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youth, “I am able to learn and receive your Arithmetics without it.” Pythagoras replied, “But I have not sufficient to find food for myself, wherefore I must now give over to acquire necessaries for everyday, and daily food; nor is it fit now to be taken up with tables and fruitless studies.” Whereupon the young man, loathe to be hindered from continuing his learning, replied, “I will supply you, and in some manner requite you; for I will give you for every scheme three oboli.”
And from thenceforward became so much in love with Mathematics, that he alone of all the Samians was commended with Pythagoras, being likewise of the same name, son of Eratocles. His Aleiptiek Commentaries are extant, and his directions to the wrestlers of the time, to eat flesh instead of dried figs—which by some are falsely ascribed to Pythagoras the son of Mnesarchus (as was formerly intimated), but by Pliny, 93 to one of that name who professed exercises of the body, which agrees with the relation of Iamblichus.
CHAPTER 12
H IS O RATION TO THE Y OUNG M EN
S ome few days after, he went into the public school, and the young men flocking to him, it is said that he made discourses to them wherein he exhorted them to respect their elders, declaring the following: 141
That in the world, and in life, and in cities, and in nature, that which is precedent in time is more honorable than that which is subsequent: as the east than the west, the morning than the evening, the beginning than the end, generation than corruption, natives than strangers. In like manner: in colonies the leader and planner of cities; and generally the gods than daemons, daemons than semi-gods, heroes than men—and of these (men), the cause of generation than the younger.
This he said by way of induction, to make them have a greater esteem of their parents, to whom he said they had as much obligation as a dead man might owe to him that should raise him again to life. Moreover, that it was just to love above all, and never to afflict, the first and those who have done us greatest benefits. But parents only, by the benefit of generation, are the first. And predecessors are the causes of all things that succeed rightly to their successors; showing, that they are nothing less beneficial to us than the gods, against whom it is not possible to offend in so doing.
And the gods themselves cannot but in justice pardon those who reverence their parents equal to them; for it is from them that we learn to worship the deity; whence Homer gives the king of the gods the same style, calling him, Father of Gods and Mortals. And many other fabulous writers have delivered that the chief of the gods was ambitious to make up the divided love of children by a new conjunction of parents. And for this end, making a new supposition of father and mother, Jupiter brought forth Minerva, Juno, and Vulcan, of a contrary sex to their own, that they might participate of that love which was more remote.
Now all persons granting the judgment of the gods to be strongest, he demonstrated this particularly to the people of Croto. Becausethat Hercules was of affinity with them, therefore they ought willingly to obey the injunctions of their parents, since they understood that this god, in obedience to another elder than himself, underwent his labors and presented to his father, as the song of victory of his actions, the Olympic Games.
He declared likewise that in their conversation to one another, they should so behave themselves that they might hereafter never become enemies to their friends, but might soon become friends to their enemies; as to their friends, they should never become enemies, but to their enemies quickly become their friends. 142 And that they should study in their behavior towards their elders, their reverence towards their parents, and in their love to one another, their community towards their brethren.
Furthermore he discoursed concerning Temperance, saying, that young men
And from thenceforward became so much in love with Mathematics, that he alone of all the Samians was commended with Pythagoras, being likewise of the same name, son of Eratocles. His Aleiptiek Commentaries are extant, and his directions to the wrestlers of the time, to eat flesh instead of dried figs—which by some are falsely ascribed to Pythagoras the son of Mnesarchus (as was formerly intimated), but by Pliny, 93 to one of that name who professed exercises of the body, which agrees with the relation of Iamblichus.
CHAPTER 12
H IS O RATION TO THE Y OUNG M EN
S ome few days after, he went into the public school, and the young men flocking to him, it is said that he made discourses to them wherein he exhorted them to respect their elders, declaring the following: 141
That in the world, and in life, and in cities, and in nature, that which is precedent in time is more honorable than that which is subsequent: as the east than the west, the morning than the evening, the beginning than the end, generation than corruption, natives than strangers. In like manner: in colonies the leader and planner of cities; and generally the gods than daemons, daemons than semi-gods, heroes than men—and of these (men), the cause of generation than the younger.
This he said by way of induction, to make them have a greater esteem of their parents, to whom he said they had as much obligation as a dead man might owe to him that should raise him again to life. Moreover, that it was just to love above all, and never to afflict, the first and those who have done us greatest benefits. But parents only, by the benefit of generation, are the first. And predecessors are the causes of all things that succeed rightly to their successors; showing, that they are nothing less beneficial to us than the gods, against whom it is not possible to offend in so doing.
And the gods themselves cannot but in justice pardon those who reverence their parents equal to them; for it is from them that we learn to worship the deity; whence Homer gives the king of the gods the same style, calling him, Father of Gods and Mortals. And many other fabulous writers have delivered that the chief of the gods was ambitious to make up the divided love of children by a new conjunction of parents. And for this end, making a new supposition of father and mother, Jupiter brought forth Minerva, Juno, and Vulcan, of a contrary sex to their own, that they might participate of that love which was more remote.
Now all persons granting the judgment of the gods to be strongest, he demonstrated this particularly to the people of Croto. Becausethat Hercules was of affinity with them, therefore they ought willingly to obey the injunctions of their parents, since they understood that this god, in obedience to another elder than himself, underwent his labors and presented to his father, as the song of victory of his actions, the Olympic Games.
He declared likewise that in their conversation to one another, they should so behave themselves that they might hereafter never become enemies to their friends, but might soon become friends to their enemies; as to their friends, they should never become enemies, but to their enemies quickly become their friends. 142 And that they should study in their behavior towards their elders, their reverence towards their parents, and in their love to one another, their community towards their brethren.
Furthermore he discoursed concerning Temperance, saying, that young men
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