Pythagoras: The Cradle Of Western Civilization

This knowledge, after the Classical Age of Greece, was diffused to major Hellenistic cities of the east, Antioch, Alexandria, Pergamum and the Arabs and Persians latter. The Romans adopted it, and from there it was to provide the ethical basis, of the cradle of Western Civilization. The maxims at Delphi, deal with knowledge, virtue or excellence and happiness. The maxims are concise instructions or suggestions for living in virtue and piety. Surprisingly, they include the three Christian virtues, of faith, hope, and love, directly or by inference, which were to be revealed, more precisely, six hundred years later. They include some of the Ten Commandments. The two most famous of the maxims, “Know Thyself” and “Nothing to Excess” found at …show more content…
Pythagoras claimed that ethics was a major factor in human life. Pythagoras not only was the first who introduced the term philosophy, but he also concluded that the earth was a sphere, than a circular disk. Per John Lord, providing a summary of the thoughts prevailing at the time of Pythagoras, says, “It is also said, that Pythagoras cultivated the moderation of the passions, and mediocrity, and that by the conjunction of a certain precedaneous good, he rendered the life of each of his disciples happy…With respect to justice, however, we shall learn in the best manner, how he cultivated and delivered it to mankind, if we survey it from its first principle, and from what first causes it germinates, and direct our attention to the first cause of injustice… But besides all this, the best polity, popular concord, community of possessions among friends, the worship of the gods, piety to the dead, legislation, erudition, silence, abstinence from animals, continence, temperance, sagacity, divinity, and in one word, whatever is anxiously sought after by the lovers of learning, was brought to light by Pythagoras… Felicity, however, and the virtue of soul, subsist both in one thing and in many, in a whole, and in the …show more content…
For though all things come to be in accordance with this logos, humans are like the inexperienced when they experience such words and deeds as I set out, distinguishing each in accordance with its nature and saying how it is. But other people fail to notice what they do when awake, just as they forget what they do while asleep… Listening not to me but to the logos it is wise to agree that all things are one… For this reason, it is necessary to follow what is common. But although the logos is common, most people live as if they had their own private