Pythagoras: His Life and Teaching, a Compendium of Classical Sources (35 page)

M
EDICINE

T
o physic we shall annex, as its immediate consequent, medicine. Apuleius affirms that Pythagoras learned the remedies and cures of diseases from the Chaldeans.
⁸⁷¹
Laertius, that he neglected not medicine.
⁸⁷²
Aelian, that he studied it accurately.
⁸⁷³
Iamblichus, that the Pythagoreans esteem it not the least of the sciences.
⁸⁷⁴
Lastly, Diogenes relates of Pythagoras that whenever his friends fell into any indisposition of body, he cured them.
⁸⁷⁵

Health Pythagoras defined as the consistence of a form. Sickness, the violation of it.
⁸⁷⁶

CHAPTER 1

D
IETETICS

O
f medicine, the Pythagoreans chiefly applied themselves to the Dietetic part, and were most exact in that. They endeavored first to understand the proportion, not only of labor, but likewise of food and rest.
⁸⁷⁷
Then concerning the dressing of such meats, they were almost the first who endeavored to comment and to define.

Forasmuch as diet does much conduce to good institution, being wholesome and regular, let us examine what he decreed therein. Of meats, he absolutely disallowed such as are flatulent and disorder the body. On the contrary, he approved and commanded those which confirm and unite the constitution—whence he judged millets to be a convenient food.

But he also wholly forbade such meats as are not used by the gods, because they separate us from the correspondence which we have with them.

Likewise he advised to abstain from such meats as are esteemed sacred, which deserve a respect, and are nothing convenient for the ordinary use of man.

Whatsoever meats obstructed divination, or were prejudicial to the purity and sanctity of the mind, or to temperance and habitual virtue, he advised to shun. As also those which are contrary to purity, and defile the Imaginations which occur in sleep, and the other purities of the soul, he rejected and avoided.
⁸⁷⁸

These rules concerning diet he prescribed generally to all persons, but more particularly to philosophers who are most addicted to contemplation of the sublimest things.
⁸⁷⁹
He denied at once all superfluous meats as were unlawful to be eaten, not permitting them at any time to feed on that which had life, or to drink wine, or to sacrifice to the gods any living creature, or hurt any of them. But he commanded with all exactness to preserve the justice which belongs even to them. In this manner he lived himself, abstaining from the flesh of living creatures, and worshipping unbloody altars. He took care that others should not put tame beasts to death. And himself making the savage tame, and moderating and instituting them
both by words and actions; but by no means would he punish or kill them.

He likewise commanded civil lawgivers to abstain from the flesh of living creatures, because it behooved them—who would make use of the height of justice—no way to injure living creatures which are of affinity with us. For how can they persuade other men to do just things, who themselves are transported by avarice to feed on living creatures—which are of affinity with us; allied in a manner to us; and, through the community of life, consisting of the temperament and commixture of the same elements.
⁸⁸⁰

But to others whose life was not extraordinary pure, sacred, and philosophical, he prescribed a certain time for abstinence.
⁸⁸¹
To those he decreed that they should not eat the heart, and that they should not eat the brain. And these are prohibited to all Pythagoreans: for they are leaders, and, as it were, seats and houses of wisdom and life. But these were consecrated by the nature of the divine word.

In like manner he prohibited mallows, as being the first messenger and interpreter of celestial affections, and (as I may say) compassions towards men.

Likewise he commanded to abstain from the melanure (a fish so called from the blackness of its tail) because it is peculiar to the terrestrial deities.

He forbade also the
Erythrine
for the like reasons.

Also to abstain from beans, for many reasons divine and natural, referring to the soul.

The Pythagoreans at dinner used bread and honey.
⁸⁸²
Wine they drank not between meals. At supper, wine, and grain, and bread, and broth, and herbs, both raw and boiled. They likewise set before them the flesh of sacrificed beasts. They seldom ate broths of fish, because some of them are in some respects very hurtful. Likewise seldom the flesh of such creatures as do not hurt mankind.

As concerning the diet of Pythagoras himself,
⁸⁸³
his dinner consisted of honeycombs or honey; his supper of bread made of millet. He ate bread with a relish or spread made of boiled or raw salads, very seldom of the flesh of sacrificed victims (and that not promiscuously of every part), and seldom of seafish.
⁸⁸⁴

When he chose to go into the private places of the gods and to
stay there a while, he used for the most part such meats as expelled hunger and thirst. For the expelling of hunger, he made a composition of the seed poppy, sesame, and the skin of the sea-onion—well-washed till it was quite drained of the outward juice; of the flowers of the daffadil, and the leaves of mallows, of barley and pea. Of all these, taking an equal weight, and chopping them small, he made up into a mass with Hymettian honey. Against thirst, he took of the seeds of cucumbers, and the fullest dried raisins (taking out the kernels), and the flower of coriander, and the seeds of mallows, and purselain, and scraped cheese, meal and cream; these he mixed up with wild honey.
⁸⁸⁵
This diet he said was taught to Hercules by Ceres when he was sent into the Lybian deserts.
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CHAPTER 2

T
HERAPEUTIC

T
he Therapeutic part Pythagoras practiced by Poultices, Charms, and Music. The Pythagoreans (says Iamblichus) treated chiefly by poultices; but potions they less esteemed. And of those they used only such as were proper against ulcerations; but incision, and cauterizing they absolutely disallowed.

Magical Herbs, says Pliny, were first celebrated in our part of the world by Pythagoras, following the Magi.
⁸⁸⁷
He first wrote a treatise on their virtues, assigning the invention and original to Apollo and Aesculapius, Immortal gods.

By
Coriacesia
and
Callicia
, says Pliny, Pythagoras affirms that water will be turned into ice. I find in others no more concerning this.
⁸⁸⁸

He likewise speaks of Menais, which he also calls by another name “Corinthas.” The juice whereof boiled in water, he says, immediately cures the biting of serpents when treating with moist heat the part therewith. The same juice being spilt upon the grass, they who tread upon it, or are besprinkled therewith, die irrecoverably: a strange nature of poison except against poison.
⁸⁸⁹

There is an herb that Pythagoras called “Aproxis,” the root whereof takes fire at distance, as does naptha, of which says Pliny, we have spoken in the wonders of the Earth.
⁸⁹⁰
The same Pythagoras relates: that if any disease shall happen to men when the Aproxis is in its flower, although they be cured, yet shall they constantly have some grudging thereof as often as it blows; and wheat, and hemlock, and violet, have the same quality. “I am not ignorant,” adds Pliny, “that this book is by some ascribed to Cleemporus, the physician. But pertinacious fame and antiquity vindicate it to Pythagoras.”

Pythagoras wrote also one volume concerning the sea onion, collecting the medicinal properties thereof, which Pliny professes to have taken from him.
⁸⁹¹
And again, Pliny says Pythagoras affirms that a sea-onion, hung over the threshold of the gate, hinders all ill medicaments from entering the house.

Likewise, coleworts (as Pliny relates) were much commended by Pythagoras.
⁸⁹²
He adds that concerning the white kind of the Eringo (by the Romans called
centum-capita)
, there are many vanities delivered, not only by the Magi, but by the Pythagoreans.
⁸⁹³

Besides the Pharmaceutic, Pythagoras practiced two other ways of cure—one by music, the other by charm. Of the first we have already spoken. Of the second, Iamblichus relates that there is also a way, without the singing of birds, by which they expelled some passions, and sicknesses. As they say indeed by incantation. Whence it seems was derived the word
, the way of cure by charm—which was, says the Greek etymologist,
⁸⁹⁴
of ancient use. Whence wrote Homer:

—And staid the black blood by a Charm!
⁸⁹⁵

and Pindar, speaking of Aesculapius,

[“tending them”] with soft charms.†

That Pythagoras made use of poetic incantations is also affirmed by Porphyry. He allayed, says he, the passions of the soul and body by rythms, verses, and incantations. And Diogenes, cited by Porphyry, said that if his friends fell into any indisposition of body, he healed them; if they were troubled in mind, he assuaged their grief—partly by charms and magic verses, partly by music.
⁸⁹⁶
For he had some verses proper to the cure of the indispositions of the body; by singing which he restored the sick to their former health. He had other verses that procured forgetfulness of grief, assuaged anger, and suppressed inordinate desires.

Of these charms we find an instance preserved by Pliny, who describes it as an invention of Pythagoras which seldom fails against lameness, or blindness, or the like accidents. He prescribes that it be applied to the injured part: if on the right side, an uneven number of vowels of impositive words; if on the left, an even.
⁸⁹⁷

Section III: Symbols

CHAPTER
1

P
YTHAGORAS:
H
IS
S
YMBOLIC
W
AY
OF
T
EACHING

P
ythagoras had a two-fold manner of teaching: whatsoever he communicated to his auditors was delivered either plainly or symbolically.
⁸⁹⁸
We have hitherto treated of the plain way. We come now to the other, the symbolical.

He used by short sentences to prophesy an infinite, multiplex signification to his disciples after a symbolical manner.
⁸⁹⁹
No other than Apollo, by short answers, exhibits many imperceptible sentences. And nature herself, by small seeds most difficult, effects of this kind, such as the following:

—half is the whole's beginning.

This is an Apothegm of Pythagoras himself. Neither in that short verse only, but in others of the same kind, the most divine Pythagoras wrapped up sparks of truth for such as could enkindle them. He did so in a short way of speech, treasuring up concealed a most copious production of theory, such as this:

—to number all have reference.

And again
Friendship, Equality; and in the word
(World, or Heaven); and in the word Philosophy; and
and in that renowned word Tetractys. All these, and many more, did Pythagoras invent, for the benefit and rectification of such as conversed with him.

Some things likewise (says Porphyry) he spoke in a mystical way, that is symbolically, most of which are collected by Aristotle.
⁹⁰⁰
Such as when he called the Sea, a tear of Saturn;
⁹⁰¹
the two Bears, the hands of Rhea; the Pleiades, the lutes of the Muses; the Planets, the dogs of Proserpina;
⁹⁰²
the eyes, the gates of the Sun.
⁹⁰³

He made use of other symbols or aphorisms. For example: Go not over a balance; that is, shun avarice, etc. Thus Porphyry.
⁹⁰⁴
These are variously recited and interpreted by several authors. We shall begin with Iamblichus, as being herein of greatest credit.

Iamblichus, the Neoplatonist renowned for his work on Pythagorean philosophy, is said to have been the descendant of the priest-kings of Emesa. One such figure, Uranius Antoninus, led a revolt against the Romans in A.D. 253/4, while Iamblichus was a child. This gold aureus shows the portrait of Uranius Antoninus and the sacred stone of Emesa escorted in a chariot.

Photo courtesy of Numismatica Ars Classica