Iamblichus' Life of Pythagoras, or Pythagoric Life: Accompanied by Fragments of the Ethical Writings of certain Pythagoreans in the Doric dialect; and a collection of Pythagoric Sentences from Stobaeus and others, which are omitted by Gale in his Opuscula Mythologica, and have not been noticed by any editorIamblichus
Philosophy
Iamblichus' Life of Pythagoras, or Pythagoric Life: Accompanied by Fragments of the Ethical Writings of certain Pythagoreans in the Doric dialect; and a collection of Pythagoric Sentences from Stobaeus and others, which are omitted by Gale in his Opuscula Mythologica, and have not been noticed by any editor
Iamblichus
Ethics, Ancient; Philosophers -- Greece -- Biography; Philosophy, Ancient; Pythagoras; Pythagoras and Pythagorean school
“In the first place, indeed, it is necessary that he who intends to
acquire this purification, should, as the foundation and basis of it,
know himself to be a soul bound in a foreign thing, and in a different
essence. In the second place, as that which is raised from this
foundation, he should collect himself from the body, and as it different
places, so as to be disposed in a manner perfectly impassive with
respect to the body. For he who energizes uninterruptedly according to
sense, though he may not do this with an adhering affection, and the
enjoyment resulting from pleasure, yet at the same time his attention is
dissipated about the body, in consequence of becoming through sense[110]
in contact with it. But we are addicted to the pleasures or pains of
sensibles, in conjunction with a promptitude, and converging sympathy;
from which disposition it is requisite to be purified. _This, however,
will be effected by admitting necessary pleasures, and the sensations of
them, merely as remedies, or as a liberation from pain, in order that
[the rational part] may not be impeded [in its energies._] Pain also
must be taken away. But if this is not possible, it must be mildly
diminished. And it will be diminished, if the soul is not co-passive
with it. Anger, likewise, must as much as possible be taken away; and
must by no means be premeditated. But if it cannot be entirely removed,
deliberate choice must not be mingled with it, but the unpremeditated
motion must be the impulse of the irrational part. _That however which
is unpremeditated is imbecile and small._ All fear, likewise, must be
expelled. For he who acquires this purification, will fear nothing.
Here, however, if it should take place, it will be unpremeditated. Anger
therefore and fear must be used for the purpose of admonition. But the
desire of every thing base must be exterminated. Such a one also, so far
as he is a cathartic philosopher, will not desire meats and drinks.
Neither must there be the unpremeditated in natural venereal connexions;
_but if this should take place, it must only be as far as to that
precipitate imagination which energizes in sleep_. In short, the
intellectual soul itself of the purified man, must be liberated from all
these [corporeal propensities.] He must likewise endeavour that what is
moved to the irrational nature of corporeal passions, may be moved
without sympathy, and without animadversion; so that the motions
themselves may be immediately dissolved, through their vicinity to the
reasoning power. This, however, will not take place while the
purification is proceeding to its perfection; but will happen to those
in whom reason rules without opposition. Hence in these, the inferior
part will so venerate reason, that it will be indignant if it is at all
moved, in consequence of not being quiet when its master is present, and
will reprove itself for its imbecility. These, however, are yet only
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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