the later lonians, by others, as among the Eleatics and still again 

 by another school of interpretation, as belonging, in thought, to 

 neither but as completing and synthesizing the good in each. 

 That he is definitely mystic in his sayings is recognized by all. 

 The fragments of his writings portray him as having an exalted 

 contempt for other writers. He is especially vehement against 

 those who learn many things. 1 He who runs round about, like 

 Hekataeus, picking up scraps of information will not attain the 

 truth. There is one Logos and one Cosmos which is the same for 

 all. 2 His contempt for the mass of mankind led him, like many 

 a mystic before and after his time, to a lone and solitary life. 



The Pythagoreans inherited this same mystic temperament, 

 but with the difference that they became disciples and apostles. 

 Men and women needed enlightenment, and, instead of holding 

 themselves aloof, as Heracleitus had done, they began teaching. 

 Like the prophet, Buddha, they were not content to rest under 

 the Bo-tree of self-contemplation and self-satisfaction, but, re- 

 nouncing that temptation, they set about promulgating the beliefs 

 which were theirs. 



Little is known of Pythagoras himself, but somewhat more 

 information is procurable in regard to his followers. Their work 

 centres around two main points, their views on transmigration 

 and their interest in mathematical studies. The first of these 

 illustrates well the influence upon them of the mystical in the 

 religious background. The belief in the transmigration of souls 

 was no doubt an inheritance from Orphism, which, again, traced 

 its origin back to the worship of Dionysus, the chief Mystery-God 

 of the Greek people. The teaching of this school one is almost 

 justified in saying, of this religious sect is predominantly religious; 

 and their speculations, accordingly, show the influence of the mysti- 

 cal ideas which had been handed down to them. Instead of holding 

 that water or the boundless or air or fire is primal, they held that 

 number is the ultimate in the universe. According to Aristotle, 3 

 the number, ten, was thought by them to be perfect. This, when 

 arranged as different tetractyes, became the "master-key to the 



1 Bywater's Edn. Cf. Fr. 16. (Ritter & Preller's Edn. Cf. Fr. 31). 



2 Byw. Fr. 20. (R. & P. Fr. 35). 



3 Met. I, V, 986 a. 



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