Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 2 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"Plutarch
Philosophy
Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 2 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"
Plutarch
Classical literature; Essays; Ethics; Philosophy
11. The first pair of these numbers consists of one and two, the second
of three and four, the third of five and six; neither of which pairs
make a tetragonal number, either by themselves or joined with any other
figures. The fourth consists of seven and eight, which, being added all
together, produce a tetragonal number of thirty-six. But the quaternary
of numbers set down by Plato have a more perfect generation, of even
numbers multiplied by even distances, and of odd by uneven distances.
This quaternary contains the unit, the common original of all even and
odd numbers. Subsequent to which are two and three, the first plane
numbers; then four and nine, the first squares; and next eight and
twenty-seven, the first cubical numbers (not counting the unit). Whence
it is apparent, that his intention was not that the numbers should be
placed in a direct line one above another, but apart and oppositely one
against the other, the even by themselves, and the odd by themselves,
according to the scheme here given. In this manner similar numbers will
be joined together, which will produce other remarkable numbers, as
well by addition as by multiplication.
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
[Illustration:
1
/\
/ \
2 / 5 \ 3
/ \
4 / 13 \ 9
/ \
8 / 35 \ 27
- - - - - - - -
]
12. By addition thus: two and three make five, four and nine make
thirteen, eight and twenty-seven make thirty-five. Of all which numbers
the Pythagoreans called five the nourisher, that is to say, the
breeding or fostering sound, believing a fifth to be the first of all
the intervals of tones which could be sounded. But as for thirteen,
they called it the remainder, despairing, as Plato himself did, of
being ever able to divide a tone into equal parts. Then five and
thirty they named harmony, as consisting of the two cubes eight and
twenty-seven, the first that rise from an odd and an even number, as
also of the four numbers, six, eight, nine, and twelve, comprehending
both harmonical and arithmetical proportion. Which nevertheless will be
more conspicuous, being made out in a scheme to the eye.
[Illustration]
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