Golden Verses of Pythagoras 1 FOREMOST HONOR THE IMMORTAL DEITIES, AS THE LAW DEMANDS. 2 THEN REVERENCE THY OATH, AND THEN THE ILLUSTRIOUS CHAMPIONS, THEN VENERATE THE DIVINITIES UNDER THE EARTH, DUE RITES PERFORMING. 3 THEN HONOR THY PARENTS, AND ALL THY KINDRED. 4 AMONG OTHERS MAKE THE MOST VIRTUOUS THY FRIEND, LOVE TO MAKE USE OF THEIR KIND WORDS, AND LEARN FROM THEIR DEEDS THAT ARE USEFUL; 5 BUT ALIENATE NOT THE BELOVED COMRADE FOR TRIVIAL OFFENSES, BEAR ALL ONE CAN, WHAT ONE CAN, FOR POWER IS BOUND TO NECESSITY. 6 TAKE THIS WELL TO HEART: ONE MUST GAIN CONTROL OF ONES HABITS; FIRST OVER APPETITE, THEN SLUMBER, AND THEN LUXURY, AND ANGER. 7 WHAT BRINGS ONE SHAME, DO NOT UNTO OTHERS, NOR UNTO THYSELF, FOR THE HIGHEST OF DUTIES IS SELF INTEGRITY. 8 LET BALANCED ORDER BE PRACTICED IN WORDS AS IN DEEDS; THEN MAKE THE HABIT, NEVER INCONSIDERATELY TO ACT. 9 NEITHER FORGET THAT DEATH IS APPOINTED TO ALL, THAT POSSESSIONS HERE GLADLY GATHERED, HERE MUST BE LEFT. 10 WHATEVER SORROW THE FATE OF THE DEITIES MAY HERE SEND US, BEAR; WHATEVER MAY BEFALL ONE, WITH PATIENCE UNMURMURING; 11 TO RELIEVE IT, SO FAR AS ONE CAN, IS PERMITTED, BUT REFLECT THAT NOT MUCH MISFORTUNE HAS FATE GIVEN TO THE GOOD. 12 THE OPINION OF THE PEOPLE IS INCONSISTENT, NOW GOOD, AND NOW EVIL; SO LET THEM NOT INTIMIDATE ONE, NOR KEEP ONE FROM ONES PURPOSE. 13 IF FALSE SLANDER COME TO THY EARS, BEAR IT IN PATIENCE, YET THAT WHICH I AM NOW DECLARING, FULFIL IT FAITHFULLY. 14 LET NO ONE WITH SPEECH OR WITH DEEDS EVER DECEIVE THEE, TO DO OR TO SAY WHAT IS NOT THE BEST. 15 THINK BEFORE ACTING, THAT NOTHING STUPID RESULT; TO ACT THOUGHTLESSLY IS THE ROLE OF A FOOL. 16 WHATEVER WILL NOT LATER BRING ONE REPENTANCE, THAT ONE SHOULD CARRY THROUGH. 17 DO NOTHING BEYOND WHAT ONE KNOWS, YET LEARN WHAT ONE MAY NEED; THUS SHALL ONES LIFE GROW HAPPY. 18 DO NOT NEGLECT THE HEALTH OF THE BODY, KEEPING MEASURE IN EATING AND DRINKING, AND EVERY EXERCISE OF THE BODY, AND BY MEASURE IS MEANT WHAT WILL NOT LATER INDUCE PAIN. 19 FOLLOW CLEAN HABITS OF LIFE, BUT NOT THE LUXURIOUS, AVOID ALL THINGS WHICH WILL AROUSE ENVY. 20 AT THE WRONG TIME, NEVER BE UNRESTRAINED, AS IF ONE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS PROPER; NOR SHOW THYSELF STINGY, FOR AN APPROPRIATE MEASURE IS EVER THE BEST. 21 DO ONLY THOSE THINGS WHICH WILL NOT HARM THEE, AND DELIBERATE BEFORE ACTING. 224 NEVER LET SLUMBER APPROACH THY WEARIED EYELIDS, ERE THRICE ONE REVIEWS WHAT THEY THIS DAY HAVE DONE; WHEREIN HATH ONE SINNED? WHAT DID ONE? WHAT DUTY HAS BEEN NEGLECTED? ALL, FROM FIRST TO LAST REVIEW. 23 IF ONE HAS ERRED, GRIEVE IN ONES SPIRIT, REJOICING FOR ALL THAT WAS GOOD. 24 WITH ZEAL AND WITH INDUSTRY, THIS THEN REPEAT; AND LEARN TO REPEAT IT WITH JOY, THUS WILT ONE TREAD ON THE PATHS OF HEAVENLY VIRTUE; SURELY, I SWEAR IT BY HIM WHO INTO OUR SOULS HAS TRANSMITTED THE SACRED QUATERNARY, THE SPRING OF ETERNAL NATURE. 25 NEVER START ON THY TASK UNTIL ONE HAS IMPLORED THE BLESSINGS OF THE DEITIES. 26 IF THIS ONE HOLDS FAST, SOON ONE WILL RECOGNIZE, OF DEITIES AND MORTAL MEN, THE TRUE NATURE OF EXISTENCE, HOW EVERYTHING PASSES AND RETURNS. 27 THEN WILL ONE PERCEIVE WHAT IS TRUE, HOW NATURE IN ALL IS MOST EQUAL, SO THAT ONE HOPE NOT FOR WHAT HAS NO HOPE, NOT THAT ANYTHING SHOULD ESCAPE ONE. 28 HUMANS YE SHALL FIND WHOSE SORROWS THEY THEMSELVES HAVE CREATED, WRETCHES WHO SEE NOT THE GOOD THAT IS SO NEAR, NOTHING THEY HEAR. 29 FEW KNOW HOW TO HELP THEMSELVES IN MISFORTUNE, THAT IS THE FATE WHICH BLINDS HUMANITY IN CIRCLES. 30 HITHER AND YON THEY RUN IN ENDLESS SORROWS, FOR THEY ARE FOLLOWED BY A GRIM COMPANION, EVEN DISUNION WITHIN THEMSELVES. 31 UNNOTICED, NEVER ROUSE THEM, AND FLY FROM BEFORE THEM! FATHER ZEUS, O FREE THEM ALL FROM SUFFERINGS SO GREAT, OR SHOW UNTO EACH THE ONE WHO IS THEIR GUIDE. 32 YET DO NOT FEAR, FOR THE MORTALS ARE DIVINE BY RACE, TO WHOM HOLY NATURE EVERYTHING WILL REVEAL AND DEMONSTRATE. 33 WHEREFORE, IF ONE HATH RECEIVED, SO KEEP WHAT I TEACH THEE, HEALING THY SOUL, YE SHALL REMAIN INSURED FROM MANIFOLD EVIL. 34 AVOID FORBIDDEN FOODS, REFLECTING THAT THIS CONTRIBUTES TO THE PURITY AND REDEMPTION OF THY SOUL. 35 CONSIDER ALL THINGS WELL, LET REASON, THE GIFT DIVINE, BE THY HIGHEST GUIDE. 36 THEN SHOULD YOU BE SEPARATED FROM THE BODY, AND SOAR INTO THE AETHER; YE WILL BE IMPERISHABLE, A DIVINITY, A MORTAL NO MORE. Josephus, writing between A.D. 75 and A.D.85, tells us that the Essenes were Pythagorean in lifestyle. The sect of the Essenes maintain that Fate governs all things, and that nothing can befall man contrary to its determination and will. These men live the same kind of life which among the Greeks has been ordered by Pythagoras.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 08:26:01 +0000
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