also Pythagoras, who gave
assistance to mankind, after the manner and with the
fortitude of Hercules, for the benefit of men, punished
and occasioned the death of him who had acted in an
insolent and disorderly manner towards others; and
this through the oracles themselves of Apollo, to the
series of which divinity both he and Epimenides
spontaneously belonged from their very birth. And
thus far, indeed, we have thought it requisite to
mention this admirable and strenuous deed, the effect
of his fortitude.

We shall however adduce another example of it, viz.
the salvation of legitimate opinion; for, preserving this,
he performed that which appeared to him to be just,
and which was dictated by right reason, not being
diverted from his intention either by pleasure, or

labor, or any other passion, or danger. His disciples also chose to die rather than transgress his mandates. And when they were exposed to all-various fortunes, they preserved invariably the same manners. When also they were involved in ten thousand calamities, they never deviated from his precepts. But it was a never- failing exhortation with them, always to give assistance to law, but to be hostile to illegality, and to be accus- tomed from their birth to a life of temperance and fortitude, in order to restrain and repel luxury. They had also certain melodies which were devised by them, as remedies against the passions of the soul, and likewise against despondency and lamentation, which Pythago- ras invented, as affording the greatest assistance in these maladies. And again, they employed other melodies against rage and anger, through which they gave intension and remission to these passions, till they reduced them to moderation, and rendered them com- mensurate with fortitude. That, however, which afforded them the greatest fe im generous endurance, was the persuasion that no human casualties ought to be un- expected by men who are in the possession of intellect, but that all things ought to be expected by them, over which they have no absolute power.

Moreover, if at any time they happened to be angry, or sorrowful, they immediately separated themselves from the rest of their associates, and each by himself alone strenuously endeavoured to digest and heal the passion [by which he was oppressed]. ‘They also con- ceived generally, that labor should be employed about disciplines and studies, and that they should be severely exercised in trials of the most various nature, in punish- ments and restraints by fire and sword, in order to be liberated from innate intemperance, and an inexhaust- ible avidity of possessing; and that for this purpose, no labors, nor any endurance should be spared. In order to accomplish this likewise, they generously exercised abstinence from all animals, and besides this, from

certain other kinds of food. Hence also arose their
detention of speech, and their perfect silence as pre-
paratory to the subjugation of the tongue; in which
for many years they exercised their fortitude. To
which also may be added, their strenuous and assiduous
investigation and resumption of the most difficult
theorems; and on account of these things, their
abstinence from wine, their paucity of food and sleep,
and their contempt of glory, wealth, and the like. And
in conjunction with all these particulars, they extended
themselves to fortitude.

It is likewise said, that these men expelled lamenta-
tions and tears, and every thing else of this kind.
They also abstained from entreaty, from supplication,
and from all such illiberal adulation, as being effem-
inate and abject.! To the same conception likewise
the peculiarity of their manners must be referred, and
that all of them perpetually preserved among their
arcana, the most principal dogmas in which their dis-
cipline was chiefly contained, keeping them with the
greatest silence from being divulged to strangers, com-
mitting them unwritten to the memory, and trans-
mitting them orally to their successors, as if they were
the mysteries of the Gods. Hence it happened, that
nothing of their philosophy worth mentioning, was
made public, and that though for a long time it had
been taught and learnt, it'was alone known within their
walls. But to those out of their walls, and as I may
say, to the profane, if they happened to be present,
these men spoke obscurely to each other through
symbols, of which the celebrated precepts that are now
in circulation retain a vestige; such as, Dig not fire
with a sword, and other symbols of the like kind,

lice. Humble (ramewyjs otoys). With the Pythagoreans, therefore, humility was no virtue, though in modern times it is considered to be the greatest of the virtues. With Aristotle likewise it is no virtue : for in his Nicomachean Ethics he says, “ that all humble men are flatterers, and all flatterers are humble.”

which, taken literally, resemble the tales of old women;
but when unfolded, impart a certain admirable and
venerable benefit to those that receive them.

The precept, however, which is of the greatest
efficacy of all others to the attainment of fortitude,
is that which has for its most principal scope the
being defended and liberated from those bonds which
detain the intellect in captivity from infancy, and
without which no one can learn or perceive any thing
sane or true, through whatever sense he may energize.
For according to the Pythagoreans,

’Tis mind that all things sees and hears; What else exists is deaf and blind.

But the precept which is next to this in efficacy is
that which exhorts to be beyond measure studious
of purifying the intellect, and by various methods
adapting it through mathematical orgies to receive
something divinely beneficial, so as neither to fear a
separation from body, nor, when led to incorporeal
natures, to be forced to turn away the eyes, through
their most refulgent splendor, nor to be converted to
those passions which nail and fasten the soul to the
body. And, in short, which urges the soul to be un-
tamed by all those passions which are the progeny
of the realms of generation, and which draw it to an
inferior condition of being. For the exercise and
ascent through all these, is the study of the most
erfect fortitude. And such are the instances adduced
by us of the fortitude of Pythagoras, and the Pytha-
goreans.

CHAP. XXXIII.

Wirt respect to the amity, however, which subsists in all things towards all, Pythagoras delivered it in the

1 See the Cave of Plato, in the 7th book of his Republic.