Part 1

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Italic text is denoted by underscores.

Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been placed at the end of the book.

The Table of Contents was created by the Transcriber and has been placed in front of the Introduction.

Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.

Political and Ethical Fragments.

POLITICAL FRAGMENTS

ARCHYTAS, CHARONDAS, ZALEUCUS,

AND OTHER

ANCIENT PYTHAGOREANS,

PRESERVED BY STOBÆUS;

AND ALSO,

ETHICAL FRAGMENTS

Hierocles,

THE CELEBRATED COMMENTATOR ON THE GOLDEN PYTHAGORIC VERSES,

PRESERVED BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK

BY THOMAS TAYLOR.

Αβαπτιστος ειμι φελλος ως υπερ ερκος αλμας. PIND. PYTH. OD. 2. Just like a cork unmerged I keep On the broad barrier of the deep.

Chiswick:

PRINTED BY C. WHITTINGHAM, COLLEGE HOUSE;

FOR THE TRANSLATOR, MANOR PLACE, WALWORTH.

1822.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION. POLITICAL FRAGMENTS OF THE PYTHAGOREANS. FROM THE TREATISE OF HIPPODAMUS THE THURIAN ON A REPUBLIC. FROM THE TREATISE OF DIOTOGENES ON SANCTITY. FROM THE TREATISE OF ARCHYTAS ON LAW AND JUSTICE. AND IN ANOTHER PART OF THE SAME WORK. IN ANOTHER PART ALSO OF THE SAME WORK. ON THE MUTATIONS OF POLITIES, FROM THE TREATISE OF HIPPODAMUS ON A POLITY. FROM DIOTOGENES IN HIS TREATISE CONCERNING A KINGDOM. AND IN ANOTHER PART OF THE SAME TREATISE. FROM THE TREATISE OF STHENIDAS THE LOCRIAN, ON A KINGDOM. FROM THE TREATISE OF ECPHANTUS, THE CROTONIAN, ON A KINGDOM. AND IN ANOTHER PART OF THE SAME WORK. FROM ARCHYTAS. FROM THE TREATISE OF DIOTOGENES ON SANCTITY. THE PREFACE OF CHARONDAS, THE CATANEAN, TO HIS TREATISE OF LAWS. THE PREFACE OF ZALEUCUS, THE LOCRIAN, TO HIS LAWS. FROM THE TREATISE OF CALLICRATIDAS ON THE FELICITY OF FAMILIES. AND IN ANOTHER PART OF THE SAME WORK. AND AGAIN, IN ANOTHER PART OF THE SAME WORK. FROM THE TREATISE OF PERICTYONE ON THE DUTIES OF A WOMAN. FROM THE TREATISE OF PERICTYONE ON THE HARMONY OF A WOMAN. ON THE REVERENCE DUE TO PARENTS. FROM THE APOPHTHEGMS OF ARISTOXENUS, THE TARENTINE. AND IN THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE SAME WORK. FROM THE TREATISE OF PEMPELUS ON PARENTS. FROM THE TREATISE OF PHINTYS, THE DAUGHTER OF CALLICRATES, ON THE TEMPERANCE OF A WOMAN. ETHICAL FRAGMENTS OF HIEROCLES, HOW WE OUGHT TO CONDUCT OURSELVES TOWARDS THE GODS. HOW WE OUGHT TO CONDUCT OURSELVES TOWARDS OUR COUNTRY. AFTER WHAT MANNER WE OUGHT TO CONDUCT OURSELVES TOWARDS OUR PARENTS. ON FRATERNAL LOVE. ON WEDLOCK. HOW WE OUGHT TO CONDUCT OURSELVES TOWARDS OUR [OTHER] KINDRED. ON ECONOMICS.

INTRODUCTION.

The collection of PYTHAGORIC FRAGMENTS contained in this volume must be considered by every one as highly valuable if their antiquity only is regarded; but by the lover of genuine wisdom they will be deemed inestimable, as proceeding from the school of the father of philosophy.

Of the greater part of the authors of these fragments little more than the country in which they lived is known. But of Charondas, and Zaleucus, those celebrated legislators, Seneca in his 90th Epistle informs us that they learnt their laws in the silent and sacred recess of Pythagoras. Though Seneca, however, Diodorus Siculus, Diogenes Laertius, Porphyry, and Iamblichus make both Charondas and Zaleucus to be the disciples of Pythagoras; yet Dr. Bentley, in his Dissertation on Phalaris, seems more disposed to think that they were not Pythagoreans than that they were. At the conclusion, however, of his discussion of this subject he says, “I do not assert any thing positively on either side of this whole debate about the two lawgivers [Charondas and Zaleucus]. I rather desire to stand a neuter, till the matter shall be decided by some abler hand.” But the man of intellect who reads this concession of the doctor, will doubtless laugh when he finds him also asserting, “Thus much I am sure may be safely concluded, that if Zaleucus was really Pythagoras’ disciple, the learned Mr. Dodwell’s calculation must be wrong [respecting the age of Pythagoras]. For which is more probable, that a Mr. Dodwell was mistaken in this particular, or that Diodorus Siculus, Laertius, Porphyry, and Iamblichus were wrong, who lived so many centuries prior to him, and who were able to derive information so much more decisive respecting Zaleucus, through books which were then extant, but which have long since utterly perished? By Vossius, however, who, though he was not perhaps so great a verbal critic as Bentley, was certainly a man of more intellect, the whole of these fragments were considered as precious monuments; and he wonders, and is at the same time indignant, at their not being more frequently perused.