reasons and demonstrations of all these precepts, but that in consequence of their being delivered to many, and these such as were of a more sluggish genius, the demonstrations were taken away, but the problems themselves were left. Those however of the Pytha- goreans that are called Mathematici1, acknowledge that these reasons and demonstrations were added by Pythagoras, and they say still more than this, and contend that their assertions are true, but affirm that the following circumstance was the cause of the dis- similitude. Pythagoras, say they, came from Ionia and Samos, during the tyranny of Polycrates, Italy being then in a flourishing condition; and the first men in the city became his associates. But, to the more elderly of these, and who were not at leisure [for philosophy], in consequence of being occupied by political affairs, the discourse of Pythagoras was not accompanied with a reasoning process, because it would have been difficult for them to apprehend his meaning through disciplines and demonstrations; and he conceived they would nevertheless be benefited by knowing what ought to be done, though they were destitute of the knowledge of the why: just as those who are under the care of physicians, obtain their health, though they do not hear the reason of every thing which is to be done to them. But with the younger part of his associates, and who were able both to act and learn,—with these he conversed through demonstration and disciplines. These therefore are the assertions of the Mathematici, but the former, of the Acusmatici. With respect to Hippasus however especially, they assert that he was one of the Pythagoreans, but that in consequence of having divulged and described the method of forming a sphere from twelve pentagons,! he perished in the
1 The same thing is said by the Pythagoreans to have befallen the person who first divulged the theory of incommensurable quantities. See the first scholium on the 1oth book of Euclid’s Elements, in Commandine’s edition, fol. 1572.
sea, as an impious person, but obtained the renown of
having made the discovery. In reality, however, this
as well as every thing else pertaining to geometry, was
the invention of that man; for thus without mention-
ing his name, they denominate Pythagoras. But the
Pythagoreans say, that geometry was divulged from the
following circumstance: A certain Pythagorean hap-
pened to lose the wealth which he possessed; and in
consequence of this misfortune, he was permitted to
enrich himself from geometry. But geometry was
called by Pythagoras Historia. And thus much con-
cerning the difference of each mode of philosophizing,
and the classes of the auditors of Pythagoras. For
those who heard him either within or without the veil,
and those who heard him accompanied with seeing, or
without seeing him, and who are divided into interior
and exterior auditors, were no other than these. And
it is requisite to arrange under these, the political,
economic and legislative Pythagoreans.
CHAP. XIX.
UNnIversALLy, however, it deserves to be known, that
Pythagoras discovered many paths of erudition, and
that he delivered an appropriate portion of wisdom
conformable to the proper nature and power of each;
of which the following is the greatest argument. When
Abaris, the Scythian, came from the Hyperboreans,
unskilled and uninitiated in the Grecian learning, and
was then of an advanced age, Pythagoras did not intro-
duce him to erudition through various theorems, but
instead of silence, auscultation for so long a time, and
other trials, he immediately considered him adapted to
be an auditor of his dogmas, and instructed him in the
shortest way in his treatise On Nature, and in another
treatiseOn the Gods. For Abaris came from the Hyper-
boreans, being a priest of the Apollo who is there worshipped, an elderly man, and most wise in sacred concerns; but at that time he was returning from Greece to his own country, in order that he might consecrate to the God in his temple among the Hyper- boreans, the gold which he had collected. Passing therefore through Italy, and seeing Pythagoras, he especially assimilated him to the God of whom he was the priest. And believing that he was no other than the God himself, and that no man resembled him, but that he was truly Apollo, both from the venerable indications which he saw about him, and from those which the priest had known before, he gave Pythagoras a dart which he took with him when he left the temple, as a thing that would be useful to him in the difficul- ties that would befal him in so long a journey. For he was carried by it, in passing through inaccessible places, such as rivers, lakes, marshes, mountains, and the like, and performed through it, as it is said, lustrations, and expelled pestilence and winds from the cities that re- quested him to liberate them from these evils. We are informed, therefore, that Lacedemon, after having been purified by him, was no longer infested with pestilence, though prior to this it had frequently fallen into this evil, through the baneful nature of the place in which it was built, the mountains of Taygetus producing a suffocating heat, by being situated above the city, in the same manner as Cnossus in Crete. And many other similar particulars are related of the power of Abaris. Pythagoras, however, receiving the dart, and neither being astonished at the novelty of the thing, nor asking the reason why it was given to him, but as if he was in reality a God himself, taking Abaris aside, he showed him his golden thigh, as an indication that he was not [wholly] deceived [in the opinion he had formed of him;] and having enumerated to him the several particulars that were deposited in the temple, he gave him sufficient reason to believe that he had
not badly conjectured [in assimilating him to Apollo].
Pythagoras also added, that he came [into the regions
of mortality] for the purpose of remedying and bene-
fiting the condition of mankind, and that on this
account he had assumed a human form, lest men being
disturbed by the novelty of his transcendency, should
avoid the discipline which he possessed. He likewise
exhorted Abaris to remain in that place, and to unite
with him in correcting [the lives and manners] of
those with whom they might meet; but to share the
gold which he had collected, in common with his
associates, who were led by reason to confirm by their
deeds the dogma, that the possessions of friends are
common. ‘Thus, therefore, Pythagoras unfolded to
Abaris, who remained with him, as we have just now
said, physiology and theology in a compendious way;
and instead of divination by the entrails of beasts, he
delivered to him the art of prognosticating through
numbers, conceiving that this was purer, more divine,
and more adapted to the celestial numbers of the Gods.
He delivered also to Abaris other studies which were
adapted to him. That we may return, however, to
that for the sake of which the present treatise was
written, Pythagoras endeavoured to correct and amend
different persons, according to the nature and power
of each. All such particulars therefore as these, have
neither been transmitted to the knowledge of men, nor
is it easy to narrate all that has been transmitted to
us concerning him.
CHAP. XX.
WE shall however exhibit a few specimens, and those
the most celebrated, of the Pythagoric discipline, and
also the monuments of the studies in which those
men engaged. In the first place, therefore, Pythagoras
in making trial [of the aptitude of those that came to
him] considered whether they could echemuthein, i.e.
whether they were able to refrain from speaking (for
this was the word which he used), and surveyed whether
they could conceal in silence and preserve what they
had learnt and heard. In the next place, he observed
whether they were modest. For he was much more
anxious that they should be silent than that they should
speak. He likewise directed his attention to every
other particular; such as whether they were astonished
by the energies of any immoderate passion or desire.
Nor did he in a superficial manner consider how they
were affected with respect to anger or desire, or whether
they were contentious or ambitious, or how they were
disposed with reference to friendship or strife. And if
on his surveying all these particulars accurately, they
re to him to be endued with worthy manners,
then he directed his attention to their facility in
learning and their memory. And in the first place,
indeed he considered whether they were able to follow
what was said, with rapidity and perspicuity; but in
the next place, whether a certain love and temperance
attended them towards the disciplines which they were
taught. For he surveyed how they were naturally dis-
posed with respect to gentleness. But he called this
catartysis, i.e. elegance of manners. And he considered
ferocity as hostile to such a mode of education. For
impudence, shamelessness, intemperance, slothfulness,
slowness in learning, unrestrained licentiousness, dis-
grace, and the like, are the attendants on savage
manners; but the contraries on gentleness and mild-
ness. He considered these things, therefore, in making
trial of those that came to him, and in these he exer-
cised the learners. And those that were adapted to
receive the goods of the wisdom he possessed, he ad-
mitted to be his disciples, and thus endeavoured to
elevate them to scientific knowledge. But if he per-
ceived that any one of them was unadapted, he expelled
him as one of another tribe, and a stranger.
In the next place, I shall speak of the studies which
he delivered through the whole of the day to his
associates. For those who committed themselves to
the guidance of his doctrine, acted in the following
manner: they performed their morning walks alone,
and in places in which there happened to be an ap-
propriate solitude and quiet, and where there were
temples and groves, and other things adapted to give
delight. For they thought it was not proper to con-
verse with any one, till they had rendered their own
soul sedate, and had co-harmonised the reasoning
power. For they apprehended it to be a thing of a
turbulent nature to mingle in a crowd as soon as they
rose from bed. On this account all the Pythagoreans
always selected for themselves the most sacred places.
But after their morning walk they associated ai each
other, and especially in temples, or if this was not
possible, in places that resembled them. This time,
likewise, they employed in the discussion of doctrines
and disciplines, and in the correction of their manners.
CHAP. XXI.
AFTER an association of this kind, they turned their
attention to the health of the body. Most of them,
however, used unction and the course; but a less
number employed themselves in wrestling in gardens
and groves; others in leaping with leaden weights in
their hands, or in pantomime gesticulations, with a
view to the strength of the body, studiously selecting
for this purpose opposite exercises. Their dinner con-
sisted of bread and honey or the honey-comb; but
they did not drink wine during the day. They also
employed the time after dinner in the political economy
pertaining to strangers and guests, conformably to the
mandate of the laws. For they wished to transact all
business of this kind in the hours after dinner. But
when it was evening they again betook themselves to
walking; yet not singly as in the morning walk, but
in parties of two or three, calling to mind as they
walked, the disciplines they had learnt, and exercising
themselves in beautiful studies. After they had walked,
they made use of the bath; and having washed them-
selves, they assembled in the place where they eat
together, and which contained no more than ten who
met for this purpose. These, however, being collected
together, libations and sacrifices were performed with
fumigations and frankincense. After this they went to
supper, which they finished before the setting of the
sun. But they made use of wine and maize, and bread,
and every kind of food that is eaten with bread, and
likewise raw and boiled herbs. The flesh also of such
animals was placed before them as it was lawful to
immolate; but they rarely fed on fish: for this nutri-
ment was not, for certain causes, useful to them. In
a similar manner also they were of opinion, that the
animal which is not naturally noxious to the human
race, should neither be injured nor slain. But after
this supper libations were performed, and these were
succeeded by readings. It was the custom however
with them for the youngest to read, and the eldest
ordered what was to be read, and after what manner.
But when they were about to depart, the cup-bearer
poured out a libation for them; and the libation being
performed, the eldest announced to them the following
precepts: That a mild and fruitful plant should neither
be injured nor corrupted, nor in a similar manner, any
animal which is not noxious to the human race. And
farther still, that it is necessary to speak piously and
form proper conceptions of the divine, demoniacal,
and heroic genera; and in a similar manner, of parents
and benefactors. ‘That it is proper likewise to give
assistance to law, and to be hostile to illegality. But
these things being said, each departed to his own place
of abode. They also wore a white and pure garment.
And in a similar manner they lay on pure and white
beds, the coverlets of which were made of thread;
for they did not use woollen coverlets. With respect
to hunting they did not approve of it, and therefore
did not employ themselves in an exercise of this kind.
Such therefore were the precepts which were daily
delivered to the disciples of Pythagoras, with respect
to nutriment and their mode of living.