Pythagoras: His Life and Teaching, a Compendium of Classical Sources (13 page)

CHAPTER 24

T
HE
S
UCCESSION OF
H
IS
S
CHOOL

T
he successor of Pythagoras is by all acknowledged to have been Aristaeus, son of Damophon, a Crotonian who lived in the time of Pythagoras seven generations above Plato. Nor did he succeed in the school only, but in breeding the children of Pythagoras and in the marriage with Theano, for his eminent understanding of his opinions. He is said to have taught the doctrine of Pythagoras forty years together lacking one, living in all, near an hundred. Pythagoras assigned the school to Aristaeus as being the oldest.
²⁶²

Next him Mnesarchus, son of Pythagoras. He delivered it to Bulagoras, in whose time the city of Crotona was sacked. He was succeeded by Tidas, a Crotonian, returning from travels he began before the war. But he died with grief for the calamity of his country; whereas it was a common thing to others, when they were very old, to free themselves from the fetters of the body. Afterwards they took one of the Lucanians, saved by some strangers, to be the President of the school. To him came Diodorus the Aspendian, who was taken by reason of the scarcity of men in their college.

At Heraclea, Clinias and Philolaus. At Metapontum, Theorides and Eurytus. At Tarentum, Archytas. One of the external listeners to his discourse was Epicharmus, who was not of the College. Coming to Syracusa in the time of the tyranny of Hieron, he forbare publicly to profess philosophy; but he reduced the opinions of those men (the Pythagoreans) into verse, sportively divulging the abstruse doctrines of Pythagoras.

Of the Pythagoreans it is likely that many were obscure; the names of such as were eminent, are these:

Crotonians:
Hippostatus Dymas, Aegon, Aemon, Silius, Cleosthenes, Agelas, Episylus, Phyciadas, Ecphanius, Timaeus, Buthius, Eratus, Itanaus, Phodippus, Bryas, Evander, Millias, Antimedon, Aegas, Leophron, Agylas, Onatus, Hipposthenes, Cleophron, Alcmaeon, Damocles, Milon, Meton.

Metapontines:
Brontinus, Parmiscus, Arestadas, Leo, Damarmenos, Aeneas, Chilas, Melisias, Aristeas, Laphaon, Evander, Agesidamus, Xenocides, Euriphemus, Aristomenes, Agesarchus, Alcias, Xenophantes, Thraseos, Arytus, Epiphron, Eiriscus, Megistaes, Leocydes, Thrasymides, Euphemus, Proclus, Antimedes, Lacritus, Damotages, Pyrrhon, Rhexibius, Alopecus, Astylus, Dacydus, Aliochus, Lacrates, Glucinus.

Agrigentine:
Empedocles.

Velian:
Parmenides.

Tartentines:
Philolaus, Arytus, Archytas, Theodorus, Aristippus, Lycon, Estiaeus, Polemarchus, Asteas, Caenias. Cleon, Eurymedon, Arceas, Clinagoras, Archippus, Zopyrus, Euthynus, Dicaearchus, Philonides, Phrontidas, Lysis, Lysibius, Dinocrates, Echecrates, Paetion, Acusiladas, Iccus, Pisicrates, Clearatus, Leonteus, Phrinichus, Simicheas, Aristoclides, Clinias, Abroteles, Piserrydus, Brias, Evander, Archemachus, Mimnomachus, Achmondas, Sicas, Caraphantidas.

Sybarites:
Metopus, Hippasus, Proxenus, Evanor, Deanax, Menestius, Diocles, Empedus, Timasius, Polemaeus, Evaeus, Tyrsenus.

Parians:
Aetius, Phenecles, Dexitheus, Alcimachas, Dinarchus, Meton, Timaeus, Timesianax, Amcaerus, Eumaridias.

Locrians:
Gyptius, Xenon, Philodamus, Euetes, Adicus, Sthenonidas, Sosistratus, Euthynus, Zaleucus, Timares.

Posidonians:
Athamas, Simus, Proxenus, Cranius, Mayes, Bathylaus, Phaedo.

Lucanians:
Ocellus and Ocylus (brethren), Oresander, Cerambus, Dardaneus, Malias.

Aegeans:
Hippomedon, Timosthenes, Euelthon, Thrasydamus, Crito, Polyctor.

Laconians:
Antocharidas, Cleanor, Eurycratus.

Hyperborean:
Abaris.

Rhegians:
Aristides, Demosthenes, Aristocrates, Phytius, Helicaon, Mnesibulus, Hipparchides, Athosion, Euthycles, Opsimus.

Selinuntian:
Colaes.

Syracusians:
Leptines, Phintias, Damon.

Samians:
Melissus, Lacon, Archippus, Glorippus, Heloris, Hippon.

Caulonians:
Callibrotus, Dicon, Nastas, Drymon, Xentas.

Phliasians:
Diocles, Echecrates, Polymnastus, Phanton.

Sicyonians:
Paliades, Demon, Sostratius, Sosthenes.

Kyrenaeans:
Prorus, Melanippus, Aristangelus, Theodorus.

Cyzicenes:
Pythodorus, Hipposthenes, Butherus, Xenophilus.

Catanaean:
Charondas.

Corinthian:
Lysiades.

Tyrrhene:
Chrysippus.

Athenian:
Nausitheus.

Of Pentus:
Neocritus, Lyramnus.

In all, 213.
²⁶³

The eminent Pythagorean women, are:

Tymicha, wife of Millius the Crotonian.

Philtes, daughter of Leophron, a Crotonian, sister of Bindaecus.

Oecelo and Eccelo, of Luca.

Chilonis, daughter of Chilo the Lacedaemonian.

Theano, wife of Brontinus the Metapontine.

Muya, wife of Milo the Crotonian.

Lasthenia of Arcadia, daughter of Abroteles the Tarentine.

Echecrates, a Phliasian.

Tyrsenes of Sybaris.

Pysirronde of Tarentum, daughter of Nistiades.

Salacera.

Bio of Argos.

Babelyma of Argos.

Cleaechma, sister of Authocharides, a Lacedaemonian.

In all, 17, thus Iamblichus.

Laertius says his system (or as Cassiodorus called it, his college) continued for nineteen generations. For the last of the Pythagoreans, whom Aristoxenus saw, were Xenophilus the Chalcidean of Thrace, and Phanton a Phliasian, and Echecrates, and Diocles, and Polymnestus, who also were Phliasians. They heard Philolaus and Eurytus, both of Tarentum.

Part Two

The Discipline and Doctrine of the Pythagoreans

CHAPTER 1

T
HE
G
REAT
A
UTHORITY AND
E
STEEM OF
P
YTHAGORAS
A
MONGST
H
IS
D
ISCIPLES

P
ythagoras, to render his disciples capable of Philosophy, prepared them by a discipline so strict and severe as might seem incredible to have been undergone by free persons—were it not founded upon the great authority and reputation which he had amongst them.

The credit of their opinions they conceived to be this: that he who first communicated them was no ordinary person, but a god.
²⁶⁴
The disciples, or
Acousmata
, believed him to be a god: indeed, Hyperborean Apollo.
²⁶⁵
In confirmation thereof they instance those wonders related in his life. They say that these stories being acknowledged to be true—and it being impossible they should all be performed by one man—they conceive it manifest that these relations are to be ascribed, not to a human being, but to something above mankind. This they acknowledge, for amongst them is a saying:

Two-footed Man,
²⁶⁶
and Bird
Is, and another Third.

By the “Third,” they meant Pythagoras. And Aristotle, in his book on Pythagorean philosophy, relates, that such a division as this was preserved by the Pythagoreans amongst their ineffable secrets.
²⁶⁷
Of rational animals, one kind is God; another, man; a third between both these, Pythagoras.

They esteemed Pythagoras in the next place to the gods, as some good genius indulgent to mankind: some affirming that he was Pythian; others Hyperborean Apollo. Some said he was one of those genie which dwell in the Moon; others, one of the celestial deities appearing at that time in human shape for the benefit and direction of mortal life, that he might communicate the wholesome illumination of beatitude and philosophy to mortal nature. They affirmed a greater good can never come, nor shall ever come, than that which was given by the gods through the means of Pythagoras.
²⁶⁸
Whence
to this day the proverb of the fair-haired Samian is used for a most reverend person.

Porphyry says they reckoned him amongst the gods.
²⁶⁹
Therefore, whenever they went to deliver to others any excellent thing out of the secrets of his philosophy—whence many physical conclusions might be deduced—they swore by the Tetractys. And calling Pythagoras, as some God to witness, they said:

Who the Tetractys to our Souls express'd,
Eternal Nature's Fountain I attest.

Which oath they used as forbearing through reverence to name him; for they were very sparing in using the name of any god.
²⁷⁰

So great indeed was the respect they bore him, that it was not lawful for anyone to doubt of what he said, nor to question him further concerning it. They acquiesced in all things that he delivered as if they were oracles.
²⁷¹
And when he went abroad to cities, it was reported he went not to teach, but to cure.

Hence it came to pass, that when they asserted anything in dispute, if they were questioned why it was so, they used to answer,
Ipse dixit
(“He said it”)—“he” being Pythagoras.
²⁷²
This
[“He said it”]† was amongst them the first and greatest of doctrines—his judgment being a reason free from and above all examination and censure.
²⁷³

CHAPTER 2

T
HE
T
WO
S
ORTS OF
A
UDITORS
:
AND
F
IRST OF THE
E
XOTERIC
, H
OW
H
E
E
XPLORED
T
HEM

T
he Auditors of Pythagoras (such, I mean, as belonged to the family) were of two sorts, exoteric and esoteric. The Exoterics were those who were under probation, which if they performed, they were admitted to Esoterics. For of those who came to Pythagoras, he admitted not everyone, but only those whom he liked: first, upon choice, and next by trial.

The Pythagoreans are said to have been averse to those who sell learning, and open their souls, like the gates of an Inn, to everyone that comes to them. And if they find not a vent or sale in this manner, then they run into cities and ransack the gymnasia, and exact a reward from dishonorable persons. Whereas Pythagoras hid much of his speeches; so only they who were purely initiated might plainly understand them.
²⁷⁴
But the rest, as Homer said of Tantalus, grieve, for that being in the midst of learning, they cannot taste of it. Moreover they said that they who for hire teach such as come to them, are meaner then statuaries and chariotmakers. For a statuary, when he would make a Mercury, seeks out some piece of wood fit to receive that form; but these, of every disposition, endeavor to make that of virtue.
²⁷⁵

When (therefore) any friends came to him, and desired to learn of him, he admitted them not till he had made trial and judgment of them.
²⁷⁶
First, he enquired how they did heretofore converse with their parents and friends; next, he observed their unseasonable laughters, and unnecessary silence or discourse. Moreover, what their inclinations were (whether possessed with passion and intemperance, whether prone to anger or unchaste desires, or contentious or ambitious, and how they behaved themselves in contention and friendship
²⁷⁷
). As likewise what friends those were with whom they were intimate, and their conversation with them, and in whose society they spent the greatest part of the day; likewise upon what occasions they experienced joy or grief.
²⁷⁸

Moreover he considered their presence and their gait, and the whole motion of their body. And physiognomizing them by their symptoms, he discovered by manifest signs the occult dispositions of their souls.
²⁷⁹
For he first studied that science concerning men, thereby discovering of what disposition everyone was. Neither did he admit any into his friendship and acquaintance before he had physiognomized the man, what he was.
²⁸⁰
This word (says Aulus Gellius, upon the same occasion) signifies to make enquiry into the manners of some by some kind of conjecture—of the wit by the face and countenance, and by the air and habit of the whole body.
²⁸¹

If upon exact observation of all these particulars, he found them to be of good dispositions, then he examined whether they had good manners, and were docile. First, whether they could readily and ingeniously follow that which he told them; next, whether they had any love to those things which they heard.
²⁸²
For he considered what disposition they were as to being made gentle. This he called
[“culture”]; for he accounted roughness an enemy to his way of teaching. Because roughness is attended by impatience, intemperance, anger, obtuseness, confusion, dishonor, and the like; but mildness and gentleness by their contraries.

Likewise in making the first trial of them, he considered whether they could
[“restrain their speech”] (that was the word he used). And he examined whether if they could learn that which they heard, they were able to be silent and keep it to themselves.
²⁸³