The Golden Verses of Pythagoras · 6 of 122 · tr. Florence M. Firth
Section 5 (part 1)
p.
9 NOTES ON THE GOLDEN VERSES OF PYTHAGORAS FROM THE COMMENTARIES OF HIEROCLES.
The Golden Verses may be divided into two parts, the first treating of the Practical or Human Virtues, whose aim is the making of Good Men; and the second, treating of the Contemplative or Divine Virtues, the end of which is to make Good Men into Gods.
One is greatly struck by the wonderful completeness of the Verses, and their scientific arrangement.
They can be divided into groups dealing with practically every aspect and affair of life.
p.
10 At the end of the first part (verse 47), we find the Most Solemn Oath that if a man follow these precepts faithfully, he will be ready to tread the further path, to devote himself to the Contemplative Virtues, and to become truly God-like, overcoming Death, and gaining a knowledge of the Gods.
The Verses may be grouped in the following manner:-- PART I.--THE PRACTICAL VIRTUES.
Verses.
1-3.
Concerning Higher Intelligences.
4.
Concerning Relations.
5-8.
Concerning Friends.
9-12.
Concerning One's Lower Nature.
13-14.
Concerning One's General Behaviour.
15-20.
Concerning Death and Misfortunes.
21-23.
Concerning Doctrines.
24-31.
Concerning Actions and Speech.
32-34.
Concerning the Body.
35-39.
Concerning the Manner of Life.
40-45.
Concerning Introspection.
46, 47.
Oath Concerning the Result of the Practical Virtues.
p.
11 PART II.--THE CONTEMPLATIVE VIRTUES.
48.
Concerning the Help of the Gods.
49-51.
Concerning the Nature and Constitution of Gods and Men.
52, 53.
Concerning the Nature of the Universe, and what is possible.
54-60.
Concerning Ignorance, and the Liberty of the Soul.
61-66.
Concerning Knowledge and Deliverance.
67-69.
Concerning Purifications.
70, 71.
Concerning the Result of the Contemplative Virtues.
NOTES Verse 1.
"Worship the Immortal Gods" with an understanding as to their order and function in the universe.
For it is Impossible to worship unless you understand to some extent the nature and function of that which you worship.
The Gods do not occupy their position by accident, nor from carelessness on the part of the Great Architect, nor are they isolated units independent of each other, but rather are they linked together in such a way as to form p.
12 one perfect whole, like the different parts of one animal.
Pythagoras seems to have divided the beings in the universe roughly into three orders:-- (1) The Immortal Gods whose who live perpetually in the knowledge of God the Father and Creator of all, being secured from change or separation from Him); (2) The Heroes, and (3) The Terrestrial Dæmons.
2.
Besides the Power that creates a universe, it is necessary that there should be a power that preserves and sustains it, and this power is embodied in the created beings.
For in their essence all beings are of one nature with the Father, and just in so far as they are conscious of Him will they carry out His will and design.
They are said to be bound by an Oath to preserve all things in their respective places and to maintain the beauty and harmony of the universe; but this Oath is in reality innate and essential to them, because it is born p.
13 with them and is part of their divine nature.
Therefore, the Oath is constantly observed by the Immortal Gods, they being always conscious of the Divine Will; but by the Heroes only to the extent to which they understand and know God.
Themes
◆Covenanttheology
A binding agreement or relationship between the divine and a people or individual, establishing mutual obligations.
The text mentions a 'Most Solemn Oath' that binds the follower to the precepts.
All passages →◆Divine Providencetheology
Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.
It describes a 'Great Architect' and beings bound by an Oath to 'maintain the beauty and harmony of the universe'.
All passages →◆Emanation Hierarchycosmology
A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.
Pythagoras is described as dividing beings into three orders: Gods, Heroes, and Terrestrial Dæmons.
All passages →◆Meditationpraxis
Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.
The text emphasizes 'Contemplative Virtues' and 'Introspection' as spiritual practices.
All passages →◆Pneumatic Electsoteriology
A spiritual elite who possess the divine spark and are predestined for salvation, contrasted with psychic (faithful) and hylic (material) persons.
Only those who follow precepts 'faithfully' will be ready to tread the further path to become God-like.
All passages →◆Prayerpraxis
Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.
Verse 1 instruction is to 'Worship the Immortal Gods'.
All passages →◆Ritual Puritypraxis
The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.
Verses 67-69 are grouped under 'Concerning Purifications'.
All passages →◆Self Examinationpraxis
Daily review of thought and action as spiritual practice.
Verses 40-45 are grouped under 'Concerning Introspection'.
All passages →◆Unity Of Beingtheology
The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.
The passage states that 'in their essence all beings are of one nature with the Father'.
All passages →◇Active Contemplationpraxis
A form of meditation that uses imagery, imagination, or symbolic thought rather than purely empty stillness.
[auto] The second part of the Verses is dedicated to 'Contemplative or Divine Virtues.'
All passages →◇Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology
Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.
[auto] The culmination of the faithful path involves 'gaining a knowledge of the Gods.'
All passages →◇Mystical Unionsoteriology
The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.
[auto] The text states the aim is to 'become truly God-like,' indicating a merging or union with the divine nature.
All passages →◇Return To Sourcesoteriology
The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.
[auto] The goal of the path is to become truly God-like and overcome Death, implying a return to divine origin.
All passages →◇Spiritual Ascentpraxis
A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.
[auto] The passage explicitly describes a staged progression from Practical Virtues to Contemplative Virtues leading to becoming God-like.
All passages →◇Theosis Deificationsoteriology
The doctrine — central to Eastern Orthodox and Maximian theology — that the human person is progressively transformed into a partaker of the divine nature by grace, not merely justified or united in passing ecstasy.
[auto] The text explicitly states the aim of the Contemplative Virtues is to 'make Good Men into Gods' and become 'truly God-like'.
All passages →Related passages · 29 parallels
◆buddhism|The Dhammapada|Chapter II, Section 1a
“p.
9 CHAPTER II.
ON EARNESTNESS [1] .
21.
Earnestness is the path of immortality (Nirvâ n a), thoughtlessness the path of death.
Those who are in earnest do not die, those who are thoughtless are as if dead already.
22.
Those who are…”
Both passages emphasize the pursuit of higher virtues and the attainment of a divine or enlightened state. The Golden Verses of Pythagoras discuss the path to becoming god-like through practical and contemplative virtues, while the Dhammapada emphasizes earnestness as the path to immortality (Nirvana) and the highest happiness.
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 1, Section 1c
“59 59 ὡς οὐκ ὄντος ἴχνους τῶν ἐπὶ τὴν κρυφίαν αὐτῆς ἀπειρίαν διεληλυθότων.
Two interpretations of this passage are possible: (1) Those who have penetrated the hidden Depths cannot describe the Vision (cf.
Dante, Par.
xxxiii.
55–66) ; (2…”
Both passages discuss the process of spiritual ascent and the ultimate goal of union with the divine. They emphasize the importance of proper preparation and the dangers of spiritual presumption, highlighting the need for reverence and understanding in approaching the divine mystery.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 166
“Section 10 10. Under detailed investigation, many other tenets of this school- indeed we might say all- could be corrected with an abundance of proof. But I am withheld by regard for some of our own friends who fell in with this doctrine be…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of striving for perfection and understanding the divine order. They discuss the role of the divine in the universe and the path to becoming more divine or god-like, highlighting the contemplation of higher intelligences and the structure of the cosmos.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 209
“Section 3 3. For, even though the I is sovereign in choosing, yet by the fact of the choice the thing done takes its place in the ordered total. Your personality does not come from outside into the universal scheme; you are a part of it, yo…”
Both passages discuss the unity and harmony of all things within a universal system or principle. Plotinus describes the Universal Reason-Principle and the harmony of Souls, while the Golden Verses of Pythagoras discuss the interconnectedness of the Gods and the universe, emphasizing the unity and order within creation.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 300
“Section 13 13. The Ineluctable, the Kosmic Law is, thus, rooted in a natural principle under which each several entity is overruled to go, duly and in order, towards that place and Kind to which it characteristically tends, that is towards…”
Both passages discuss the hierarchical structure of the universe and the role of the soul or divine entities in shaping and maintaining it. They share a common theme of the interconnectedness of all things and the influence of higher beings on the lower realms.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 332
“Section 12 12. It may be urged that all the multiplicity and development are the work of Nature, but that, since there is wisdom within the All, there must be also, by the side of such natural operation, acts of reasoning and of memory. But…”
Both passages discuss the nature of divine beings and their roles in the cosmos. Passage A focuses on Zeus as the ordering principle of the universe, while Passage B describes the hierarchy and functions of the Immortal Gods. Both emphasize the unity and interconnectedness of the divine and the cosmos.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 333
“Section 13 13. But what is the difference between the Wisdom thus conducting the universe and the principle known as Nature? This Wisdom is a first [within the All-Soul] while Nature is a last: for Nature is an image of that Wisdom, and, as…”
Both passages discuss the ordering principles of the universe and the role of divine entities in maintaining cosmic harmony. Passage A focuses on the Demiurge and the Soul of the All, while Passage B discusses the Immortal Gods and their functions, but both emphasize the unity and unchanging nature of these principles.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 334
“Section 14 14. Of the corporeal thus brought into being by Nature the elemental materials of things are its very produce, but how do animal and vegetable forms stand to it? Are we to think of them as containers of Nature present within them…”
Both passages discuss the unity and administration of the cosmos, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all parts within a living unity. They share a conceptual parallel in their views on the harmony and order of the universe, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 362
“Section 42 42. It follows that, for the purposes which have induced this discussion, the stars have no need of memory or of any sense of petitions addressed to them; they give no such voluntary attention to prayers as some have thought: it…”
Both passages discuss the interconnectedness of all things and the role of divine or higher beings in maintaining the order and harmony of the universe. They share a metaphysical perspective on the unity and interdependence of existence, though they come from different philosophical and mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 368 (part 1)
“Section 2 2.
If sight depends upon the linking of the light of vision with the light leading progressively to the illumined object, then, by the very hypothesis, one intervening substance, the light, is indispensable: but if the illuminate…”
Both passages discuss the interconnectedness of all beings within a larger universal structure and the role of individual souls or entities within this framework. They also explore the idea of hierarchy and the influence of higher beings on lower ones, as well as the concept of personal responsibility and the consequences of one's actions.
19 more
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 398
“Section 14 14. (19) As for the souls of the other living beings, fallen to the degree of entering brute bodies, these too must be immortal. And if there is in the animal world any other phase of soul, its only possible origin, since it is t…”
Both passages discuss the nature of divine principles and their role in sustaining the universe. Passage A from Plotinus emphasizes the self-caused, eternal principle that provides life and being to all things, while Passage B from the Golden Verses of Pythagoras describes the divine order and the innate nature of beings to maintain the universe's harmony.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 431
“Section 2 2. To resume: there is from the first principle to ultimate an outgoing in which unfailingly each principle retains its own seat while its offshoot takes another rank, a lower, though on the other hand every being is in identity w…”
Both passages discuss the hierarchical structure of reality and the nature of divine beings. Plotinus outlines a tripartite structure of reality emanating from the Good, while the Pythagorean text describes a hierarchical order of beings in the universe, both emphasizing the interconnectedness and order of divine and intellectual principles.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 433
“Section 1 1. Are we to think that a being knowing itself must contain diversity, that self-knowledge can be affirmed only when some one phase of the self perceives other phases, and that therefore an absolutely simplex entity would be equal…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to higher principles or divine entities. They share a common theme of the soul's elevation and its connection to the intellectual and divine realms, reflecting a conceptual parallel across different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 448
“Section 16 16. We have, of course, already seen that a secondary must follow upon the First, and that this is a power immeasurably fruitful; and we indicated that this truth is confirmed by the entire order of things since there is nothing,…”
Both passages discuss the nature of higher intelligences and the process of understanding or attaining divine knowledge. Passage A focuses on the Intellectual-Principle and its relationship with the Transcendent, while Passage B outlines the path to divine virtues and the understanding of the Gods. Both emphasize the progression from a lower state to a higher, more divine state of being.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 469
“Section 2 2. Thus there is the primally intellective and there is that in which intellection has taken another mode; but this indicates that what transcends the primarily intellective has no intellection; for, to have intellection, it must…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the divine and its relationship to the universe. Passage A describes the First as the uncontained source that holds all things, while Passage B discusses the Immortal Gods as part of a perfect whole that sustains the universe. Both emphasize the divine's omnipresence and its role in maintaining cosmic order.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 470
“Section 3 3. We may be told that nothing prevents an identity being thus multiple. But there must be a unity underlying the aggregate: a manifold is impossible without a unity for its source or ground, or at least, failing some unity, relat…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the divine and the path to understanding or attaining it. Passage A focuses on the concept of The Good as a principle that is beyond all other things, while Passage B discusses the contemplative virtues that lead to a divine-like state. Both emphasize the transcendence and the ultimate goal of union with the divine.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 494
“Section 2 2. What is this other place and how it is accessible? It is to be reached by those who, born with the nature of the lover, are also authentically philosophic by inherent temper; in pain of love towards beauty but not held by mater…”
Both passages discuss the unity and interconnectedness of the divine and the universe. Plotinus describes a vision of the universe as a unified sphere with all gods and living things interconnected, while the Golden Verses of Pythagoras discuss the order and function of the gods in the universe, emphasizing their interconnectedness and unity.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 495
“Section 3 3. We will have to examine this Nature, the Intellectual, which our reasoning identifies as the authentically existent and the veritable essential: but first we must take another path and make certain that such a principle does ne…”
Both passages discuss the concept of divine vision and the ascent to higher realms of being. Plotinus describes the vision of the divine realm and the different experiences of those who behold it, while the Golden Verses of Pythagoras outline a path to becoming god-like through contemplative virtues and understanding the divine order.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 609
“Section 2 2. Now the reasoning faculty which undertakes this problem is not a unity but a thing of parts; it brings the bodily nature into the enquiry, borrowing its principles from the corporeal: thus it thinks of the Essential Existence a…”
Both passages discuss the nature of divine unity and its relationship with the material world. Plotinus explores the concept of the First and its emanations, while Hierocles comments on the Golden Verses of Pythagoras, discussing the order and function of the Gods in the universe. Both texts emphasize the interconnectedness and unity of divine principles.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 626
“Section 6 6. Granted, then, that there exist, apart from things, a unity absolute and a decad absolute in other words, that the Intellectual beings, together with their characteristic essence have also their order, Henads, Dyads, Triads, wh…”
Both passages discuss the unity and interconnectedness of all things, with Passage A focusing on the unity of the soul and its omnipresence, and Passage B describing the interconnected nature of the Gods and their roles in the universe. Both texts emphasize a partless unity that encompasses multiplicity.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 627
“Section 7 7. It is inevitably necessary to think of all as contained within one nature; one nature must hold and encompass all; there cannot be as in the realm of sense thing apart from thing, here a sun and elsewhere something else; all mu…”
Both passages discuss the unity and interconnectedness of divine and intellectual realms, emphasizing the idea of unity and the transcendence of individuality in the pursuit of higher knowledge and virtue.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 636 (part 2)
“When you enumerate two things- say, animal and beauty- each of these remains one thing; the number is your production; it lay within yourself; it is you that elaborate quantity, here the dyad.
But when you declare virtue to be a Tetrad, yo…”
Both passages discuss the nature of higher intelligences and the structure of reality, with Plotinus focusing on the primal Life-Form and Intellectual-Principle, and the Pythagorean text discussing the order and function of the Immortal Gods and their role in the universe. Both emphasize the importance of understanding these higher principles to achieve a higher state of being.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 637
“Section 17 17. But what of the Infinite Number we hear of; does not all this reasoning set it under limit? And rightly so if the thing is to be a number; limitlessness and number are in contradiction. How, then, do we come to use the term?…”
Both passages explore the relationship between unity, multiplicity, and the divine. Plotinus discusses the primacy of unity and number in the structure of being, while the Pythagorean text examines the order and function of divine beings in the universe, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 642
“Section 3 3. What then is there to prevent man having been the object of planning There? No: all stands in that likeness, nothing to be added or taken away; this planning and reasoning is based only on an assumption; things are taken to be…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and the interconnectedness of all beings within a divine or intellectual framework. Plotinus emphasizes the unity of the Intellectual-Principle and the role of Number in the cosmos, while the Golden Verses of Pythagoras describe the order and function of the Gods and the unity of the universe. Both texts explore the idea of a higher, transcendent reality that encompasses and unifies all existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 657 (part 1)
“Section 18 18.
But in what way is the content of Intellectual-Principle participant in good?
Is it because each member of it is an Idea or because of their beauty or how?
Anything coming from The Good carries the image and type belonging…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and multiplicity within a divine or intellectual framework. Plotinus emphasizes the completeness and unity of Intellect, while the Golden Verses of Pythagoras describe the unity and order of the divine beings in the universe.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 700 (part 1)
“Section 18 18.
Seeking Him, seek nothing of Him outside; within is to be sought what follows upon Him; Himself do not attempt.
He is, Himself, that outer, He the encompassment and measure of all things; or rather He is within, at the inne…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the divine or supreme principle, emphasizing its uniqueness, necessity, and transcendence. They explore the idea of a higher, unchanging reality that is the source of all being and goodness.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 707 (part 2)
“Note, similarly, that, when we speak of this First as Cause, we are affirming something happening not to it but to us, the fact that we take from this Self-Enclosed: strictly we should put neither a This nor a That to it; we hover, as it we…”
Both passages discuss the nature of divine beings and their role in the universe, emphasizing the order, purpose, and interconnectedness of all things. They both explore the idea of a higher, rational principle governing the cosmos, though from different philosophical and religious traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 715
“Section 11 11. This is the purport of that rule of our Mysteries: Nothing Divulged to the Uninitiate: the Supreme is not to be made a common story, the holy things may not be uncovered to the stranger, to any that has not himself attained t…”
Both passages discuss the mystical ascent of the soul to a higher, divine state. They emphasize the transcendence of the self and the union with the divine, though they come from different philosophical and religious traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 716
“Section 11 11. This is the purport of that rule of our Mysteries: Nothing Divulged to the Uninitiate: the Supreme is not to be made a common story, the holy things may not be uncovered to the stranger, to any that has not himself attained t…”
Both passages discuss the mystical experience of unity with the divine, emphasizing the transcendence of the self and the attainment of a higher state of being. They share themes of ascension, the ineffable nature of the divine, and the transformation of the individual through mystical practice.