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
And thus far, indeed, we have thought it requisite to
mention this admirable and strenuous deed, the effect of his fortitude.
We shall however adduce another example of it, viz. the salvation of
legitimate opinion; for, preserving this, he performed that which
appeared to him to be just, and which was dictated by right reason, not
being diverted from his intention either by pleasure, or labor, or any
other passion, or danger. His disciples also chose to die rather than
transgress his mandates. And when they were exposed to all-various
fortunes, they preserved invariably the same manners. When also they
were involved in ten thousand calamities, they never deviated from his
precepts. But it was a never-failing exhortation with them, always to
give assistance to law, but to be hostile to illegality, and to be
accustomed from their birth to a life of temperance and fortitude, in
order to restrain and repel luxury. They had also certain melodies which
were devised by them, as remedies against the passions of the soul, and
likewise against despondency and lamentation, which Pythagoras invented,
as affording the greatest assistance in these maladies. And again, they
employed other melodies against rage and anger, through which they gave
intension and remission to these passions, till they reduced them to
moderation, and rendered them commensurate with fortitude. _That,
however, which afforded them the greatest support in generous endurance,
was the persuasion that no human casualties ought to be unexpected by
men who are in the possession of intellect, but that all things ought to
be expected by them, over which they have no absolute power._
Moreover, if at any time they happened to be angry, or sorrowful, they
immediately separated themselves from the rest of their associates, and
each by himself alone strenuously endeavoured to digest and heal the
passion [by which he was oppressed]. They also conceived generally, that
labor should be employed about disciplines and studies, and that they
should be severely exercised in trials of the most various nature, in
punishments and restraints by fire and sword, in order to be liberated
from innate intemperance, and an inexhaustible avidity of possessing;
and that for this purpose, no labors, nor any endurance should be
spared. In order to accomplish this likewise, they generously exercised
abstinence from all animals, and besides this, from certain other kinds
of food. Hence also arose their detention of speech, and their perfect
silence as preparatory to the subjugation of the tongue; in which for
many years they exercised their fortitude. To which also may be added,
their strenuous and assiduous investigation and resumption of the most
difficult theorems; and on account of these things, their abstinence
from wine, their paucity of food and sleep, and their contempt of glory,
wealth, and the like. And in conjunction with all these particulars,
they extended themselves to fortitude.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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