Iamblichus' Life of Pythagoras, or Pythagoric Life / Accompanied by Fragments of the Ethical Writings of certain Pythagoreans in the Doric dialect; and a collection of Pythagoric Sentences from Stobaeus and others, which are omitted by Gale in his Opuscula Mythologica, and have not been noticed by any editor

ACCOMPANIED BY FRAGMENTS OF THE ETHICAL WRITINGS OF CERTAIN PYTHAGOREANS IN THE DORIC DIALECT; AND A Collection of Pythagoric Sentences FROM STOBÆUS AND OTHERS, WHICH ARE OMITTED BY GALE IN HIS OPUSCULA MYTHOLOGICA, AND HAVE NOT BEEN NOTICED BY ANY EDITOR.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK.
BY THOMAS TAYLOR.
Approach ye genuine philosophic few,
The Pythagoric Life belongs to you:
But far, far off ye vulgar herd profane;
For Wisdom’s voice is heard by you in vain:
And you, Mind’s lowest link, and darksome end,
Good Rulers, Customs, Laws, alone can mend.
LONDON: PRINTED BY A. J. VALPY, TOOKE’S COURT, CHANCERY LANE; AND SOLD BY THE AUTHOR, 9, MANOR PLACE, WALWORTH. 1818.
When it is considered that Pythagoras was the father of philosophy, authentic memoirs of his life cannot fail to be uncommonly interesting to every lover of wisdom, and particularly to those who reverence the doctrines of Plato, the most genuine and the best of all his disciples. And that the following memoirs of Pythagoras by Iamblichus are authentic, is acknowledged by all the critics, as they are for the most part obviously derived from sources of very high antiquity; and where the sources are unknown, there is every reason to believe, from the great worth and respectability of the biographer, that the information is perfectly accurate and true.
He performed some few particulars relative to the veneration of divinity by himself, without his associates and disciples; but was inseparable from his familiars in most of his operations. He imitated in his diet the frugal simplicity of the most ancient times; and during his repast, exhilarated those who were present by his behaviour, and filled them as with nectar by the sweetness of his discourse.