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
Since, however, Apollonius dissents in a certain place respecting these
particulars, and adds many things which we have not mentioned, we shall
also insert his narration of the stratagem employed against the
Pythagoreans. He says, therefore, that the envy of others attended
Pythagoras from his childhood. For as long as he conversed with all that
came to him, he was pleasing to them; but when he associated with his
disciples alone, the favourable opinion which the multitude entertained
of him was diminished. And they permitted him indeed, to pay more
attention to strangers than to themselves; but they were indignant at
his preferring some of their fellow-citizens before others, and they
apprehended that his disciples assembled together with intentions
hostile to them. In the next place, as the young men that were indignant
with him were of high rank, and surpassed others in wealth, and when
they arrived at a proper age, not only held the first honors in their
own families, but also managed the affairs of the city in common, they
formed a large body of men (for they were more than three hundred in
number) and in consequence of this there was but a small part of the
city, which was not conversant with the same manners and the same
pursuits as they were.
Moreover, as long as the Crotonians continued in their own country, and
Pythagoras dwelt with them, that form of government remained which had
been established when the city was founded, but which was not pleasing
to the people, and therefore induced them to seek an occasion of
producing a change. When therefore Sybaris was captured, and the land
taken in the war was not divided by lot, according to the desire of the
multitude, their silent hatred of the Pythagoreans burst forth, and the
populace separated themselves from them. But the leaders of this
dissension were those that were most near to the Pythagoreans, both by
alliance and familiarity. The cause however of the discord was this,
that many of the actions of the Pythagoreans offended these leaders, as
well as casual persons, because these actions had something peculiar in
them when compared with those of others. But in the greatest of these
actions they conceived that disgrace befel themselves alone.
Farther still, no one of the Pythagoreans called Pythagoras by his name,
but while he was alive, when they wished to denote him, they called him
_divine_; and after his death they denominated him _that man_; just as
Homer represents Eumæus when he makes mention of Ulysses, saying,
Him, tho’ he’s absent, yet I fear, O guest,
To name; such is the greatness of my love and care.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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