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Angellous' Anthology of Amusing Ancient Axioms

  • Thread starter angellous_evangellous
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angellous_evangellous

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Here's a golden saying of Pythagoras, preserved in Heirocles. From [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]The Complete Pythagoras [/FONT]

"[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]31. Do not urinate against the sun. (Be modest)." [/FONT]

"[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif] 64. Refuse the weapons a woman offers you. (Reject all suggestions revenge inspires)."

[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]74. Place not the candle against the wall. (Persist not in enlightening the stupid).:slap::D[/FONT]
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
I've seen the following sentiment reflected in many other ancient writers:

" Ocellus Lucanus (480 B.C.)
Hence many men err who enter into connubial state without regarding the magnitude off the power of fortune, or public utility, but direct their attention to wealth, or dignity of birth. For in consequence of this, instead of uniting with females who are young and in the flower of their age, they become connected with extremely old women; and instead of having wives with a disposition according with, and most similar to their own, they marry those who are of an illustrious family, or are extremely rich. On this account, they procure for themselves discord instead of concord; and instead of unanimity, dissension; contending with each other for the mastery. For the wife who surpasses her husband in wealth, in birth, or in friends, is desirous of ruling over him, contrary to the law of nature. But the husband justly resisting this desire of superiority in his wife, and wishing not to be the second, but the first in domestic sway, is unable, in the management of his family, to take the lead."
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
Here's one from Diogenes Laertius:

"According to Aristotle in his work On the Pythagoreans, Pythagoras counselled abstinence from beans either because they are like genitals... or because they are like the gates of Hades." DL 8.34
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
From Diotogentes:

"As to the desire of obtaining great property, it must be observed that a king ought to be wealthy so as to benefit his friends, relieve those in want, and justly punish his enemies. Most delightful is the enjoyment of wealth in conjunction with virtue."
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
This is pretty brutal, but it would be interesting.

the Pythagorean ZALEUCUS THE LOCRIAN:

Anyone who wishes to change any one of the established laws, or to introduce another law, should put a halter around his neck, and address the people. And if from the suffrages it should appear that the established law should be dissolved, or that a new law should be introduced, let him not be punished. But if it should appear that the preexisting law is better, or, that the new proposition is unjust, let him who wishes to change an old, or introduce a new law, be executed by the halter.
Click to expand...
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
From the Shepherd of Hermas

Mandate 4.1
"But always keep your mind on your own wife and you will never go wrong."
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
An ancient cure for hiccups... from Plato's Symposium:

"Pausanias came to a pause-this is the balanced way in which I have been taught by the wise to speak; and Aristodemus said that the turn of Aristophanes was next, but either he had eaten too much, or from some other cause he had the hiccough, and was obliged to change turns with Eryximachus the physician, who was reclining on the couch below him. Eryximachus, he said, you ought either to stop my hiccough, or to speak in my turn until I have left off.

I will do both, said Eryximachus: I will speak in your turn, and do you speak in mine; and while I am speaking let me recommend you to hold your breath, and if after you have done so for some time the hiccough is no better, then gargle with a little water; and if it still continues, tickle your nose with something and sneeze; and if you sneeze once or twice, even the most violent hiccough is sure to go. I will do as you prescribe, said Aristophanes, and now get on."
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
This one made me laugh - from Plutarch, Moralia 760d (dialogue on love)

"Another of Alexander's [the Great] Companions, Antipatrides, came to a drinking party with his lyre-player. The wench pleased Alexander and he asked Antripatrides, 'Of course, you aren't in love with her, are you?' 'Very much so,' said the other. Well, damn you to hell in the worst way!' cried Alexander. But he restrained himself and did not touch the woman."

:D:biglaugh:
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
Here's one in the context of praising pederasty:

Plutarch, Moralia 762e

"He's [the older man, empowered by love] capable of braving 'even the Thunderbolt, the spear-weilder,' but once he catches sight of the handsome boy,

He flinches like a rooster that droops his vanquished wing. (quoting the poet Phrynichus, frag 17)

His confidence is broken to bits and the pride of his soul is overthrown."
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
Periander, tyrant of Ambracia, asked his minion whether he was not yet pregnant; the boy fell into a rage and slew him.

Plutarch, Moralia, 768f
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
In favor of pederasty/homosexuality (italics indicate quotations of unknown poetry) - Plutarch, M. 769b:

"Seeing a kindred shape I swooned away.

Beardless, soft, a lovely boy.

Clasped in his arms I'd die and find my epitaph.

But just as this is boy-madness, so that other affliction is to be woman-crazy: niether is love."
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
Ah, this is great stuff. Again from Plutarch 769e and f.

"Do not, my dear Zeuxippus, be afraid of that sharp pain which comes at the beginning of a marriage - don't dear it as though it were a wound or a bite. And even if there were a wound, there is nothing very alarming in that when the union is good with a woman: it is like grafting a tree. Another wounding is a preliminary to a pregnancy, for there is no impregnation without mutual pain."

And great wisdom is here....

"Studies are disturbing for boys at the very beginning and philosophy upsets young men; yet this stinging smart does not remain the same for them forever. The same is true of lovers; just as with the mixing of two liquids, love seems at first to cause some effervescence and agitation, but as time goes by it settles down and is reduced and produces the best sort of stabilty."
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
I've always liked this one:

"The man who cramps and diminishes his wife (as a thin man does his ring for fear that it may fall off) is like those who shear their mares and then lead them to a river or a pool: when the poor beast sees how ugly she looks in the reflection, ugly and unsightly, they say that she abandons her haughty airs and allows asses to mount her."

Plutarch, Moralia 754a
 
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angellous_evangellous

Guest
Zeno, the founder of Stoicism:

"To the lover of boys he remarked: 'Just as schoolmasters lose their common sense by spending all their time with boys, so it is with people like you.'" DL 7.18
 
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