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
There was, however, a certain person named Hippomedon, an Ægean, a
Pythagorean and one of the Acusmatici, who asserted that Pythagoras gave
the reasons and demonstrations of all these precepts, but that in
consequence of their being delivered to many, and these such as were of
a more sluggish genius, the demonstrations were taken away, but the
problems themselves were left. Those however of the Pythagoreans that
are called _Mathematici_, acknowledge that these reasons and
demonstrations were added by Pythagoras, and they say still more than
this, and contend that their assertions are true, but affirm that the
following circumstance was the cause of the dissimilitude. Pythagoras,
say they, came from Ionia and Samos, during the tyranny of Polycrates,
Italy being then in a florishing condition; and the first men in the
city became his associates. But, to the more elderly of these, and who
were not at leisure [for philosophy], in consequence of being occupied
by political affairs, the discourse of Pythagoras was not accompanied
with a reasoning process, because it would have been difficult for them
to apprehend his meaning through disciplines and demonstrations; and he
conceived they would nevertheless be benefited by knowing what ought to
be done, though they were destitute of the knowledge of the _why_: just
as those who are under the care of physicians, obtain their health,
though they do not hear the reason of every thing which is to be done to
them. But with the younger part of his associates, and who were able
both to act and learn,—with these he conversed through demonstration and
disciplines. These therefore are the assertions of the Mathematici, but
the former, of the Acusmatici. With respect to Hippasus however
especially, they assert that he was one of the Pythagoreans, but that in
consequence of having divulged and described the method of forming a
sphere from twelve pentagons,[22] he perished in the sea, as an impious
person, but obtained the renown of having made the discovery. In
reality, however, this as well as every thing else pertaining to
geometry, was the invention of _that man_; for thus without mentioning
his name, they denominate Pythagoras. But the Pythagoreans say, that
geometry was divulged from the following circumstance: A certain
Pythagorean happened to lose the wealth which he possessed; and in
consequence of this misfortune, he was permitted to enrich himself from
geometry. But geometry was called by Pythagoras _Historia_. And thus
much concerning the difference of each mode of philosophising, and the
classes of the auditors of Pythagoras. For those who heard him either
within or without the veil, and those who heard him accompanied with
seeing, or without seeing him, and who are divided into interior and
exterior auditors, were no other than these. And it is requisite to
arrange under these, the political, economic and legislative
Pythagoreans.
CHAP. XIX.
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