Many also of the political actions of his followers are [deservedly]
praised. For it is reported that the Crotonians being once impelled to
make sumptuous funerals and interments, some one of them said to the
people, that he had heard Pythagoras when he was discoursing about
divine natures observe, that the Olympian Gods attended to the
dispositions of those that sacrificed, and not to the multitude of the
sacrifices; but that, on the contrary, the terrestrial Gods, as being
allotted the government of things less important, rejoiced in banquets
and lamentations, and farther still, in continual libations, in
delicacies, and in celebrating funerals with great expense. Whence, on
account of his wish to receive, Pluto is called Hades. He suffers,
therefore, those that slenderly honor him to remain for a longer time in
the upper world; but he always draws down some one of those who are
disposed to spend profusely in funeral solemnities, in order that he may
obtain the honors which take place in commemoration of the dead. In
consequence of this advice, the Crotonians that heard it were of
opinion, that if they conducted themselves moderately in misfortunes,
they would preserve their own salvation; but that if they were
immoderate in their expenses, they would all of them die prematurely. A
certain person also having been made an arbitrator in an affair in which
there was no witness, led each of the litigants to a certain monument,
and said to one of them, the man who is buried in this monument was
transcendently equitable; in consequence of which the other litigant
prayed that the dead man might obtain much good; but the former said
that the defunct was not at all better for the prayers of his opponent.
Pythagoras, therefore, condemned what the former litigant said, but
asserted that he who praised the dead man for his worth, had done that
which would be of no small importance in his claim to belief. At another
time, in a cause of great moment, he decided that one of the two who had
agreed to settle the affair by arbitration, should pay four talents, but
that the other should receive two. Afterwards, he condemned the
defendant to pay three talents; and thus he appeared to have given a
talent to each of them. Two persons also had fraudulently deposited a
garment with a woman who belonged to a court of justice, and told her
she was not to give it to either of them unless both were present. Some
time after, for the purpose of circumvention, one of them received the
common deposit, and said that it was with the consent of the other. But
the other, who had not been present [when the garment was returned],
acted the part of a sycophant, and related the compact that was made at
the beginning, to the magistrates. A certain Pythagorean, however,
taking up the affair said, that the woman had acted conformably to the
compact, as both parties had been present. Two other persons also
appeared to have a strong friendship for each other, but had fallen into
a silent suspicion through a flatterer of one of them, who told him that
his wife had been corrupted by the other. It so happened however, that a
Pythagorean came into a brazier’s shop, where he who conceived himself
to be injured, was showing to the artist a sword which he had given him
to sharpen, and was indignant with him because it was not sufficiently
sharp. The Pythagorean, therefore, suspecting that the sword was
intended to be used against him who was accused of adultery, said, This
sword is sharper than all things except calumny. This being said, caused
the man to consider with himself [what it was he intended to do], and
not rashly to sin against his friend who was within, and who had been
previously called [by him in order that he might kill him]. A zone also
that had golden ornaments having fallen [at the feet] of a certain
stranger in the temple of Esculapius, and the laws forbidding any one to
take up that which had fallen on the ground, a Pythagorean advised the
stranger, who was indignant at this prohibition, to take away the golden
ornaments which had not fallen to the ground, but to leave the zone,
because this was on the ground.[30] That circumstance, likewise, which
by the ignorant is transferred to other places, is said to have happened
in Crotona, viz. that during a public spectacle, some cranes flew over
the theatre, and one of those who had sailed into the port, said to the
person who sat near him, Do you see the witnesses? which being heard by
a certain Pythagorean, he brought them into the court, consisting of a
thousand magistrates, where being examined, it was found that they had
thrown certain boys into the sea, and that they called the cranes who
flew over the ship [at the time,] witnesses of the deed. When likewise
certain persons who had recently become disciples of Pythagoras were at
variance with each other, he who was the junior of the two came to the
other and said to him, that there was no occasion to refer the affair to
a third person, but that it rested with them to commit their anger to
oblivion. He, therefore, to whom these words were addressed, replied
that he was very much pleased in other respects with what had been said,
but that he was ashamed that, being the elder, he had not first said the
same thing to the other [who was the junior]. We might here also narrate
what is said of Phinthias and Damon,[31] of Plato and Archytas, and
likewise of Clinias and Prorus.[32] Omitting, however, these [for the
present], we shall mention what is related of Eubulus the Messenian, who
when he was sailing homeward, and was taken captive by the Tyrrhenians,
was recognized by Nausitheus a Tyrrhenian and also a Pythagorean,
because he was one of the disciples of Pythagoras, and was taken by him
from the pirates, and brought with great safety to Messena. When the
Carthaginians, also, were about to send more than five thousand soldiers
into a desert island, Miltiades the Carthaginian, perceiving among them
the Argive Possiden (both of them being Pythagoreans), went to him, and
not manifesting what he intended to do, advised him to return to his
native country, with all possible celerity, and having placed him in a
ship that was then sailing near the shore, supplied him with what was
necessary for his voyage, and thus saved the man from the dangers [to
which he was exposed]. In short, he who should relate all that has taken
place among the Pythagoreans in their associations with each other,
would by the length of his narration exceed the proper quantity and the
occasion of his treatise.
I shall therefore rather pass on to show, that some of the Pythagoreans
were political characters, and adapted to govern. For they were
guardians of the laws, and ruled over certain Italian cities, unfolding
to them, and counselling them to adopt the most excellent measures, but
abstaining from public revenues. And though they were greatly
calumniated, yet at the same time the probity of the Pythagoreans, and
the wish of the cities themselves prevailed, so that they were desired
by them to administer their political concerns. But at this time the
most beautiful of polities appear to have existed in Italy and in
Sicily. For Charondas the Catanean, who appears to have been one of the
best legislators, was a Pythagorean; as were also the Locrians Zaleucus
and Timares, who were celebrated for their legislation. Those also who
established the Rheginic polities, that polity which is called
Gymnasiarchic, and that which is denominated from Theocles, are said to
have been Pythagoreans. Phytius likewise, Theocles, Elecaon, and
Aristocrates, excelled among the Pythagoreans in their studies and
manners, which also the cities in those places adopted at those times.
In short, it is asserted that Pythagoras was the inventor of the whole
of political erudition, when he said that nothing is pure among things
that have an existence; but that earth participates of fire, fire of
air, air of water, and water of spirit. And in a similar manner the
beautiful participates of the deformed, the just of the unjust, and
other things conformably to these. From this hypothesis, however, the
reasoning tends to either part. He also said, that there are two motions
of the body and the soul; the one being irrational, but the other the
effect of deliberate choice. That three certain lines also constitute
polities, the extremes of which mutually touch each other, and produce
one right angle; so that one of them has the nature of the
sesquitertian; another that of the diapente; and the third is a medium
between the other two.[33] But when we consider by a reasoning process
the coincidences of the lines with each other, and also of the places
under these, we shall find that they represent the best image of a
polity. Plato has made the glory of this invention his own; for he
clearly says in his Republic, “that the sesquitertian progeny conjoined
with the pentad produces two harmonies.”[34] It is also said, that
Pythagoras cultivated the moderation of the passions, and mediocrity,
and that by the conjunction of a certain precedaneous good, he rendered
the life of each of his disciples happy. And in short, it is said that
he discovered the choice of our good, and of the works adapted to our
nature. It is likewise narrated of him, that he withdrew the Crotonians
from harlots, and universally from an association with women that were
not affianced. For the wives of the Crotonians came to Theano the wife
of Brontinus, one of the Pythagoreans, a woman of a wise and excellent
soul, (and who was the author of that beautiful and admirable saying,
“that it is lawful for a woman to sacrifice on the very day in which she
has risen from the embraces of her husband,” which some ascribe to
Theano the wife of Pythagoras) the Crotonian wives came therefore to
her, and entreated her to persuade Pythagoras to discourse to them on
the continence which was due from them to their husbands. This she
promised to do; and Pythagoras having accordingly made an oration to the
Crotonians, which had the desired effect, the incontinence which then
prevailed was entirely destroyed. It is further related likewise, that
when ambassadors came to the city of the Crotonians from Sybaris, for
the purpose of demanding the exiles, Pythagoras beholding one of the
ambassadors, who with his own hand had slain one of his friends, made
him no answer. But when the man interrogated him, and wished to converse
with him, Pythagoras said, that it was not lawful to discourse with
homicides. Whence also by certain persons he was thought to be Apollo.
All these particulars, therefore, and such as we have a little before
mentioned concerning the destruction of tyrants, and the liberation of
the cities of Italy and Sicily, and many other circumstances, are
indications of the benefits conferred on mankind by Pythagoras in
political concerns.