Pythagoras: His Life and Teaching, a Compendium of Classical Sources (18 page)

CHAPTER 7

T
HE
T
RIAD

T
he Triad is the first number actually odd: the first perfect number. It is middle and proportion.
⁴³²
It causes the power of the Monad to proceed to act and achieve extension. It is the first and proper joining together of unities.
⁴³³
For which reason Pythagoras said, Apollo gave oracles from a tripod; and he advised to offer libation three times.

The Names of the triad are these:

First Latitude
, not simply Latitude.
⁴³⁴

Saturnia, Latona, Cornucopiae, Ophion, Thetis, Harmonia, Hecate, Erana, Charitia, Polyhymnia, Pluto, Arctus, Helice.
Not descending to the Ocean,
Damatrame, Dioscoria, Metis, Tridume, Triton, President of the Sea, Tritogenia, Achelous, Naclis, Agyiopeza
(perhaps
“silver-footed,”† as before, Thetis),
Curetis, Crataeis, Symbenia, Mariadge, Gorgonia, Phorcia, TriSamos, Lydius
.
⁴³⁵

Marriage, Friendship, Peace, Concord
,
⁴³⁶
because it collects and unites, not similars, but contraries.
⁴³⁷

Justice
.
⁴³⁸

Prudence, Wisdom;
because men order the present, foresee the future, and learn Experience by the past.
⁴³⁹

Piety
,
⁴⁴⁰
Temperance
.
⁴⁴¹
All Virtues depend upon this number, and proceed from it.

It is the
Mind.
It is the
Cause of Wisdom and Understanding.
It is
Knowledge
which is most proper to number.

It is the
power and composition of all music
, and much more of
geometry.
It has all
power in Astronomy
, and the nature and knowledge of celestials, containing and impelling it to the production of substance.

The cube of this number, Pythagoras affirmed to have the power of the lunar circle, inasmuch as the Moon goes round her orb in twenty-seven days, which the number Ternio, in Greek
, the triad gives in its cube.
⁴⁴²

CHAPTER 8

T
HE
T
ETRAD

T
he Tetrad was much honored by the Pythagoreans.
⁴⁴³
It was esteemed the most perfect number,
⁴⁴⁴
the primary and earliest formed, which they called the root of all things, and the fountain of nature.
⁴⁴⁵

The Tetrads are all intellectual and have an emergent order. They are, for that reason, the empyreal prefecture; they go round about the world as the Empyrean passes through all.
⁴⁴⁶

Even God himself Pythagoras expressed by the Tetrad.

How God is a Tetrad, you will clearly find in the sacred discourse ascribed to Pythagoras, wherein God is described as the number of numbers.
⁴⁴⁷
For if all beings subsist by his eternal counsel, it is manifest, that number in every species of beings depends upon their causes. The first number is there, from thence derived hither. The determinate stop of number is the Decad, for he who would reckon further, must return to one, two, three, and number a second Decad. In like manner, a third to make up thirty, and so on; till having numbered the tenth Decad, he comes to a 100. Again, he reckons from 100 in the same manner, and so may proceed to infinite by revolution of the Decad.

Now the Tetrad is the power of the Decad; for, before we arrive at the perfection of the Decad, we find a united perfection in the Tetrad—the Decad being made up by addition of one, two, three, and four.

Moreover, the Tetrad is an arithmetical mean between one and seven, equally exceeding and exceeded in number. It wants three
of seven, and exceeds one by three. Monad, as being the mother of numbers, contains all their powers within itself.

The Hebdomad [i.e., the number seven]—as being motherless, and a virgin—possesses the second place in dignity. For it is not made up of any number within the Decad—as four is of twice two; six of twice three; eight of twice four; nine thrice three; and ten of twice five. Neither does it make up any number within the Decad—as two makes four; three makes six; five makes ten.

But the Tetrad, lying between the unbegotten Monad and the motherless Hebdomad, comprehends all powers, both of the productive and produced numbers. For this of all numbers under ten is made of a certain number, and makes a certain number; the Duad doubled makes a Tetrad, the Tetrad doubled makes eight.

Besides, the first solid figure is found in a Tetrad. For a point is correspondent to Monad, a line to Duad (because drawn from one point to another), a
superficies
to Triad (because it is the most simple of all rectilinear figures). But a solid properly agrees with the Tetrad. For the first pyramid is in a Tetrad; the base is triangular, so that at the bottom is a three, at the top one.

Furthermore, the judicative power in things is four: mind, science, opinion, and sense. For all beings are determined to be either mind, science, opinion, or sense. For which reason Pythagoras affirmed the soul of man to consist of a Tetrad.
⁴⁴⁸

Finally, the Tetrad connects all beings, elements, numbers, seasons of the year,
Coaevous
society. Neither can we name anything
which depends not on the Tetractys as its root and principle. For it is, as we have said, the maker and cause of all things—intelligible God, author of celestial and sensible good. The knowledge of these things was delivered to the Pythagoreans by Pythagoras himself. Hitherto Hierocles.

For this reason the word “Tetractys” was used by Pythagoras and his disciples as a great oath. They, likewise, out of respect to their master, forbearing his name, did swear by the person that communicated the Tetractys to them.

Eternal Nature's Fountain I attest,
Who the Tetractys to our Soul express't.

But Plutarch interprets this Tetractys (which he says was also called
, World) to be thirty-six, which consists of the first four odd numbers, thus:
⁴⁴⁹

The names of the Tetrad are these:

Another Goddess, Multideity, Pantheos, Fountain of Natural Effects
.
⁴⁵⁰

Key-keeper of Nature:
because the universal constitution cannot be without it. To these sciences it confers constitution and settlement, and reconciles them. Yea, it is nature itself and truth.
⁴⁵¹

Nature of Aeolus
⁴⁵²
from its various property.
⁴⁵³

Hercules, Impetuosity, Most Strong, Masculine, Ineffeminate, Mercury, Vulcan, Bacchus, Soritas, Maiades, Erinnius, Socus, Dioscorus, Bassarius, Two-mother'd, of Feminine Form, of Virile performance, Bacchation
.
⁴⁵⁴

Harmony
⁴⁵⁵
because it has a
sesquitertia
.
⁴⁵⁶

Urania
the Muse.
⁴⁵⁷
World
.
⁴⁵⁸

Body:
as a Point is one, a Line two, a Superficies three.

Soul
, because it consists of mind, science, opinion and sense.
⁴⁵⁹

First Profundity
, as it is a body.
⁴⁶⁰

Justice.
The property of justice is compensation and equality. This number is the first evenly even. And whatsoever is the first in any kind is most that thing. This, they said, was the Tetrad, because being quadrate, it is divided into equals and is itself equal.
⁴⁶¹