Pythagoras: His Life and Teaching, a Compendium of Classical Sources (65 page)

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Authors: James Wasserman,Thomas Stanley,Henry L. Drake,J Daniel Gunther

BOOK: Pythagoras: His Life and Teaching, a Compendium of Classical Sources
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p. 266 and Pindar, speaking of Aesculapius,
[“tending them”] with soft charms.

Aesculapius (Latin) is better known to the modern reader by his Greek name Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing, described in Pindar's Pythian Ode III:

 

“Them therefore, whoso came unto him,

having self-caused sores

or marred in limbs by the polished steel,

or far-hurled stone;

or wasted in body by summer's fire or winter's cold,

he cured, freeing various from various pains;

some he fixed healthful,

tending them with gentle spells…”

 

(Fennell,
Pindar: The Olypian and Pythian Odes
, p. 179, Laurent,
The Odes of Pindar in English Prose
, Vol. 1, p. 155)

p. 267

Unfortunately, it is unclear what Stanley understood this phrase to mean, since all the authorities declare it to be a corruption. The Greek text given by Kiessling is as follows:

Kiessling notes that
is
monstra verborum
(an “ill-formed word”), and would restore the passage to:
translated as “in
euesto
aut et
aeiesto
, id est, tranquillo et constanti animo.” (in
euesto
(happiness) and
aeiesto
(everlastingness,) which is, peace and continual life”)

The critical edition of Ludwig Deubner marks the passage but omits the two words.

The popular editions of Thomas Taylor and Kenneth Guthrie likewise ignore them.

(Kiessling,
Iamblichi Chalcidensis Ex Coele-Suria De Vita Pythagorica
, pp. 342-344, Taylor,
Iamblicus' Life of Pythagoras
, p. xxx, Guthrie,
The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library
, p.97)

pp. 278, who named the more honorable hand
the right, not only
, from receiving; but likewise,
from being ready to receive in communicating.

From the
Protrepticus
of Iamblicus, Chapter 21. Johnson translated this, “who called the right hand more excellent than the left, not only because it receives, but also because it is able to impart.” (Cf. Pistelli,
Iamblichi Protrepticus Ad Fidem Codicis Florentini
, p. 117, Johnson,
Iamblicus: The Exhortation to Philosophy
, p. 104.)

p. 288. In the Twenty eighth, Lay not hold on every one readily with your right hand. Plutarch omits
, Suidus

From the
Protrepticus
of Iamblicus, Cap. XXI. The Greek reads,
which Stanley translates as, “Lay not hold on everyone readily with your right hand.” (i.e. “Do not hasten to offer everyone your right hand.”)

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