The sun., 1892-05-01

| OF Cn0 Stuuy OF anatOmy. mOTeOVers III tH'
second half OF the sixth century B. c. move
ment arose in Croton and was communicated
to a large number Of tha Greek colonies II
Italy. which is ono OF tho most remarkable
features in Greek history. This movement
which practically involved the political as
cendancy OF q philosopher. deserves the spaot
which Mr.. Abbott has devoted to It We refei
to the extraordinary influence acquired BY
Pvthagoras. which may bo compared on the
one hand with that exerted at various epochs
by religious reformers. and on tho other with
that exercised by Rousseau In Franco during
the last quarter Of the last century
Pythagoras Is said by his bioRrapher. lam
blichus. to have left Samos when 18 years of
age. owing to the increasing tyranny OF Poly
crates. After some stay In Asia Minor. during
which he became acquainted with Thales and
Aleximander. no repaired to Egypt. whence he
! was carried captive BY Cambyscs to Babylon.
| When no returned to Samos he endeavorcd to
establish school that he might impart to his
disciples his accumulated stores OF thought
and learning. but on finding that his project
| received very little encouragement he resolved
to seek new country where he could obtain IN
audience interested in philosophy. He accord
ingly loft tho eastern limits OF Hcllas for tho
| western. and. influenced doubtless by the fame
! Of the city. fxcd his abode ut Croton. There
no quickly collected q number OF disciples. who
were not only willing to listen to his teachinG.
but also consented to join In the common
lifo which he instituted and become CGnobii
II Mr.. Abbott is able to give only q vague out
line OF the work done by Pythagoras in Croton
this ia because the. Neoplntonists. with whom
| tho life and doctrines OF this philosopher be-
Sr,,o -tko o,,,h, 1ntd %1o "a, focf
| known to them with quantity OF fables. The
| substance OF our authentic Information may.
bo condensed US follows: On his arrival at
| Croton Pythagorns found q community which.
as we have said. was devoted to gymnastic ex-
erclsea. and perhaps tho moro so as those
were felt to be an antidoto to the luxury pre-
yailing among tho Greek colonies In Italy He
found also an aristocratlcal society threat
ened. II nck shaken. by q rising democracy.
Thirdly. he found q community with an inter-
est in philosophy. especially In the practical
applications Of natural philosophy to nedi-
cine and hygiene. To this society he brought
store OF wisdom collected during his
travels In distant countries-the reality
OF these travels is undisputed-theorics
about tho nature Of the human soul.
about number and music. about moral and
physical purity. about the social duties OF mon
and women. about education. and about health.
The enormous influence attained by such II
mun in such n society Is something which We
Gun now hardly understand. In our tirlo we
have accumulated q vast stock Of knowledge
by which our minds are trained and our imng-
nations limited we have some conception OF
the laws OF nature. and we have separated
morals from mathematics. To tho Greeks OF
the sixth century B. C.. the limits Of the natu-
raj and supernatural wero i'll deflned knowl-
ofr UNA vai ot ho NH
to define causes and set them Mt work: it was
regarded as an almost magical power. To
this feeling was due tho enthusiasm which
greeted Epimenides at Athens. the vcneration
shown 10 Empedocles ut AEriCentum. and.
above all. the unique position which Pyth-
ngoras won throughout the Greek cities in
Italy.
To the association which he gathered around
him ut tCroton-consistinG Mt first of three hum
dred Observation-Disclosures impaired his
theoretical and practical teachings. He told
them that tho soul Of man was immortal. pass
ing in its varied existence not only from man
TO man. but from man to animals. and from
animals back into human shapes. and. there-
fore. he sait. animals and men ought not to
To regarded us entirely distinct. as they COM
monty were. Tho cries OF beasts might be the
inarticulate utterances Of human SOUL Wo
are told that once. on hearing the howis OF q
dog which was being whipped. Pythagorns
beggod that tho animal might be beaten no
longer. because he recognized IN its cries tho
voice OF an old friend. He taught. also. that
tho world moved in cycles: what had been
would be again. AMI there was moth
ing now under tho sun. Ito dwelt
much on number and harmony. in which
he found the key to tho explanation OF the
universe: he spoke Of the harmony OF the
spheres. the celestial music more ravishing to
the car than tho tones of any instrument.
Where number and harmony existed fulse-
hood could not exist: and. conversely. strife
and falsehood were inherent in all that was
" unlimited" Pythagoras went further and
insisted that number was not merely an in |
strument by which We may attain u acknowledge |
OF things-it was the cause OF their existence,
their essence. their real SELF Such ideas seem |
to us extravaGnnt, but any ono who for tho |
first time discovered tho properties OF number |
might well doom himself in possession of IL |
secret which gave him tho command OF nature.
Those who accepted these doctrines wore |
formed into q school or society pledged to tho |
observance Of certain rules aLout conduct. |
clothing. anl food. Silence was imposed upon |
them for period. partly as test OF character.
and partly to pre- serve the mystic nature OF |
tho teaching. A close friendship united the |
members OF the Pythaeorean community:
they not only shared each others books. but |
were recognized as q body separate from the |
rest OF the citizons. These were the Mathe- |
mattel. while those who listened to the mus |
ters teachings but dio not adopt his rules Of |
lifo boro u different name. The regulations |
for dress and food were doubtless based on |
some ideas OF health and cleanliness. Woollen |
garments were discarded for linen; Aesh and |
tho moro indicestible or heating vegetables |
were forbidden. The master began each |
day by playing ON the Tyre and sing
Ing ancient poems OF Thalotas in |
order to attuno his soul to the tasks which lie
had to perform. Ho also practised and i'm
pressed on his followers tho duty OF SELF
examination. There were two hours in tho
twenty.four when this was especially neces-
sary: the hour Of retiring to rest and the hour
OF waking; at these man should consider
carefully what he had done and what he was