With respect to justice, however, we shall learn in the best manner, how
he cultivated and delivered it to mankind, if we survey it from its
first principle, and from what first causes it germinates, and also
direct our attention to the first cause of injustice. For thus we shall
discover how he avoided the latter, and what methods he adopted in order
that the former might be properly ingenerated in the soul. The principle
of justice therefore, is the common and the equal, through which, in a
way most nearly approximating to one body and one soul, all men may be
co-passive, and may call the same thing mine and thine; as is also
testified by Plato, who learnt this from the Pythagoreans. This
therefore, Pythagoras effected in the best manner, exterminating every
thing private in manners, but increasing that which is common as far as
to ultimate possessions, which are the causes of sedition and tumult.
For all things [with his disciples] were common and the same to all, and
no one possessed any thing private. And he indeed, who approved of this
communion, used common possessions in the most just manner; but he who
did not, received his own property, which he brought to the common
stock, with an addition to it, and departed. And thus he established
justice in the best manner, from the first principle of it.
In the next place, therefore, association with men introduces justice;
but alienation, and a contempt of the common genus, produce injustice.
Wishing therefore to insert this familiarity from afar in men, he also
ordained that his disciples should extend it to animals of the same
genus, and commanded them to consider these as their familiars and
friends; so as neither to injure, nor slay, nor eat any one of them. He
therefore who associates men with animals, because they consist of the
same elements as we do, and participate with us of a more common life,
will in a much greater degree establish fellowship with those who
partake of a soul of the same species, and also of a rational soul. From
this also it is evident that he introduced justice produced from the
most proper principle. Since likewise the want of riches, sometimes
compels many to do something contrary to justice, he well foresaw that
this would be the case, and through economy procured for himself liberal
expenses, and what was just in sufficient abundance. For again, a just
arrangement of domestic concerns is the principle of all good order in
cities. For cities are constituted from houses. It is said therefore,
that Pythagoras himself was the heir of the property of Alcæus, who died
after performing an embassy to the Lacedæmonians, but that
notwithstanding this, he was no less admired for his economy than for
his philosophy. When also he was married, he so educated the daughter
that was born to him, and who was afterwards married to Meno the
Crotonian, that when she was a virgin she was the leader of choirs, but
when a wife she held the first place among those that approached to
altars. It is likewise said, that the Metapontines preserving the
remembrance of Pythagoras after his time, made his house a temple of
Ceres, but the street in which he lived a museum.
Because also insolence, luxury, and a contempt of the laws, frequently
impel men to injustice, on this account he daily exhorted his disciples
to give assistance to law, and to be hostile to illegality. Hence he
made such a division as the following: that what is called luxury, is
the first evil that usually glides into houses and cities; that the
second is insolence; and the third destruction. That hence luxury should
by all possible means be excluded and expelled [from every house and
city,] and that men should be accustomed from their birth to a temperate
and manly life. He farther added, that it is requisite to be purified
from all malediction, whether it be that which is lamentable, or that
which excites hostility, and whether it be of a reviling, or insolent,
or scurrilous nature.
Besides these, likewise, he established another most beautiful species
of justice, viz. the legislative; which orders indeed what ought to be
done; but forbids what ought not to be done. This species, however, is
more excellent than the judicial form of justice. For it resembles
medicine which heals those that are diseased. It differs from it however
in this, that it does not suffer disease to commence, but pays attention
from afar to the health of the soul. This therefore being the case, the
best of all legislators came from the school of Pythagoras: in the first
place, indeed, Charondas the Catanæan; and in the next place, Zaleucus
and Timaratus, who wrote laws for the Locrians. Besides these likewise
there were Theætetus and Helicaon, Aristocrates, and Phytius, who became
the legislators of the Rhegini. All these likewise obtained from their
citizens honors similar to those of the Gods. For Pythagoras did not act
like Heraclitus, who said that he would write laws for the Ephesians,
and also petulantly[39] said, that in those laws he would order the
citizens to hang themselves. But Pythagoras endeavoured to establish
laws, with great benevolence and political science. Why however is it
requisite to admire these men? For Zamolxis being a Thracian, and the
slave of Pythagoras, after he had heard the discourses of Pythagoras,
having obtained his liberty, and returned to Getæ, gave laws to them, as
we have before observed in the beginning of this work, and exhorted the
citizens to fortitude, _having persuaded them that the soul is immortal.
Hence even at present, all the Galatæ, and Trallians, and many others of
the Barbarians, persuade their children that the soul cannot be
destroyed; but that it remains after death, and that death is not to be
feared, but danger is to be encountered with a firm and manly mind._
Having therefore instructed the Getæ in these things, and written laws
for them, he was considered by them as the greatest of the Gods.
Farther still, he apprehended that the dominion of the Gods was most
efficacious to the establishment of justice, and supernally from this he
constituted a polity and laws, and also justice. It will not however be
foreign to the purpose, to add particularly the manner in which he
thought we ought to conceive of divinity; viz. that we should conceive
that he exists, and that he is so disposed towards the human race, that
be inspects and does not neglect it. And this conception which the
Pythagoreans derived from Pythagoras, they apprehended to be of great
utility. For we require an inspection of this kind, which we do not in
any thing think fit to resist. But such as this is the inspective
government of divinity. Fop if a divine nature is a thing of this kind,
it deserves to have the empire of the universe. For it was rightly said
by the Pythagoreans, that man is an animal [so far as pertains to his
irrational part,] naturally insolent, and various, according to
impulses, desires, and the rest of the passions. He requires therefore
transcendent inspection and government of this kind, from which a
certain castigation and order may be derived. Hence they thought that
every one being conscious of the variety of his nature, should never he
forgetful of piety towards, and the worship of divinity; but should
always place him before the eye of the mind, as inspecting and
diligently observing the conduct of mankind. But after divinity and the
dæmoniacal nature, they thought that every one should pay the greatest
attention to his parents and the laws, and should be obedient to them,
not feignedly, but faithfully. And universally, they thought it
necessary to believe, that nothing is a greater evil than anarchy; since
the human race is not naturally adapted to be saved, when no one rules
over it.
These men also thought it right to adhere to the customs and legal
institutes of their ancestors, even though they should be somewhat
inferior to other customs and laws. For to fly from the existing laws,
and to be studious of innovation, is by no means profitable and
salutary. Pythagoras therefore gave many other specimens of piety to the
Gods, evincing that his life was conformable to his doctrines. Nor will
it be foreign to the purpose to mention one of them, which may serve to
elucidate the rest. But I will relate what Pythagoras said and did
relative to the embassy from Sybaris to Crotona, about demanding the
return of the exiles. For some of his associates were slain by order of
the ambassadors, one of whom slew a part of them with his own hands; but
another was the son of one of those who had excited the sedition, and
who died through disease. When the Crotonians therefore were
deliberating how they should act in this affair, Pythagoras said to his
disciples, that he was not willing the Crotonians should be so greatly
discordant in this affair, and that in his opinion, the ambassadors
should not even lead victims to the altars, much less ought they to drag
suppliants [i. e. the exiles] from them. But when the Sybarites came to
him with their complaints, and the man who had slain some of his
associates with his own hands, was defending his conduct, Pythagoras
said, that he should not answer [an homicide]. Hence, some persons
accused him of asserting that he was Apollo, because prior to this some
one having asked him about a certain object of inquiry, why the thing
was so; he in his turn asked the interrogator, if he would think fit to
inquire of Apollo when he was delivering oracles to him, why he
delivered them? But to another of the ambassadors who appeared to him to
deride his school, in which he taught the return of souls to the
supernal realms, and who said that he would give him an epistle to his
father, as he was about to descend into Hades, and exhorted him to bring
another letter in answer, from his father, when he returned; Pythagoras
replied, that he was not about to descend into the abode of the impious,
where he clearly knew that murderers were punished. But the ambassadors
reviling him, he proceeded to the sea, many persons following him, and
there sprinkled himself with marine water. Some one however of the
Crotonian counsellors, after reviling the rest of the ambassadors,
observed that he understood they had defamed Pythagoras, whom not even a
brute would dare to blaspheme, though all animals should again utter the
same voice as men, which fables report they did in the beginning of
things.
Pythagoras likewise discovered another method of restraining men from
injustice, through the judgment of souls, truly knowing indeed that this
method may be taught, and also knowing that it is useful to the
suppression of justice through fear. He asserted therefore, that it is
much better to be injured than to kill a man; for that judgment is
deposited in Hades, where the soul, and its essence, and the first
nature of beings, are properly estimated. Being desirous, however, to
exhibit in things unequal, without symmetry and infinite, a definite,
equal, and commensurate justice, and to show how it ought to be
exercised, he said, that justice resembles that figure, which is the
only one among geometrical diagrams, that having indeed infinite
compositions of figures, but dissimilarly disposed with reference to
each other, yet has equal demonstrations of power.[40] Since also, there
is a certain justice in making use of another person, such a mode of it
as the following, is said to have been delivered by the Pythagoreans: Of
associations with others, one kind is seasonable, but another is
unseasonable. These likewise are distinguished from each other by
difference of age, desert, the familiarity of alliance, and of
beneficence, and whatever else there may be of the like kind in the
different associations of men with each other. For there is a species of
association, viz. of a younger with a younger person, which does not
appear to be unseasonable; but that of a younger with an elderly person
is unseasonable. For no species of anger, or threatening, or boldness,
is becoming in a younger towards an elderly man, but all unseasonable
conduct of this kind should be cautiously avoided. A similar reasoning
likewise should be adopted with respect to desert. For it is neither
decorous, nor seasonable, to use an unrestrained freedom of speech, or
to adopt any of the above-mentioned modes of conduct, towards a man who
has arrived at the true dignity of consummate virtue. Conformably to
this also, was what he said respecting the association with parents, and
likewise with benefactors. He added, that there is a certain various and
multiform use of an opportune time. For of those that are enraged and
angry, some are so seasonably, but others unseasonably. And again, of
those that aspire after, desire, and are impelled to any thing
appetible, an opportune time is the attendant on some, and an
unseasonable time on others. And the same thing may be said concerning
other passions and actions, dispositions, associations, and meetings. He
farther observed, that an opportune time is _to a certain extent_, to be
taught, and also, that what happens contrary to expectation, is capable
of receiving an artificial discussion; but that when it is considered
universally and simply, none of the above-mentioned particulars pertain
to it. Nearly, however, such things are the attendants on it, as follow
the nature of opportune time, viz. what is called the florid, the
becoming, the adapted, and whatever else there may be homogeneous to
these. He likewise asserted, that principle [or the beginning] is in the
universe unity, and is the most honorable of things; and that in a
similar manner it is so in science, in experience, and in generation.
And again, that the number two is most honorable in a house, in a city,
in a camp, and in all such like systems. But that the nature of
principle is difficult to be surveyed and apprehended in all the
above-mentioned particulars. For in sciences, it is not the province of
any casual understanding to learn and judge, by well surveying the parts
of things, what the nature is of the principle of these. He added, that
it makes a great difference, and that there is danger with respect to
the knowledge of the whole of things, when principle is not rightly
assumed. For none, in short, of the consequent conclusions can be sane,
when the true principle is unknown. The same thing may also be said
respecting a principle of another kind. For neither can a house, or a
city, be well instituted, unless each has a true ruler, who governs
those that voluntarily submit to him. For it is necessary that in both
these the governor should be willing to rule, and the governed to obey.
Just as with respect to disciplines, when they are taught with proper
effect, it is necessary that there should be a concurrence in the will
both of the teacher and learner. For if there is a resistance on the
part of either, the proposed work will never be accomplished in a proper
manner. Thus therefore, he proved, that it was beautiful to be persuaded
by rulers, and to be obedient to preceptors. But he exhibited the
following as the greatest argument through deeds, of the truth of his
observations. He went from Italy to Delos, to Pherecydes the Syrian, who
had been his preceptor, in order that he might afford him some
assistance, as he was then afflicted with what is called the morbus
pedicularis, and he carefully attended him to the time of his death, and
piously performed whatever rites were due to his dead preceptor. So
diligent was he in the discharge of his duties to him from whom he had
received instruction.
Moreover, with respect to compacts and the veracity pertaining to them,
Pythagoras so prepared his disciples for the observance of them, that,
as it is said, Lysis having once performed his adorations in the temple
of Juno, met, as he was departing from it, about the vestibules with
Euryphamus the Syracusan, who was one of his fellow disciples, and was
then entering into the temple. Euryphamus therefore desiring Lysis to
wait for him, till he also had adored the Goddess, Lysis sat down on a
stone seat which was placed there. Euryphamus however having finished
his adoration, and becoming absorbed in certain profound conceptions,
forgot his appointment, and went out of the temple through another gate.
But Lysis waited for him without quitting his seat, the remainder of
that day and the following night, and also the greater part of the next
day. And perhaps he would have staid there for a still longer time,
unless Euryphamus on the following day, had heard in the auditory, that
Lysis was wanted by his associates. Recollecting therefore his compact,
he came to Lysis, and liberated him from his engagement, at the same
time telling him the cause of his forgetfulness, and added, “Some God
produced in me this oblivion, as a trial of your firmness in preserving
your compacts.” Pythagoras likewise ordained abstinence from animal
food, for many other reasons, and likewise because it is productive of
peace. For those who are accustomed to abominate the slaughter of
animals as iniquitous and preternatural, will think it to be much more
unlawful to kill a man, or engage in war. But war is the leader and
legislator of slaughter. For by this it is increased, and becomes strong
and powerful. Not to step also above the beam of the balance, is an
exhortation to justice, announcing, that whatever is just should be
cultivated, as will be shown when we discuss the Pythagoric symbols. It
appears therefore, through all these particulars, that Pythagoras paid
great attention to the exercise of justice, and to the delivery of it to
mankind, both in deeds and in words.