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it found to be superfluous and use10.4.9 less. Therefore it put these things in a secondary place, as being unable to contribute anything to its discovery of necessary and true things, but then to foreign and barbarian things, like someone naked and destitute of its own doctrines and learning, it went about searching, procuring for itself useful things from every quarter, both collecting and borrowing, whatever it might find among each 10.4.10 of the nations. For it understood that not only the things of true theology were lacking to the Greeks, but also the most useful things for life of the other arts and sciences. At any rate, the Greeks themselves agree that after Orpheus, Linus, and Musaeus, who indeed were the most ancient and first of all theologians to begin for them the polytheistic error, seven men among them were admired for wisdom, whom they even named wise men. These men flourished around the time of Cyrus, 10.4.11 king of the Persians. This was the time in which the very last of the prophets among the Hebrews were prophesying, more than six hundred years after the Trojan War, and no less than fifteen hundred years after the age of Moses. This will become clear to you when you go through the chronological records a little la10.4.12 ter. At about this time, the seven wise men, being recent in time, are remembered for the establishment of a more ethical way of life, of whom nothing more is remembered than their celebrated maxims. But somewhat late and further down in time the philosophers among the Greeks are remembered to have distinguished them10.4.13 selves. Of these, Pythagoras was first, a pupil of Pherecydes, who invented the name philosophy; according to some, he was a Samian, but as others say, a Tyrrhenian; and some say he was a Syrian or a Tyrian; so that you must confess that the first of the philosophers, celebrated by the mouth of all Greeks, 10.4.14 was a barbarian and not a Greek. And they record that Pherecydes, to whom they say Pythagoras was a student, was a Syrian. But Pythagoras is said not only to have associated with him, but also to have spent time with the Persian Magi and to have studied with the prophets of the Egyptians, at the time when some of the Hebrews appear to have made their migration to Egypt, and others 10.4.15 to Babylon. But indeed the man in question, investigating the wisdom of each people, visited Babylon and Egypt and all of Persia, studying with the Magi and the priests; and in addition to these, he is recorded to have heard the Brahmans—these are Indian philosophers—and having collected from some astrology, from others geometry, from others arithmetic and music, and other things from others, he got nothing only from the wise Greeks, who were dwelling with poverty and want 10.4.16 of wisdom; but on the contrary, he himself became the cause of learning for the Greeks from the things he had procured for himself from abroad. 10.4.17 Such, then, was Pythagoras. And first from his succession the so-called Italic philosophy was established, deemed worthy of the name from his sojourn in Italy; after which was the one named Ionian, from Thales, one of the seven wise men; and then the Eleatic, which claimed Xenophanes of Coloph10.4.18 on as its father. But Thales also, as some record, was a Phoenician, while as some have supposed, a Milesian; and he too is said 10.4.19 to have associated with the prophets of the Egyptians. And Plato says that Solon, himself also one of the seven wise men, who it is said even legislated for the Athenians, similarly applied himself to the Egyptians, at the time when the Hebrews were again inhabiting Egypt. At any rate, in the Timaeus he introduces him being taught by the barbarian, in which the Egyptian says to him: “O Solon, Solon, you Greeks are always children, and there is no old man among the Greeks, nor is there among you any learning grown grey with time.” 10.4.20 And this Plato, having studied with the Pythagoreans in Italy, was not content with only the time spent among them, but is said to have departed for Egypt and to their philosophy most of all

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περιττὰ καὶ ἀνω10.4.9 φελῆ κατελάμβανε. διὸ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς δεύτερον ἀνεβάλλετο, ὡς ἂν οὐδὲν αὐτῇ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀναγκαίων καὶ ἀληθῶν εὕρεσιν λυσιτελεῖν δεδυνημένα, τὰ δὲ ὀθνεῖα λοιπὸν καὶ βάρβαρα, οἷά τις γυμνὴ καὶ οἰκείων πτωχεύουσα λόγων τε καὶ μαθημάτων, περιῄει διερευνωμένη τά τε χρήσιμα πανταχόθεν ἑαυτῇ πορίζουσα συνάγουσά τε καὶ ἐρανιζομένη, ὅ τι ποτὲ παρ' ἑκάστοις 10.4.10 εὕροι τῶν ἐθνῶν. οὐ γὰρ οὖν μόνα τὰ τῆς ἀληθοῦς θεολογίας λείποντα κατεμάνθανε τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τεχνῶν τε καὶ ἐπιστημῶν τὰ βιωφελέστατα. συνομολογοῦσί γε τοι Ἕλληνες αὐτοὶ μετά γε Ὀρφέα Λίνον τε καὶ Μουσαῖον, οἳ δὴ πάντων μάλιστα θεολόγων παλαιότατοί τε καὶ πρῶτοι κατῆρξαν αὐτοῖς τῆς πολυθέου πλάνης, τοὺς ἑπτὰ παρ' αὐτοῖς ἄνδρας ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ θαυμασθῆναι, οὓς δὴ καὶ ἐπονομάσαι σοφούς. ἀμφὶ Κῦρον 10.4.11 δὲ οἵδε τὸν Περσῶν ἤκμασαν βασιλέα. οὗτος δ' ἦν ὁ χρόνος, ἐν ᾧ τῶν παρ' Ἑβραίοις προφητῶν οἱ πάντων ὕστατοι προεφήτευον, τῶν μὲν Τρωϊκῶν ὕστερον ἔτεσι πλέον ἢ ἑξακοσίοις, τῆς δὲ Μωσέως ἡλικίας οὐκ ἔλαττον ἢ χιλίοις πεντακοσίοις γενόμενοι. τοῦτο δέ σοι τὰς τῶν χρόνων ἀναγραφὰς μικρὸν ὕστε10.4.12 ρον διιόντι καταφανὲς ἔσται. ἐνταῦθά που νέοι τῷ χρόνῳ οἱ ἑπτὰ γενόμενοι σοφοὶ ἐπὶ κατορθώσει μνημονεύονται ἀγωγῆς τῆς ἠθικωτέρας, ὧν πλέον οὐδὲν τῶν βοωμένων ἀποφθεγμάτων μνημονεύεται. ὀψὲ δέ τι καὶ μᾶλλον τοῖς χρόνοις ὑποβεβηκότες οἱ παρ' Ἕλλησι φιλόσοφοι διαπρέψαι μνημονεύον10.4.13 ται. ὧν Πυθαγόρας πρῶτος, Φερεκύδου γνώριμος, τὸ φιλοσοφίας ἀνευρὼν ὄνομα, ὡς μέν τινες, Σάμιος, ὡς δ' ἕτεροί φασι, Τυρρηνὸς ἦν· τινὲς δ' αὐτὸν Σύριον ἢ Τύριον εἶναι λέγουσιν· ὥστε σε βάρβαρον, ἀλλ' οὐχ Ἕλληνα γεγονέναι ὁμολογεῖν τὸν πρῶτον τῶν φιλοσόφων, ἀνὰ στόμα πάντων Ἑλλήνων 10.4.14 ᾀδόμενον. καὶ τὸν Φερεκύδην δὲ Σύριον ἀναγράφουσιν, ᾧ μαθητεῦσαι τὸν Πυθαγόραν φασίν. οὐ μόνῳ δὲ τούτῳ συγγενέσθαι ὁ Πυθαγόρας λέγεται, διατρῖψαι δὲ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς Περσῶν μάγοις καὶ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίων δὲ προφήταις μαθητεῦσαι, καθ' ὃν χρόνον Ἑβραίων οἱ μὲν ἐπ' Αἰγύπτου, οἱ 10.4.15 δ' ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνος φαίνονται τὴν μετοικίαν πεποιημένοι. ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὁ δηλούμενος τὰ παρ' ἑκάστοις σοφὰ πολυπραγμονῶν ἐπῆλθε Βαβυλῶνα καὶ Αἴγυπτον καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν Περσῶν, τοῖς τε μάγοις καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι μαθητευόμενος, ἀκηκοέναι τε πρὸς τούτοις Βραχμάνων ἱστόρηται Ἰνδῶν δέ εἰσιν οὗτοι φιλόσοφοι καὶ παρ' ὧν μὲν ἀστρολογίαν, παρ' ὧν δὲ γεωμετρίαν ἀριθμητικήν τε παρ' ἑτέρων καὶ μουσικὴν καὶ ἄλλα παρ' ἄλλων συλλεξάμενος, μόνον παρὰ τῶν σοφῶν Ἑλλήνων ἔσχεν οὐδέν, πενίᾳ σοφίας καὶ 10.4.16 ἀπορίᾳ συνοικούντων· ἔμπαλιν δ' οὖν τῶν ἔξωθεν αὐτῷ πεπορισμένων αἴτιος αὐτὸς τῆς μαθήσεως κατέστη τοῖς Ἕλλησιν. 10.4.17 Ὁ μὲν οὖν Πυθαγόρας τοιοῦτος. πρώτη δ' ἐκ τῆς τούτου διαδοχῆς ἡ κληθεῖσα Ἰταλικὴ φιλοσοφία συνέστη, τῆς ἐπωνυμίας ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν διατριβῆς ἀξιωθεῖσα· μεθ' ἣν ἡ ἀπὸ Θαλοῦ τοῦ τῶν ἑπτὰ σοφῶν ἑνὸς Ἰωνικὴ προσαγορευθεῖσα· κἄπειτα ἡ Ἐλεατική, Ξενοφάνην τὸν Κολοφώ10.4.18 νιον πατέρα ἐπιγραψαμένη. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Θαλῆς, ὥς τινες ἱστοροῦσι, Φοῖνιξ ἦν, ὡς δέ τινες ὑπειλήφασι, Μιλήσιος· Αἰγυπτίων δὲ καὶ οὗτος λέ10.4.19 γεται τοῖς προφήταις συμβεβληκέναι. Σόλωνα δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν τῶν ἑπτὰ σοφῶν, ὃν δὴ καὶ λόγος Ἀθηναίοις νομοθετῆσαι, Αἰγυπτίοις ὁμοίως φησὶν ὁ Πλάτων προσεσχηκέναι, ὁπηνίκα πάλιν ᾤκουν Ἑβραῖοι τὴν Αἴγυπτον. εἰσάγει γοῦν αὐτὸν ἐν Τιμαίῳ πρὸς τοῦ βαρβάρου παιδευόμενον, ἐν οἷς φησιν ὁ Αἰγύπτιος πρὸς αὐτόν· «Ὦ Σόλων, Σόλων Ἕλληνες ἀεὶ παῖδές ἐστε, γέρων δὲ Ἑλλήνων οὐδὲ εἷς, οὐδέ ἐστι παρ' ὑμῖν χρόνῳ πολιὸν μάθημα.» 10.4.20 καὶ οὗτος δὲ ὁ Πλάτων τοῖς ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ Πυθαγορείοις σχολάσας οὐ μόνῃ τῇ παρὰ τούτοις ἠρκέσθη διατριβῇ, λέγεται δὲ ἀπᾶραι εἰς Αἴγυπτον καὶ τῇ τούτων φιλοσοφίᾳ πλεῖστον