← Home
The Golden Verses of Pythagoras · 39 of 122 · tr. Florence M. Firth

Section 13 (part 6)

55 Ἐννέα γάρ οἱ νυκτὸς ἐμίσγετο μητίετα Ζεὺς νόσφιν ἀπ᾽ ἀθανάτων ἱερὸν λέχος εἰσαναβαίνων· ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δή ῥ᾽ ἐνιαυτὸς ἔην, περὶ δ᾽ ἔτραπον ὧραι μηνῶν φθινόντων, περὶ δ᾽ ἤματα πόλλ᾽ ἐτελέσθη, ἣ δ᾽ ἔτεκ᾽ ἐννέα κούρας ὁμόφρονας, ᾗσιν ἀοιδὴ 60 μέμβλεται ἐν στήθεσσιν, ἀκηδέα θυμὸν ἐχούσαις, τυτθὸν ἀπ᾽ ἀκροτάτης κορυφῆς νιφόεντος Ὀλύμπου. [Ἔνθα σφιν λιπαροί τε χοροὶ καὶ δώματα καλά.
Themes
◆Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

The passage explicitly describes Zeus as a father who mingles with Mnemosyne to produce daughters (the Muses), attributing human familial and sexual characteristics to the divine.

All passages →
◇Active Contemplationpraxis

A form of meditation that uses imagery, imagination, or symbolic thought rather than purely empty stillness.

[auto] It identifies contemplation and discipline as the specific nutriment required for the intellect.

All passages →
◇Body As Obstacleanthropology

The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.

[auto] It advises prioritizing the divine soul over the corporeal nature, implying the body is of lesser spiritual value.

All passages →
◇Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

[auto] The text interprets a 'Symbol' with an explanation that reveals a deeper Pythagorean meaning beyond the literal words.

All passages →
◇Kingdom Withinanthropology

The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.

[auto] It directs the reader to provide for the divine part within themselves rather than external measures.

All passages →
◇Love Of Neighbourethics

Active compassionate care for others as a central spiritual obligation or expression of divine love.

[auto] The explanation encourages communicating and imparting to others, accustoming them to give and receive abundantly.

All passages →
◇Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

[auto] The instruction 'Nourish not that which has crooked nails' functions as a riddle requiring symbolic interpretation.

All passages →
◇Renunciation Of Wealthethics

The spiritual danger of attachment to material possessions; wealth as a spiritual obstacle.

[auto] Symbol 20 warns against receiving insatiably, highlighting the danger of greed and material attachment.

All passages →
◇Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

[auto] The instruction to provide for the divine part implies recognition of one's own true nature.

All passages →
◇Tripartite Soulanthropology

Division of the human being into three principles: spirit (pneuma), soul (psyche), and body/matter (hyle or soma).

[auto] The passage explicitly distinguishes between the corporeal/animal nature, the soul, and the intellect contained within the soul.

All passages →
Related passages · 4 parallels
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 190
“Section 3 3. Nor would it be sound to condemn this Kosmos as less than beautiful, as less than the noblest possible in the corporeal; and neither can any charge be laid against its source. The world, we must reflect, is a product of Necessi…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of philosophical contemplation and the pursuit of truth. They also highlight the distinction between the material and the immaterial, advocating for the study of the latter as a means to achieve stable and undeviating understanding.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 345
“Section 25 25. But the organ is not the only requisite to vision or to perception of any kind: there must be a state of the soul inclining it towards the sphere of sense. Now it is the soul's character to be ever in the Intellectual sphere,…”
Both passages discuss the nature of knowledge and the role of the soul or intellect in perceiving and understanding the world. They emphasize the importance of contemplation and discipline in philosophy, and the need to move beyond mere physical or sensible perceptions to grasp higher truths.
◆taoism|The Writings of Chuang Tzu (Inner Chapters)|Book 124 (part 4)
“By means of a finger (of my own) to illustrate that the finger (of another) is not a finger is not so good a plan as to illustrate that it is not so by means of what is (acknowledged to be) not a finger; and by means of (what I call) a hors…”
Both passages explore the nature of perception, truth, and the limitations of human understanding. They emphasize the relativity of perspectives and the importance of recognizing the underlying unity beyond apparent differences.
◆taoism|The Writings of Chuang Tzu (Inner Chapters)|Book 125 (part 1)
“p. 198 BOOK III. PART I. SECTION III. Yang Shang Kû, or 'Nourishing the Lord of Life 1 .' 1. There is a limit to our life, but to knowledge there is no limit. With what is limited to pursue after what is unlimited is a perilous thing;…”
Both passages discuss the importance of aligning with a higher principle or method (Tao in Chuang Tzu, Pythagorean philosophy in the second passage) to achieve mastery and harmony in life. They emphasize the need to act in accordance with natural principles and avoid harmful or selfish behaviors.