Pythagoras: His Life and Teaching, a Compendium of Classical Sources by James Wasserman, Thomas Stanley, Henry L. Drake, J Daniel Gunther
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the auditors that lived without the screen, repeated by heart. Lysis and Archippus escaping, and as many as were at that time in other parts, preserved some little sparks of philosophy, obscure and difficult to be found out. For being not left alone, and much grieved at the perpetration of that wickedness, fearing lest the name of Philosophy should be quite extinguished amongst men, and that for this reason the gods would be angry with them, they made some summary commentaries. And having rendered the writings of the ancients, and those which they remembered into one body, everyone left them in the place where they died, charging their sons, daughters, and wives that they should not communicate them to any outside their own family. Thus privately continuing it successively to their successors, they observed it a long time. And for this reason, says Nicomachus,we conjecture that they did purposely avoid friendship with strangers; and for many ages they preserved a faithful constant friendship amongst themselves.
Moderatus says that this Pythagorean philosophy came at last to be extinguished. First, because it was enigmatic. Next, because their writings were in the Doric dialect which is obscure; and by which means the doctrines delivered in it were not understood, being spurious and misapprehended. Because moreover, they who published them were not Pythagoreans. 195 Besides, Plato, Aristotle, Speusippus, Aristoxenus, and Xenocrates, as the Pythagoreans affirm, vented the best of them as their own, changing only some few things in them. But the more vulgar and trivial, and whatsoever was afterwards invented by envious and calumnious persons to cast a contempt upon the Pythagorean school, they collected and delivered as proper to that sect.
But forasmuch as Apollonius gives a different account of these things, and adds many things which have not yet been spoken, let us give his narration also concerning the insurrection against the Pythagoreans. 196 He says that the Pythagoreans were envied from their very childhood; for the people, as long as Pythagoras discoursed with all that came to him, loved him exceedingly; but when he applied himself only to his disciples, they undervalued him. That he should admit strangers, they well enough suffered; but that the natives of the country should attribute so much to him, they took very ill, and suspected their meetings to be contrivements against them. Besides, the young men being of the best rank and estate, it came to pass that after a while they were not only the chief persons in their own families, but governed even the whole city. They becoming many as a society (for they were above 300 persons), but being a small part as to the city, which was not ordered according to their manners and institutions. Notwithstanding, as long as they possessed the place they were in only, and Pythagoras lived there, the city followed the original government thereof, though much perplexed, and watching for an opportunity for change.
But after they had reduced Sybaris, and that he departed, and they distributed the conquered country into colonies as they pleased; at length, the concealed hatred broke forth, and the multitude beganto quarrel with them. The leaders of this dissension were those who had been nearest allied to the Pythagoreans. Many things had in the past grieved them, according as they were particularly affected. But one of the greatest was that Pythagoras only should be thought incapable of disrespect. For the Pythagoreans used never to name Pythagoras; but while he lived, they called him “Divine”; after death, “the Man,” as Homer introduces Eumaeus mentioning Ulysses:
I to pronounce his name, though absent, fear;
So great is my respect, and he so dear.
In like manner, dissenters were disturbed by the disciplines of the Pythagorean community. Not to rise out of bed after the Sun is up, nor to wear a ring whereon the image of God is engraved; but to observe the Sun that they
Moderatus says that this Pythagorean philosophy came at last to be extinguished. First, because it was enigmatic. Next, because their writings were in the Doric dialect which is obscure; and by which means the doctrines delivered in it were not understood, being spurious and misapprehended. Because moreover, they who published them were not Pythagoreans. 195 Besides, Plato, Aristotle, Speusippus, Aristoxenus, and Xenocrates, as the Pythagoreans affirm, vented the best of them as their own, changing only some few things in them. But the more vulgar and trivial, and whatsoever was afterwards invented by envious and calumnious persons to cast a contempt upon the Pythagorean school, they collected and delivered as proper to that sect.
But forasmuch as Apollonius gives a different account of these things, and adds many things which have not yet been spoken, let us give his narration also concerning the insurrection against the Pythagoreans. 196 He says that the Pythagoreans were envied from their very childhood; for the people, as long as Pythagoras discoursed with all that came to him, loved him exceedingly; but when he applied himself only to his disciples, they undervalued him. That he should admit strangers, they well enough suffered; but that the natives of the country should attribute so much to him, they took very ill, and suspected their meetings to be contrivements against them. Besides, the young men being of the best rank and estate, it came to pass that after a while they were not only the chief persons in their own families, but governed even the whole city. They becoming many as a society (for they were above 300 persons), but being a small part as to the city, which was not ordered according to their manners and institutions. Notwithstanding, as long as they possessed the place they were in only, and Pythagoras lived there, the city followed the original government thereof, though much perplexed, and watching for an opportunity for change.
But after they had reduced Sybaris, and that he departed, and they distributed the conquered country into colonies as they pleased; at length, the concealed hatred broke forth, and the multitude beganto quarrel with them. The leaders of this dissension were those who had been nearest allied to the Pythagoreans. Many things had in the past grieved them, according as they were particularly affected. But one of the greatest was that Pythagoras only should be thought incapable of disrespect. For the Pythagoreans used never to name Pythagoras; but while he lived, they called him “Divine”; after death, “the Man,” as Homer introduces Eumaeus mentioning Ulysses:
I to pronounce his name, though absent, fear;
So great is my respect, and he so dear.
In like manner, dissenters were disturbed by the disciplines of the Pythagorean community. Not to rise out of bed after the Sun is up, nor to wear a ring whereon the image of God is engraved; but to observe the Sun that they
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