Pythagoras: His Life and Teaching, a Compendium of Classical Sources by James Wasserman, Thomas Stanley, Henry L. Drake, J Daniel Gunther Page A
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interpretation—appear to the hearers like old wives proverbs, trivial and foolish. But being rightly explained, and instead of dark, rendered lucid and conspicuous tothe vulgar, they discover an admirable sense no less than the divine oracle of Pythian Apollo, and give a divine inspiration to the philologists that understand them. 906
That therefore their benefit may be known, and their exhortative use manifest, we will give the solutions of every symbol, both after the exoteric and by the method of discourse, not omitting those things which were preserved in silence, not communicable to uninitiated persons. The Symbols are these:
When you go to the Temple, worship, neither do nor say anything concerning life.
If there be a Temple in your way, go not in; no not though you pass by the very doors.
Sacrifice and worship barefoot.
Concerning the gods, disbelieve nothing wonderful, nor concerning divine doctrines.
Decline highways, and take the foot-path!
Abstain from the Melanure, for it belongs to the Terrestrial gods.
Above all things, govern your tongue, when you follow the gods.
When the winds blow, worship the noise.
Cut not fire with a sword.
Turn away from the self every edge.
Help a man to take up a burden, but not to lay it down.
Put on the shoe first on the right foot, but the left foot first into the basin.
Discourse not of Pythagorean things without light.
Pass not over a pair of Scales.
Travelling from home, turn not back; for the Furies go back with you.
Pass not Urine, being turned towards the Sun.
Wipe not a seat with a torch.
A cock keep, but not sacrifice; for it is consecrated to the Moon and the Sun.
Sit not upon a Choenix.
Breed nothing that has crooked talons.
Cut not in the way.
Receive not a swallow into your house.
Wear not a ring.
Grave not the image of God on a ring.
Look not in a glass by candlelight.
Be not taken with immoderate laughter.
At a sacrifice, pare not your nails.
Lay not hold on everyone readily with your right hand.
When you rise out of bed, disorder the coverlet, and deface the print.
Eat not the heart.
Eat not the brains.
Spit upon the cuttings of your hair, and the parings of your nails.
Receive not an Erythrine.
Deface the print of a pot in the ashes.
Take not a woman that has gold, to get children of her.
First honor the figure and steps, a figure and a Triobolus.
Abstain from beans.
Set mallows, but eat it not.
Abstain from living creatures.
CHAPTER 3
A N E XPLICATION OF THE P YTHAGOREAN S YMBOLS BY I AMBLICHUS
A ll these symbols are in general exhortative to all virtue; and every one of them in particular conduces to some particular virtue, and part of philosophy, and learning; as the first are exhortative to devotion, and divine knowledge.
SYMBOL I
When you go to the temple, worship, neither do nor say anything concerning life. This exhortation observes the divinity after such manner, as it is in itself—pure and unmixed. He joins pure to the pure, and takes care, that no worldly business insinuate itself into the divine worship. For they are things wholly different and opposite to one another. Moreover, this conduces much to science; for we ought not to bring to the divine science any such thing as human consideration, or care of outward life. Thus nothing is hereby commanded, but that divine discourses, and sacred actions ought not to be intermixed with the instable manners of men.
SYMBOL II
To that is consonant the next symbol: If a temple lie in your way, go not in, not though you pass by the very doors. For if like is delightful to its like, it is manifest that the gods, having the chief essence of all things, ought to have the principal worship. But if any man does it upon occasion of any other thing, he makes that the second which is the first and chief of all; and by that means he subverts the whole order of worship, and science. The most excellent good ought not to be ranked in the latter place as inferior to human good; neither ought our own affairs to have the
That therefore their benefit may be known, and their exhortative use manifest, we will give the solutions of every symbol, both after the exoteric and by the method of discourse, not omitting those things which were preserved in silence, not communicable to uninitiated persons. The Symbols are these:
When you go to the Temple, worship, neither do nor say anything concerning life.
If there be a Temple in your way, go not in; no not though you pass by the very doors.
Sacrifice and worship barefoot.
Concerning the gods, disbelieve nothing wonderful, nor concerning divine doctrines.
Decline highways, and take the foot-path!
Abstain from the Melanure, for it belongs to the Terrestrial gods.
Above all things, govern your tongue, when you follow the gods.
When the winds blow, worship the noise.
Cut not fire with a sword.
Turn away from the self every edge.
Help a man to take up a burden, but not to lay it down.
Put on the shoe first on the right foot, but the left foot first into the basin.
Discourse not of Pythagorean things without light.
Pass not over a pair of Scales.
Travelling from home, turn not back; for the Furies go back with you.
Pass not Urine, being turned towards the Sun.
Wipe not a seat with a torch.
A cock keep, but not sacrifice; for it is consecrated to the Moon and the Sun.
Sit not upon a Choenix.
Breed nothing that has crooked talons.
Cut not in the way.
Receive not a swallow into your house.
Wear not a ring.
Grave not the image of God on a ring.
Look not in a glass by candlelight.
Be not taken with immoderate laughter.
At a sacrifice, pare not your nails.
Lay not hold on everyone readily with your right hand.
When you rise out of bed, disorder the coverlet, and deface the print.
Eat not the heart.
Eat not the brains.
Spit upon the cuttings of your hair, and the parings of your nails.
Receive not an Erythrine.
Deface the print of a pot in the ashes.
Take not a woman that has gold, to get children of her.
First honor the figure and steps, a figure and a Triobolus.
Abstain from beans.
Set mallows, but eat it not.
Abstain from living creatures.
CHAPTER 3
A N E XPLICATION OF THE P YTHAGOREAN S YMBOLS BY I AMBLICHUS
A ll these symbols are in general exhortative to all virtue; and every one of them in particular conduces to some particular virtue, and part of philosophy, and learning; as the first are exhortative to devotion, and divine knowledge.
SYMBOL I
When you go to the temple, worship, neither do nor say anything concerning life. This exhortation observes the divinity after such manner, as it is in itself—pure and unmixed. He joins pure to the pure, and takes care, that no worldly business insinuate itself into the divine worship. For they are things wholly different and opposite to one another. Moreover, this conduces much to science; for we ought not to bring to the divine science any such thing as human consideration, or care of outward life. Thus nothing is hereby commanded, but that divine discourses, and sacred actions ought not to be intermixed with the instable manners of men.
SYMBOL II
To that is consonant the next symbol: If a temple lie in your way, go not in, not though you pass by the very doors. For if like is delightful to its like, it is manifest that the gods, having the chief essence of all things, ought to have the principal worship. But if any man does it upon occasion of any other thing, he makes that the second which is the first and chief of all; and by that means he subverts the whole order of worship, and science. The most excellent good ought not to be ranked in the latter place as inferior to human good; neither ought our own affairs to have the
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