Pythagore citations
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Pythagore est un réformateur religieux et philosophe présocratique qui serait né aux environs de 580 av. J.-C. à Samos, une île de la mer Égée au sud-est de la ville d'Athènes ; on établit sa mort vers 495 av. J.-C., à l'âge de 85 ans. Il aurait été également mathématicien et scientifique selon une tradition tardive. Le nom de Pythagore , découle de l'annonce de sa naissance faite à son père lors d'un voyage à Delphes.

La vie énigmatique de Pythagore permet difficilement d'éclaircir l'histoire de ce réformateur religieux, mathématicien, philosophe et thaumaturge. Il n’a jamais rien écrit, et les soixante et onze lignes des Vers d’Or qu'on lui attribue sont apocryphes et sont le signe de l'immense développement de la légende formée autour de son nom.

Le néopythagorisme est néanmoins empreint d'une mystique des nombres, déjà présente dans la pensée de Pythagore. Hérodote le mentionne comme « l'un des plus grands esprits de la Grèce, le sage Pythagore ». Il conserve un grand prestige ; Hegel disait qu'il était « le premier maître universel ».

D'après un écho marquant d’Héraclide du Pont, Pythagore serait le premier penseur grec à s’être qualifié lui-même de « philosophe ». Cicéron évoque l'anecdote célèbre sur la création du mot φιλόσοφος : « amoureux de la sagesse », par Pythagore :



« Par la même raison, sans doute, tous ceux qui se sont attachés depuis aux sciences contemplatives, ont été tenus pour Sages, et ont été nommés tels, jusques au temps de Pythagore, qui mit le premier en vogue le nom de philosophes. Héraclide de Pont, disciple de Platon, et très habile homme lui-même, en raconte ainsi l'histoire. Un jour, dit-il, Léon, roi des Phliasiens, entendit Pythagore discourir sur certains points avec tant de savoir et d'éloquence, que ce prince, saisi d'admiration, lui demanda quel était donc l'art dont il faisait profession. À quoi Pythagore répondit, qu'il n'en savait aucun ; mais qu'il était philosophe. Et sur ce, le roi, surpris de la nouveauté de ce nom, le pria de lui dire qui étaient donc les philosophes, et en quoi ils différaient des autres hommes. »



— Cicéron, Tusculanes, V, 3, § 8



Wikipedia  

✵ 585 av. J.-C. – 495 av. J.-C.   •   Autres noms Ze Samu Pýthagorás
Pythagore: 121   citations 0   J'aime

Pythagore: Citations en anglais

“It is better to suffer, than to do, wrong.”

The Sayings of the Wise (1555), p. 164

“None but a Craftsman can judge of a craft.”

The Sayings of the Wise (1555), p. 161

“Know that death comes to everyone, and that wealth will sometimes be acquired, sometimes lost.”

As quoted in Divine Harmony: The Life and Teachings of Pythagoras by John Strohmeier and Peter Westbrook. (1999)
The Golden Verses
Contexte: Know that death comes to everyone, and that wealth will sometimes be acquired, sometimes lost. Whatever griefs mortals suffer by divine chance, whatever destiny you have, endure it and do not complain. But it is right to improve it as much as you can, and remember this: Fate does not give very many of these griefs to good people.

“Many words befall men, mean and noble alike; do not be astonished by them, nor allow yourself to be constrained.”

As quoted in Divine Harmony: The Life and Teachings of Pythagoras by John Strohmeier and Peter Westbrook. (1999)
The Golden Verses
Contexte: Many words befall men, mean and noble alike; do not be astonished by them, nor allow yourself to be constrained.
If a lie is told, bear with it gently.
But whatever I tell you, let it be done completely.
Let no one persuade you by word or deed to do or say whatever is not best for you.

“Meditate upon my counsels; love them; follow them;
To the divine virtues will they know how to lead thee.”

As translated by Fabre d'Olivet
The Golden Verses
Contexte: Meditate upon my counsels; love them; follow them;
To the divine virtues will they know how to lead thee.
I swear it by the One who in our hearts engraved
The sacred Tetrad, symbol immense and pure,
Source of Nature and model of the Gods.

“You will know that wretched men are the cause of their own suffering, who neither see nor hear the good that is near them, and few are the ones who know how to secure release from their troubles.”

As quoted in Divine Harmony: The Life and Teachings of Pythagoras by John Strohmeier and Peter Westbrook (1999)
The Golden Verses
Contexte: You will know that wretched men are the cause of their own suffering, who neither see nor hear the good that is near them, and few are the ones who know how to secure release from their troubles. Such is the fate that harms their minds; like pebbles they are tossed about from one thing to another with cares unceasing. For the dread companion Strife harms them unawares, whom one must not walk behind, but withdraw from and flee.

“Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they please.”

As quoted in The World's Laconics: Or, The Best Thoughts of the Best Authors (1853) by Everard Berkeley
Variante: Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they will.

“There is geometry in the humming of the strings. There is music in the spacings of the spheres.”

As quoted in the preface of the book entitled Music of the Spheres by Guy Murchie (1961)
The Golden Verses

“The oldest, shortest words— "yes" and "no"— are those which require the most thought.”

As quoted in Numerology for Relationships: A Guide to Birth Numbers (2006) by Vera Kaikobad, p. 78

“Let no one persuade you by word or deed to do or say whatever is not best for you.”

As quoted in Divine Harmony: The Life and Teachings of Pythagoras by John Strohmeier and Peter Westbrook. (1999)
The Golden Verses
Contexte: Many words befall men, mean and noble alike; do not be astonished by them, nor allow yourself to be constrained.
If a lie is told, bear with it gently.
But whatever I tell you, let it be done completely.
Let no one persuade you by word or deed to do or say whatever is not best for you.

“Choose rather to be strong in soul than in body.”

"Pythagorean Ethical Sentences From Stobæus" (1904)
Choose rather to be strong of soul than strong of body.
As quoted in Florilegium, I.22, as translated in Dictionary of Quotations (1906) by Thomas Benfield Harbottle, p. 396
Florilegium

“Silence is better than unmeaning words.”

As quoted in Encyclopaedia Americana (1832) Vol. X, p. 445 edited by Francis Lieber, E. Wigglesworth, and Thomas Gamaliel Bradford

“Reason is immortal, all else mortal.”

As quoted in Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Sect. 30, as translated by Robert Drew Hicks (1925); also in The Demon and the Quantum: From the Pythagorean Mystics to Maxwell's Demon (2007) by Robert J. Scully, Marlan O. Scully, p. 11

“Above all things, respect yourself.”

Variant translations:
Respect yourself above all.
As quoted in Divine Harmony: The Life and Teachings of Pythagoras http://www.sacredscience.com/pythagoras.htm by John Strohmeier and Peter Westbrook. (1999)
Above all things reverence thy self.
Above all things, respect yourself.
Above the cloud with its shadow is the star with its light. Above all things reverence thyself.
The Golden Verses
Variante: Above all things reverence thy Self.

“Friends share all things.”

As quoted in Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, "Pythagoras", Sect. 10

“We ought so to behave to one another as to avoid making enemies of our friends, and at the same time to make friends of our enemies.”

As quoted in Diogenes Laërtius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, "Pythagoras", Sect. 23, as translated in Dictionary of Quotations http://archive.org/details/dictionaryquota02harbgoog (1906) by Thomas Benfield Harbottle, p. 320

“As soon as laws are necessary for men, they are no longer fit for freedom.”

As quoted in Short Sayings of Great Men: With Historical and Explanatory Notes‎ (1882) by Samuel Arthur Bent, p. 454

“Choose always the way that seems the best, however rough it may be; custom will soon render it easy and agreeable.”

As quoted in A Dictionary of Thoughts: Being a Cyclopedia of Laconic Quotations from the Best Authors of the World, both Ancient and Modern (1908) by Tyron Edwards, p. 101

“It is difficult to walk at one and the same time many paths of life.”

"Pythagorean Ethical Sentences From Stobæus" (1904)
Florilegium

“Repentance deserveth Pardon.”

The Sayings of the Wise (1555)

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