Pythagoras

Flourished about the 16th Olympiad; came into Italy in the 62d; and died in the 4th year of the 70th ^ aged 80, or as some say 90, years.

The ancient philosophy is divided into two celebrated sects; the Ionic, founded by Thales of Mile-tus, and the Italic, founded by Pythagoras.

Aiistippus, the Cirenaean, says, that Pythagoras received his name from his pronouncing oracles as true as those of the Pythian Apollo. He was the first who had the modesty to refuse the title of Sage, preferring iather that of Philosopher. The most generally received opinion concerning Pytha- 8[oras is, that he was a native of Samos, and was the son of Mnesarchus, a sculptor. Some,however^ maintain that he was of Tuscan origin, and was bom iu one of the cluster of little islands in the Tyrrhene sea, of which the Athenians possessed themselves.

Pythagoras learned the employment of his fother. He made with his own hands three silver cups, which he presented to three priests of Egypt. At first he was a scholar of the sage Pherecides, to whom he was warmly attached, and who fully returned his regard. Pherecides was once dangerously ill, and Pythagoras w:^ anxious to be admitted into his presence, in order to ascertidn precisely how he was. Phereddes^ fearing lest his disorder might he infectious, shut the door quiclcly upon him, and then- putting his hand through an aperture, *' Look at my fingers," said he, *' and judge from them of the state I am in,— you see they are quite emaciated."

After the death of Pherecides, Pythagoras studied some time at Samos, under Hermodamus; but feeling an irresistible desire to become acquainted v/iih foreign manners, he afterwards left his counti^ and all that he possessed, in order to gratify his inclination by traTelling. He tarried a long time in Egypt, for the purpose of conversing with the priests, and of penetrating into the most secret mysteries of their relig^n; and, in brder that he might be treated with proper respect, Polycrates wrote a letter of recommendation for him to Amasis, Icing of Egypt. Pythagoras afterwards went into Oialdea, in order to study the science of the Magi. He then gratified his curiosity by travelling into various other countries in the East; he likewise visited Crete, where he formed a close intimacy with the sage Epimenides, and thence he returned to Samos. Hie grief he experienced at finding his country groaning un'der the oppression of Po]ycrates, made him take the resolution of exiling himself. tie therefore went to Italy, and settled at Crotona, in the house of Milo, where he taught philosophy; and hence it is that the sect of which he was the founder is styled Italic.

The reputation of Pythagoras soon diffused itself throughout Italy. More than three hundred diseiples gathered aroiuid bim, and fonued a little re^ public admirably regulated. Many have asserted that Numa was among the number, and that he was actually living with Pythagoras at Crotoua, when he was elected king of Rome; but good dirouologists have shown that the story has no other foundation than the similarity of thought in the parties, for Niuna lived long b^ore Pythagoras.

This philosopher held, that among friends all things ought to be common; for that friendship made every one equal. His disciples claimed nothing for tiiemselves; they joined their possessions together, and had only one purse. Ttte first five years which they spent under the instructions of their master, were passed in listening to his pre* eepts, without ever opening their own mouths for the utterance of a single word. After this long and rigorous trial they were allowed to speak, to visit Pythagoras, and to bold conversation with him.

Pythagoras had a mi^estic air, a noble figure, and an engaging countenance: his constant dress was a i-obe of fine white cloth, exactly adapted to his form. He was subject to no passion, and maint^ed at all times a I'eserved and serious demean-our. He was never seen to smile, or heard to utter a pleasantry: he would never chastise any one when he was aagry«-not even a slave. His disciples believed him to be Apollo. Crowds came from all parts to have the pleasure of list^iing to him» and of enrolling themselves among his followers: every year brought more than six hundred strangers froai different countries to Crotona for this purpose; and lie among them who had the happiness to converse

PYTHAGORAS. lib niitk Pythagoras for a moment^ was an oliject of distinction in the eyes of all the rest.

Pythagoras framed laws for various countries, at their particalai* request. So greatly was he yenerated that his words carried as much weight as the Qrades of Delphos. He ezpressly>forbade oaths, and appeals to the gods. He used to say, that every one ought to make it a rule to himself, to act with so much circumspection and integrity that his bare assertion should in all cases be received without hesitation. Pythagoras hdd, that the world was animated and intelligent: that the soul of this immenty machine was tether, from which emanated all other souls, both of the brute creation as well as of men. He believed that all souls were immortal in their nature; but he thoi^t that they wandered about in the air, and entered indiscriminately into the first body that they found ready for their reception: thus, for instance, that a soul, on quit-ting a human body, might enter into that of a horse, an ass, a wolf, a mouse, a partridge, a fish, or any other anhnal, as readily as hito that of a man. In the same manner, he believed that a soul, on leaving the body of any animal whatsoever, might enter equally into that of a human being, as into that of a brute. It was from this view of the subject, that Pythagoras expressly forbade the use of animal food. Heheld it to be the same crime to kill a fly, a worm, or indeed the meanest insect, as to kill a man; since throughout all animated natun there was but one and the same sounse for souls. In order to gain his system of Metempsychosis universal belief, Pythagoras gave it out that he had formerly been

^thalideSy aiid had under that name been consi* dered the son of Mercury: that Mercury had at that time given him leave to ask whatever he desired, and promised him that, with the exception of immortality, whatever it might be, it should be granted: that he accordingly requested that he might be permitted to retain his recollection of the events that should take place in the world, whether he might himself be in a state of life or death; and that in consequence of this request being grant* ed, he had from that time retained a perfect knowledge of every thing that had happened: that after he had ceased to be ^thaiides,he became Euphortos, and that he was at the siege of Troy, where he was dangerously wounded by Menelaus: that' his soul afterwards passed into the body of Hermotimus; and that he then, in order to convince all the world of the fact of tMs gift having been bestowed on him by Mercury, went into the country of the Branchides, entered the Temple of Apollo, and pointed out his buckler, all pierced, which Menelaus had consecrated to that god, on his re-^ turn from Troy, in acknowledgment of his victory. After Hermotimus, he became a fisherman in the body of Pyrrhus; and at last the philosopher Pythagoras; without reckoning his appearance as a cock, a peacock, and so forth. He affirmed that, in his journeys to the infernal regions, he had witnessed the soul of Hesiod chained to a column, and grievously tormented; and that, as for Homer's, it was suspended from a tree, and surrounded with serpents, on account of the falsehoods which he had invented, and attributed to the gods; and that-the loiUs oi those husbands who had treated theuwWes with harshaess and severity, were likewise horribly tormented.

Pythagoras had a deep cavern dug in his house. It is said, that he begged his mother to write an exact acoonnt of every thing that might occur during his absence. He then shut himself up in his caveniy and stidd in it a whole year. When he emeiged fh>m it, at the expiration of that time, he was so pale and meagre that he was frightfol to behold. He called the people together, and informed them that he had just returned from the infernal regions; and, in order to gain their belief in the nmration he meant to give, he be^;an by informing them of every event that had talten place during the period of his disappearance. The people were amazed at every Uiing he said; and, imagining that there must be something of the Divinity connected with his person^ they began to weep and send forth loud cries.

llie men earnestly besought him to take upon him the instruction of thmr wives, and hence the women of Crotona have been stjM Pythagorea.

Pythagoras had, unknown to any one, tamed an eagle, and trained it to come to him, on hearing a particular cry. Being one day at the public games, he brought the eagle to him in the way he was accustomed to do, and perceiving the amazonent of the people, he endeavoured to increase their wonder, and to render his artifice more specious, by showing them all, as they were assembled, that the bird had a golden thigh attached to its leg.

Pythnfforas only offered up loaves, cakes, and other substances of that kind, in sacrifice.

He said that the gods turned away in horror from bleeding victims; and that to pretend to honour them by polluting their altars with such offerings, was the surest way to draw down their indignation.

There is a great probability that all these maxims of Pythagoras had for their chief end the abolition of luxurious habits, and the recommendation of simple modes of living in their place. For the functions of the body, and the operations of the mind, all go on with most freedom and regularity under the influence of temperance; and, to set an example himself of that virtue, he rarely drank any thing except water, and lived entirely on bread, honey, fruits, and vegetables,' exceptmg beans-^for his exception of which, however, no sufficient reason has ever been assigned.

Pythagoras compared life to a foir; " For," sdd he, ** as in a fair some come to exercise themselves in one sort of combat, some in another; some come to traffic, others to look on: so, in life, some are bom the slaves of glory, some of ambition, and others content themselves with the investigation of truth." He did not improve of any one soliciting things for himself; because he held that we none of us know what it is really good for us to possess.

He divided the age of man into foiur equal parts. " Man," said he, <' is a chUd tiU the age of twenty, a youth tiH that' of forty, a man at sixty, and an M, man at eighty.'^ After that he was na longer to be reckoned among the liTUig.

He vna vety fond of mathematics and astronomy. It was he who first discovered that the morning and evening star was the same» and demonstrated that in every right angled triangle the square of the hypothenuse is equal to the squares of the other two sides. It is ssud that he was so transported with the discovery of this famous theorem, that believing himself hadebted for it to the inspiration of the gtxis, he showed his gratitude by a hecatomb, — a sacrifice of a hundred oxen. This story is related by several authors, though it appears very repugnant to the doctrines of Pythagoras. It is possible, however, that these oxen might be composed for the purpose, of flour and honey, of which all the sacrifices of the Pythagoreans consisted. Some have even asserted that he died of joy upon the occasion; but this certsdnly is without foundaticm, as appears from the account g^ven by Lagrtius.

Pythagoras was extremely desirous to maintidn friendship and good understanding among his disciples. He frequently made use of allegories in his mode of instructing them. For instance, if he meant to signify to them that no one ought to endearour to escape from justice, he would say, A man ought never to leap out from under the balance: if to admonish them that they ought not to be so far devoted to the present, as to think nothing of providing for the fixture, he would tell them that they ought not to sit down on the prorision of the day.

He advised them to pass a part of every day in mo PYTHAGORAS.

private, and to propose to themselves at such times cert^n questions, as, In what hove yon employed tixisday? Where have you been? What have you done well? What have you done ill?

He recommended a grave and modest deportment tothan,and to keep their mhids from all extremes, either of joy or sorrow; to cherish affeedon for their kindred; to reverence old age; to take exercise, in order that they might not become encumbered with flesh; not to spend their lives in travelling, and to be scrupnlons in honouring the gods, and in rendering to them their due worship.

Zamobdx the Scythian, a slave of Pythagoras, made such good use of his master's precepts, that when he returned to his native country the Scyihlans ofibred sacrifices to him, and admitted him in the number of the gods.

Pythagoras maintidned unity to be the first principle of sill things: that from unity proceeded numbers and points; from points, lines; from lines,8uper<> ficies; from superficies, solids; and from solids, the four elements*—earth, air, fire and water, of which the whole world was constituted; and that these elements were perpetually changing into each other, but that nothing in the universe could be totally lost; and that ail that happened was only a succession of changes. The earth, he said, was round, and inhabited m every part; consequently that there were Antipodes, who walked with their feet opposite to ours: that the air which surromided the earth was dense, and almost immovable; and to this he attributed the liability of all animals which inhabit the earth to corruption: that, on the contrary, the air aboire the clouds was subtle, and in perpetual agitation; and therefore it was, that all the animals contained in it were immortal, and consequently divine: thus the sun, moon, and stars, according to him, were all gods, because placed in the midst of that subtle tar and active heat which is the princi[^ of life.

There are ntrious opinions with respect to the death of this philosopher. Some say, that certain persons whom he had refused to admit among his disciples, were so angry at their rejection that they set fire to Milo's house, whilst Pythagoras was within. Others affirm that it was done by the Crotoniaas, who were i^prehensive that Pythagoras had a design to get himself made king of their country. However that may be, one thing is pretty certidn; that when Pythagoras saw the flames he quickly made his escape, accompanied by forty of his scholars. Some say that he fled to the wood of the "Muses at Metapontum, where he allowed himself to perish by famine: others assert that arriving in his flight at a field of beans, his peculiar notions respecting that species of pulse would not allow him to pass over them. '' It is better to die here,*' said he, " than to destroy all these poor beans." He, therefore, calmly awaited the coming up of the Crotonians, who massacred him and the greato- number of his disciples. Others, again, relate that it was not by the Crotonians he fell: but that war having been declared between the inhabitants of Agrigentum and the Syracusans, he went to ^d the Agrigentines, his allies; and that, on their being routed, he endeavoured to efiect his escape, and then it was that he Was stopped by a field of beans, over which he could not prevsul on himself to pass; choosing rather to render his life to the SyracusanSy who dispatched him with repeated strokes. Most of his disciples who accompanied him were also put to deaUi: a few only escaped, among whom was Archjrtas of Tarentum^ who was accounted the most celebrated mathematician Of his age.