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Today's show is dedicated to Pythagoras’ Theorem Day. Today, we are pleased to share selected excerpts from ‘The Life of Pythagoras’ by Iamblichus, offering insights into His Mathematical contributions and the doctrine of metempsychosis, as we explore His mathematical genius and metaphysical beliefs. Chapter 7 – Mathematical Contributions “[…] It is said then, that as soon as He came to Italy and Sicily, […] He established laws, through Charondas the Catanaean, and Zaleucus the Locrian, by whom they became flourishing cities, and afforded an example worthy of imitation, for a long time, to the neighbouring kingdoms. For the following apothegm was always employed by Him in every place, whether in the company of a multitude or a few, which was similar to the persuasive oracle of a God, and was an epitome and summary as it were of His own opinions; that we should avoid and amputate by every possible artifice, by fire and sword, and all-various contrivances, from the body, disease; from the soul, ignorance; from the belly, luxury; from a city, sedition; from a house, discord; and at the same time, from all things, immoderation: through which, with a most fatherly affection, He reminded each of His disciples of the most excellent dogmas. […]”Chapter 5 – Mathematical Genius and Metaphysical Beliefs “On His return to Samos, however, being known by some of the more aged inhabitants, He was not less admired than before. For He appeared to them to be more beautiful and wise, and to possess a Divine Gracefulness in a more eminent degree. Hence, He was publicly called upon by His country to benefit all men, by imparting to them what He knew. […] He neither despised nor neglected Samos, because it was His country, and therefore wished to give His fellow-citizens a taste of the sweetness of the mathematical disciplines, though they were unwilling to be instructed in them. With a view to this, therefore, He employed the following method and artifice. Happening to observe a certain youth, who was a great lover of gymnastic and other corporeal exercises, but otherwise poor and in difficult circumstances, playing at ball in the Gymnasium with great aptness and facility, He thought the young man might easily be persuaded to attend to Him, if he was sufficiently supplied with the necessaries of life, and freed from the care of procuring them. […] Pythagoras, therefore, endeavoured to instruct him in the disciplines of arithmetic and geometry, forming each of His demonstrations in an abacus, and giving the youth three oboli as a reward for every figure which he learnt. […] But when the wise man observed that the elegance, sweetness, and connexion of these disciplines, to which the youth had been led in a certain orderly path, had so captivated him that he would not neglect their pursuit though he should suffer the extremity of want, He pretended poverty, and an inability of giving Him three oboli any longer. But the youth on hearing this replied, ‘I am able without these to learn and receive Your disciplines.’ […]”
