Pythagoras: His Life and Teaching, a Compendium of Classical Sources (28 page)

P
RACTICAL
P
HILOSOPHY:
I
TS
P
ARTS;
AND
F
IRST
OF
E
DUCATION

P
ractical philosophy seems to have been the invention of Pythagoras, for Aristotle affirms that he first undertook to discourse concerning virtue. That Socrates is generally esteemed the author thereof perhaps is only because, as Aristotle adds, coming after Pythagoras he discoursed better and more fully thereupon.

To this part of philosophy alluded this sentence of Pythagoras: That the discourse of that Philosopher is vain by which no passion of a man is healed. For as there is no benefit of medicine if it expel not disease out of bodies, so neither is there of philosophy if it expel not ill out of the soul.
⁶⁹⁶

Virtues being of two kinds—private, which respect ourselves, and public, which have reference to others—Pythagoras seems to have comprehended the first under Education, the second under Politics. Laertius affirms he wrote three treatises: Education, Politics, Physic.
⁶⁹⁷
The heads of Education, according to the general recapitulation of Iamblichus, seem to have been these: Institution, Silence, Abstinence from Flesh, Fortitude, Temperance, Sagacity.

CHAPTER
1

I
NSTITUTION
, S
ILENCE
, A
BSTINENCE

C
oncerning Instruction or Institution, there are these sentences and precepts of Pythagoras, preserved by Stobaeus and others.

We ought to make choice of the best course of life; for custom will make it pleasant.
⁶⁹⁸
Wealth is a weak anchor, glory a weaker: The body, magistracies, honors—all these are infirm and unable. What are then able anchors—wisdom, magnanimity, fortitude. These no tempest shakes. This is the law of God: that virtue only is solid; all else are but trifles.

To take away bitterness from wormwood and liberty from speech are both alike.
⁶⁹⁹

Endeavor not to conceal thy faults with words but to amend them by reproof.
⁷⁰⁰

It is not so hard to offend as to not reprove an offending person.
⁷⁰¹

As the sickness of the body if hid or praised, is not healed, so the soul cherished in its ways or concealed is not reformed.
⁷⁰²

Rejoice more in reprovers than in flatterers: fly from flatterers as enemies.
⁷⁰³

We ought either to be silent or to speak things that are better than silence.
⁷⁰⁴

It is better to throw a stone at random than an idle word.
⁷⁰⁵

Comprehend not few things in many words but many things in few words.
⁷⁰⁶

We must faithfully restore to him that entrusts us the deposit, not only of money, but of words.
⁷⁰⁷

Of opinion, the Pythagoreans said thus. Is the part of a man void of understanding to adhere to all men's opinions, especially to that which is maintained by the greatest number? For to conceive and judge aright is proper to few; it only belongs to the knowing who are not many. This power therefore extends not to many.
⁷⁰⁸
On the other side, it is no less madness to condemn all conception and opinion. Such a person must be unlearned and unrectifiable. For it is necessary that he who is ignorant learn those things whereof he is ignorant; and that he who learns, addict and resign himself to his teacher. In a word, they said it is necessary that such young men as would be preserved, should addict themselves to the conceptions and opinions of their elders and such as lead a good life.

Now in the whole course of human life, there are certain distinct ages which are not recklessly to be connected—for they are expelled by one another, unless a man be well and rightly ordered from his birth. It is requisite, therefore, that from the institution of a little child in goodness, temperance, and fortitude, a great part be transmitted to his youth when he arrives at that age. Likewise of his youth instituted in goodness, fortitude and temperance, a great part be transmitted to his manly estate.

Herein the course ordinarily taken is ridiculous. For most think that children ought to be well-ordered, instructed in temperance, and to abstain from all things odious and undecent. But when they come to be youths, most leave them to their own management, to do what they please; whereas at that age, they are subject to both sorts of vices—of children and of men. To shun study and order, and to follow play and wantonness, the vice of childhood, is likewise most proper to youth again. Vehement desires, ambition, and the like, the affections of manhood, insinuate into youth. For which reason, this age requires care above all the rest. In fine, a man should never be so given over as to do whatsoever he pleases, but there should always be some overseer, a president over the rest, a legitimate sitting magistrate whom every citizen ought to obey. For a living creature, as soon as ever it is neglected, falls into ill and wickedness.

They affirm, that they have often enquired and examined for what reason we give children food at set times and moderately. The ordinary answer is that order and moderation are good; their contraries, disorder and immoderateness, ill—as is manifest, inasmuch as to be a glutton or a drunkard is esteemed a great reproach. For if none of these were useful and beneficial to us when we arrive at man's estate, it were needless to accustom ourselves, while children, to such order. It is the same in other habits. We see it manifest also in all other kinds of living creatures, which are taught by man from the very beginning as whelps and the like, those things which they are required to practice when they are come to full growth. Thus Iamblichus. Of silence, abstinence, and the whole course of his Institution, we have formerly treated.

CHAPTER
2

F
ORTITUDE

T
he greatest argument of the Pythagoreans for fortitude was that they fully persuaded themselves that of all human chances, nothing ought to happen unexpectedly to any, but that they should expect all things which were not within their own power. Precepts of Pythagoras, tending to this virtue, are these.
⁷⁰⁹

Do those things which you judge to be good, although after you have done them you shall be not be esteemed; for the vulgar is an ill judge of all good things. As you despise their praise, so despise their dispraise.
⁷¹⁰

He forbade to forsake the protection and station of this life without the command of our Supreme Lord.
⁷¹¹

CHAPTER
3

T
EMPERANCE
AND
C
ONTINENCE

H
e often gave the following apothegms, or aphorisms, to all his auditors whether many or few.

We must avoid with our utmost endeavor, and amputate with fire and sword, and by all other means: from the body, sickness; from the soul, ignorance; from the belly, luxury; from a city, sedition; from a family, discord; from all things, excess.
⁷¹²

It is better to live lying on the ground with a settled conscience than to have a golden bed and be troubled.
⁷¹³

Temperance is the strength of the soul; for it is the light of the soul, clear from Passion.
⁷¹⁴

To serve passions is more grievous than to serve tyrants.
⁷¹⁵

It is impossible he can be free who serves passions and is governed by them.
⁷¹⁶

No man is free who does not command himself.
⁷¹⁷

The labor of continence precedes all excellent things.
⁷¹⁸

To possess continence is the best strength and wealth.
⁷¹⁹

It is better to die than to cloud the soul by intemperance.
⁷²⁰

He said that drunkenness is a little madness; or that it is the study of madness; or, as Laertius, that it is the canker of the flower of the mind.
⁷²¹

The voice of the flesh is, no hunger, no thirst, no cold.
⁷²²

He admonished all men to shun ambition and vainglory, because these chiefly excite envy.
⁷²³

He discouraged all excess, saying that we ought not to exceed a due proportion in labor and food.
⁷²⁴

We must consider that there are three kinds of things which deserved to be pursued and acquired. The first is of those which are honorable and virtuous; the second those that assist life; the last, pleasures. Not the vulgar enchanting pleasure—for that he allowed not—but the solid and grave, free from blame.
⁷²⁵
He said there are two kinds of pleasure. Whereof that which indulges to the belly and to lasciviousness by profuseness of wealth, he compared to the murderous songs of the Sirens. The other, which consists in things honest and just, as also in the necessaries of life is sweet, as well as the first, and withal it is not followed by repentance. Hither perhaps alludes Clemens, who says Pythagoras advised to esteem the Muses sweeter than Sirens; teaching that we should study learning not with delight; whereby he condemned the other delight of the mind, which is fallacious.
⁷²⁶

Pythagoras said, upon seeing one that made himself fat by exercising and eating, “This man will not cease to make a stricter prison for himself.”
⁷²⁷

The Pythagoreans exhorted such as came into their society to shun pleasure as much as anything that ought to be avoided; for nothing so deceives us, and draws into sin, as this passion.
⁷²⁸
In general, as it seems, they endeavored not to do anything which might tend to pleasure, this scope being for the most part indecent and hurtful; but that they should aim at what is good and decent, to do what they ought. In the next place, to discern what is convenient and beneficial requires a more than ordinary judgment.

As to that which is called desire, they said thus: desire is an impulsion and appetite of the soul, either of some gluttonous habit, or derogation of some things belonging to sense, or the sensitive affection. This passion is various, and the most multiplicative of all
that belong to man. Of human desires, many are acquired and framed by the persons themselves; wherefore this passion requires the greatest care and observation and corporeal exercises, more than ordinary. For the body, when its aliment is evacuated, to desire repletion is natural; and again, being replete, to desire evacuation is natural also. But to desire superfluous aliment, or superfluous and sumptuous raiment and lodging, or superfluous and various household stuff, and utensils, and cups, and servants, and herds of cattle, bred for diet—in a word, of all human passions, this is most such that it never is at a stay, but proceeds to infinite. Wherefore from our very childhood, care must be taken that we desire such things as are needful, and shun vain and superfluous desires, being undisturbed and clear from such appetites, and condemning those who deserve contempt, being fettered by their desires.

It is of most concern to observe the vain, hurtful, superfluous desires of those who are transported by their power; there is nothing so absurd, whereto the souls of such persons—children, men, and women—are not transported. The most various is that of meats. Infinite is the multitude of fruits, infinite of roots, used by mankind. Besides this, all sorts of flesh, making it their business to find, of terrestrial, volatile, and aquatile creatures, wherewith to satisfy their taste; and all variety of dressing them, with the mixture of all kind of juices, whereby mankind is really prophetic and multiform as to the motion of the soul; for every several sort of meat is the cause of a peculiar constitution. Now men behold that these produce great alteration, as excess of wine to such a degree exhilarates; further, causes frenzy and disorder. But those things which discover not so much their force and efficacy, they are ignorant of; notwithstanding that whatsoever food we take is the cause of some peculiar constitution. Wherefore it is a great part of wisdom to know and understand, what kind and quantity of meat is requisite for nourishment. This science was first communicated by Apollo and Pan, afterwards by the Aesculapians.

Concerning generation, he said thus. We ought principally to observe that which is called
precocious†: for neither too forward plants nor animals before the due season when they are in their full strength.
⁷²⁹
Youths therefore and virgins ought to be educated
in labor and exercises, and actions conducing to fortitude, using food convenient thereto, and in a laborious, temperant and tolerant life. Of the things in human life, there are many in which to be late conversant is best; of this kind is coition. A youth ought so to be educated, as not to addict himself thereto before twenty years of age; and when arrived at those years, to use it seldom is best, if we esteem a good habit of body; for intemperance and good rarely meet in the same person.

They recommended the rites and laws of the ancients in Greek cities: not to lie with mothers, or daughters, or sisters, nor in a temple, nor in public. For this is evil, and to procure all possible impediments thereof is very profitable.

They were of opinion, that all unnatural ignominious generations ought to be taken away, and those only preserved which were according to nature, with temperance, and lawful.

They conceived, that such as go about to beget children ought to have much providence of their future issue. The first and greatest providence is to prepare himself for that action by a temperate healthful life, not eating too much at unreasonable times, nor using such meats as deprave the habits of the body; but above all things, not to perform it when drunk. For they thought that by ill, and discordant, and disturbed temperament, the seed became adulterate. They also thought him a foolish, inconsiderate person who being desirous of children, and taking a wife to that end, should not with utmost study foresee by what means his issue might be most advantaged.

They who love dogs, are very careful of their breed, as of which they shall breed, and when, and accordingly the whelps prove. The like do they who love birds. But though it be well known that they who breed any other kind of living creature use their utmost endeavor to procure a generous race, yet men have no respect to their own offspring, but beget them inconsiderately and bring them up negligently. This is the chief and most manifest cause that so many men are evil and wicked, the greatest part begetting their children like beasts without any consideration.

Finally, Pythagoras as discoursing concerning the benefit of venereal pleasures, advised in the summertime to abstain wholly
from coition; in the winter to use it but rarely. For it is generally hurtful, and the continual use thereof causes debility and is most pernicious.
⁷³⁰
Laertius says, He advised, that in the winter and spring it should not be used at all, in summer and autumn but sparingly. For at all times it is pernicious and prejudicial to the health. And being asked, “At what time a man should use it,” he answered, “When he has a mind to be weaker.”