With respect to the amity, however, which subsists in all things towards
all, Pythagoras delivered it in the clearest manner. And, the amity of
the Gods indeed towards men, he unfolded through piety and scientific
cultivation; but that of dogmas towards each other, and universally of
the soul towards the body, and of the rational towards the species of
the irrational part, through philosophy, and the theory pertaining to
it. With respect to the amity of men also towards each other; that of
citizens he delivered through sane legislation, but that of strangers
through a correct physiology; and that between man and wife, or
children, or brothers, and kindred, through unperverted communion. In
short, he unfolded the friendship of all things towards all, and still
farther, of certain irrational animals, through justice and a physical
connexion and association. But the pacification and conciliation of the
body, which is of itself mortal, and of its latent contrary powers, he
unfolded through health, and a diet and temperance conformable to this,
in imitation of the salubrious condition of the mundane elements. In all
these, however, Pythagoras is acknowledged to have been the inventor and
legislator of the summary comprehension of them in one and the same
name, which is that of friendship. And indeed he delivered such an
admirable friendship to his associates, that even now those who are
benevolent in the extreme towards each other, are said to belong to the
Pythagoreans. It is necessary therefore to narrate the discipline of
Pythagoras respecting these things, and the precepts which he used
towards his disciples.
These men, then, exhorted others to remove from true friendship, contest
and contention, and if possible, indeed, from all friendship; but if
not, at least from that which is parental, and universally from that
which pertains to seniors and benefactors. For to strive or contend with
such as these, in consequence of anger intervening, or some other
such-like passion, is not the salvation of the existing friendship. But
they said it is requisite that there should be the least possible scars
and ulcers in friendships; and that this will be the case, if those that
are friends know how to soften and subdue anger. If both indeed know
this, or rather the younger of the two, and who ranks in some one of the
above-mentioned orders [their friendship will be more easily preserved].
They also were of opinion, that corrections and admonitions, which they
called _pædartases_, should take place from the elder to the younger
with much suavity and caution; and likewise, that much sedulous and
appropriate attention should be manifested in admonitions. For thus they
will be decorous and beneficial. They also said, that confidence should
never be separated from friendship, neither seriously nor even in jest.
For it is no longer easy for the existing friendship to be in a sane
condition, when falsehood once insinuates itself into the manners of
those that acknowledge themselves to be friends. Again, according to
them, friendship should not be abandoned on account of misfortune, or
any other imbecility to which human life is incident; but they said,
that the only approvable rejection of a friend and friendship, is that
which arises from great and incorrigible vice. Likewise, that hatred
should not be voluntarily entertained against those who are not
perfectly bad; but that if it is once formed, it should be generously
and strenuously retained, unless the object of it changes his manners,
so as to become a better man. That the hostility also should not consist
in words, but in deeds; And that this war is legitimate and holy, when
it is conducted in such a way as it becomes one man to contend with
another.
They likewise said, that we should never, to the utmost of our power,
become the cause of dissension; but that we should as much as possible
avoid the source of it. That in the friendship also, which is intended
to be pure, the greater part of the things pertaining to it ought to be
definite and legitimate. And that these should be properly
distinguished, and should not be casual; and moreover, that we should be
careful that our conversation may never be negligently and casually
performed, but with modesty, benevolence, and good order. Also, that no
passion, such as desire, or anger, be rashly excited, and in a bad and
erroneous manner. And the same thing must be said of the remaining
passions and dispositions.
Moreover, that they did not decline foreign friendships carelessly, but
that they avoided and guarded against them, with the greatest sedulity;
and also, that they rigidly preserved friendship towards each other for
many ages, may be inferred from what Aristoxenus in his treatise On the
Pythagoric life, says he heard from Dionysius, the tyrant of Sicily,
when having fallen from monarchy he taught grammar at Corinth. For
Aristoxenus says as follows: “These men as much as possible prohibited
lamentations and tears, and every thing of this kind; and in a similar
manner adulation, entreaty, supplication, and the like. Dionysius,
therefore, having fallen from his tyranny and come to Corinth, narrated
to us the particulars concerning Phintias and Damon the Pythagoreans;
and these were respecting the one being sponsor for the death of the
other. But the mode of the suretyship was as follows: He said that
certain persons, who were familiar with him, had frequently made mention
of the Pythagoreans, defaming and reviling them, calling them arrogant,
and asserting that their gravity, their pretended fidelity, and apathy
would be laid aside, if any one should cause them to fall into [some
great] calamity. Certain persons however contradicting this, and
contention arising on the subject, recourse was had to artifice, and one
of the accusers of Phintias said before him, that he evidently conspired
with certain others against the life of Dionysius. This also was
testified by some that were present, and the charges against Phintias
appeared to be very probable. Phintias therefore was astonished at the
accusation. But when Dionysius had unequivocally said, that he had
accurately explored all these particulars, and that it was necessary
that he should die, Phintias replied, that if it appeared requisite to
him that this should take place, he requested that he would grant him
the remainder of the day, in order that he might settle his own affairs,
and also those of Damon. For those men lived together, and had all
things in common. Phintias, however, being the elder, the management of
the domestic concerns was for the most part undertaken by him. He
requested therefore, that Dionysius would suffer him to depart for this
purpose, and he would appoint Damon for his surety. Dionysius therefore
said that he wondered at the request, and that he asked him whether
there was any man who was willing to become security for the death of
another. But Phintias asserting that there was, Damon was sent for, who,
on hearing what had happened, said that he would become the sponsor, and
that he would remain there till Phintias returned. Dionysius therefore
said, that he was immediately astonished at these circumstances; but
that they who at first introduced the experiment, derided Damon as one
who would be caught, and said sneeringly that he would be the vicarious
stag. When therefore it was near sunset, Phintias came to die; at which
all that were present were astonished and subdued. But Dionysius said,
that having embraced and kissed the men, he requested that they would
receive him as the third into their friendship. They however would by no
means consent to a thing of this kind, though he entreated them to
comply with his request.” And these things are related by Aristoxenus,
who received them from Dionysius himself.
It is also said, that the Pythagoreans endeavoured to perform the
offices of friendship to those of their sect, though they were unknown
to, and had never been seen by each other, when they had received a
certain indication of the participation of the same doctrines; so that
from such friendly offices the assertion may be credited, that worthy
men, even though they should dwell in the most remote parts of the
earth, are mutually friends, and this before they become known to and
salute each other. It is said therefore, that a certain Pythagorean,
travelling through a long and solitary road on foot, came to an inn; and
there, from labor and other all-various causes, fell into a long and
severe disease, so as to be at length in want of the necessaries of
life. The inn-keeper, however, whether from commiseration of the man, or
from benevolence, supplied him with every thing that was requisite,
neither sparing for this purpose any assistance or expense. But the
Pythagorean falling a victim to the disease, wrote a certain symbol,
before he died, in a table, and desired the inn-keeper, if he should
happen to die, to suspend the table near the road, and observe whether
any passenger read the symbol. For that person, said he, will repay you
what you have spent on me, and will also thank you for your kindness.
The inn-keeper, therefore, after the death of the Pythagorean, having
buried, and paid the requisite attention to his body, had neither any
hopes of being repaid, nor of receiving any recompense from some one who
might read the table. At the same time, however, being surprised at the
request of the Pythagorean, he was induced to expose the writing in the
public road. A long time after, therefore, a certain Pythagorean passing
that way, having understood the symbol, and learnt who it was that
placed the table there, and having also investigated every particular,
paid the inn-keeper a much greater sum of money than he had disbursed.
It is likewise related of Clinias the Tarentine, that when he had learnt
that Prorus the Cyrenæan, who was zealously addicted to the Pythagorean
doctrines, was in danger of losing all his property, he sailed to
Cyrene, after having collected a sum of money, and restored the affairs
of Prorus to a better condition, not only incurring, in so doing, a
diminution of his own property, but despising the peril which he was
exposed to in the voyage. After the same manner also, Thestor
Posidoniates, having learnt from report alone, that Thymaridas Parius
the Pythagorean had fallen into poverty, from the possession of great
wealth, is said to have sailed to Parus, after having collected a large
sum of money, and thus reinstated Thymaridas in property. These
therefore are beautiful instances of friendship. _The decisions,
however, of the Pythagoreans respecting the communion of divine goods,
the concord of intellect, and things pertaining to a divine soul, are
much more admirable than the above examples. For they perpetually
exhorted each other, not to divulse the God within them. Hence all the
endeavour of their friendship both in deeds and words, was directed to a
certain divine mixture, to a union with divinity, and to a communion
with intellect and a divine soul._ But it is not possible to find any
thing better than this, either in what is uttered by words, or performed
by deeds. For I am of opinion, that all the goods of friendship are
comprehended in this. Hence, as we have collected in this, as in a
summit, all the prerogatives of the Pythagoric friendship, we shall omit
to say any thing further about it.