Pythagoras: His Life and Teaching, a Compendium of Classical Sources (71 page)

Synessius, the Neo-Platonic philosopher who became the Bishop of Kyrenaica, in his work
Dion
, writes about Dio Cocceianus of Prusa, also known as
Chrysostom
, “goldvoice.” Dio was a Greek philosopher and politician, considered by many to be one of the first representatives of the Second Sophistic movement of Greece. Synessius argues that Dio converted from sophism to philosophy. In Chapter 5 of
Dion
, Synessius extols the usefulness of the arts of the Muses, suggesting that while the Muses inspire a variety of arts, the philosopher harmonizes them into one. The passage in full reads:

“Now this speech would define as an artist and an expert the man who cuts off for himself any one branch of knowledge, one such man belonging to one divinity (daimon), another to another; but it would call philosopher that one who has been fitted together from the harmony of all, and has made the multitude of arts into one. Or rather he has not attained this yet, for this must be added to him also, namely, that he have a task of his own superior to that of his company. Thus the story goes that Apollo sings at one time with the Muses, leading off himself, and giving the time to the band, and at another sings by himself; but the first would be the sacred and ineffable melody. So our philosopher will commune, now with himself, and now with the god through philosophy, but he will commune with men by the subordinate powers of speech. He will possess knowledge indeed as a lover of literature, whereas he will pass judgment upon each and everything as a philosopher. But these immovable men who despise rhetoric and poetry do not seem to me to be what they are of their own free will, and owing to
the poverty of their natural gifts they are incapable of even small achievements. You may more easily see such men than see anything in their minds, and their tongues are unable to interpret any thought.”

(Migne,
Patrologiæ Cursus Completus, Series Græca. Vol. 66.
, p. 1125-1128, and Fitzgerald,
The Letters of Synesius of Cyrene: Translated into English with introduction and notes)

Cassiodorus in Liber II, Letter 40 of his
Variarum
wrote concerning music:

“Reflections on the nature of music. She is the Queen of the senses; when she comes forth from her secret abiding place all other thoughts are cast out. Her curatiave influence on the soul. The five tones: the Dorian, influencing to modesty and purity; the Phrygian to fierce combat; the Aeolian to tranquility and slumber; the Ionian (Jastius) , which sharpens the intellect of the dull and kindles the desire of heavenly things; the Lydian, which soothes the soul oppressed with too many cares. We distinguish the highest, middle and lowest in each tone, obtaining thus in all fifteen tones of artificial music. The diapason is collected from all, and unites all their virtues.

Classical instances of music: Orpheus. Amphion. Musaeus.

The human voice was an instrument of music. Oratory and Poesy as branches of the art.

The power of song: Ulysses and the Sirens. David, the author of the Psalter, who by his melody three times drove away the evil spirit from Saul. The lyre is called ‘Chorda' because it so easily moves the hearts (corda) of men. As the diadem dazzles by the variegated luster of its gems, so the lyre with its diverse sounds. The lyre, the loom of the Muses. Mercury, the inventor of the lyre, is said to have derived the idea of it from the harmony of the spheres. This astral music, apprehended by reason alone, is said to form one of the delights of heaven.”

(Cf. Migne, Jaques Paul.
Patrologiæ Cursus Completus, Series Latinae, Vol. 69, Cassiodori
, and Hodgkin,
The Letters of Cassiodorus being a condensed translation of the Variae Epistolae of Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator
, pp.193-194).

p. 341 note 147. Aristotle,
Analytica Priora et Posteriora
, Posterior Analytics Chap. 11.
Cicero,
Oratio Pro Licinio Archia
, Oratio IX, “Quasi cognatione quadam” etc.

The translation of
is, “All sciences communicate with each other according to common (principles)” “Quasi cognatione quadam” etc.” refers to a
quote from Cicero's
Oratio Pro Licinio Archia:
“Etenim omnes artes, quae ad humanitatem pertinent, habent quoddam commune vinculum, et
quasi cognatione quadam
inter se continentur”.

“all the liberal arts are nearly allied to each other, and have, as it were, one common bond of union.”

(Cf. Bekker,
Aristoteles Opera
, Vol. 1, p. 198, and Owen,
The Organon, or Logical Treatises of Aristotle
, p. 270 & Duncan,
Cicero's Select Orations Translated Into English
, p. 287)

p. 341 note 152. The missing text from Laertius is as follows:

.

“Timaeus, in the tenth book of his Histories, tells us, that he used to say that women who were married to men had the names of the Gods, being successively called Virgins, then Nymphs, and subsequently Mothers.” (Hicks,
Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
, Vol. 2, p. 330 and Yonge,
Diogenes Laertius, The Lives And Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
p. 342.)

p. 341 note 157. Iamblichus,
De Vita Pythagorica
, Chap 6.

'Acousmatics' from
, “eager to hear.” (Liddell-Scott, A
Greek-English Lexicon
, p. 53b.)

p. 341 note 159. Clement of Alexandria,
Stromateis
, Liber I, Chap. 15.

Homacoeion
from
, “school,” in turn derived from
“fellow hearers,” or “fellow students” in the school of Pythagoras. (Liddell-Scott, A
Greek-English Lexicon
, p. 1220a. Cf. Taylor,
Iamblicus' Life of Pythagoras
, pp. 38-41.)