The Golden Chain: An Anthology of Pythagorean and Platonic Philosophy (Treasures of the World's Religions)

the Goal Of The Ancient Philosophers Was To Understand How To Live In Harmony With Nature And To Transcend The Limitations Imposed By Sense Experience And Discursive Reasoning. Cover ......Page 1 Series Pages ......Page 2 Title Page ......Page 4 Copyright Page ......Page 5 Table of Contents......Page 6 FOREWORD......Page 8 INTRODUCTION......Page 12 PART I - TRADITIONAL ACCOUNTS ON THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF PYTHAGORAS......Page 32 1. Anonymous - The Life of Pythagoras......Page 34 2. Diogenes Laertius - The Life of Pythagoras......Page 37 3. Porphyry - The Life of Pythagoras......Page 39 4. Iamblichus - On the Pythagorean Life......Page 44 PART II - TESTIMONIES OF PYTHAGOREAN AND NEOPYTHAGOREAN TRADITION......Page 64 1. The Golden Verses of Pythagoras......Page 65 2. Pythagorean Sentences......Page 68 3. Fragments of Philolaus......Page 79 4. Pythagorean Pseudepigrapha......Page 82 PART III - PLATO: PHILOSOPHY AS THE REGROWTH OF WINGS......Page 96 Plato’s Dialogues and Letters......Page 99 PART IV - NEOPLATONIC HERMENEUTICS AND THE WAY TO GOD......Page 140 1. Porphyry - On the Life of Plotinus......Page 145 2. Plotinus - Enneads......Page 149 3. Porphyry - Letter to Marcella......Page 171 4. Iamblichus - Exhortation to Philosophy......Page 179 5. Iamblichus - On the Mysteries of the Egyptians......Page 197 6. Hierocles - Commentary on the Golden Verses......Page 208 7. Hermeias - Commentary on Plato’s Phaedrus......Page 219 8. Marinus - Proclus or About Happiness......Page 226 9. Proclus - Commentary on Plato’s Alcibiades I......Page 232 10. Proclus - Theology of Plato......Page 240 11. Proclus - Commentary on the Timaeus of Plato......Page 255 12. Proclus - Commentary on the Chaldean Oracles......Page 275 13. Proclus - Commentary on Plato’s Parmenides......Page 280 14. Damascius - Commentary on Plato’s Phaedo......Page 303 15. Damascius - On the First Principles......Page 313 GLOSSARY......Page 320 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR FURTHER READING......Page 346 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES......Page 349 INDEX......Page 350 “Neither Aristotle nor any other Platonic, or genuinely Hellenic philosopher, would have approved of what the modern European man, in his greedy desire for profit, and demonic will to power, has made out of Hellenic philosophia” —Christos C. EvangeliouIn modern times, Hellenic philosophy is almost always equated with “rationalism,” pure and simple, devoid of any spiritual contents. This could not be further from the truth. The unique approach in this book corrects the modern view of what Hellenic philosophy is and what kind of wisdom it presents. In reality, the Platonic and Pythagorean philosophy is a way of life and a means of spiritual realization. Its objective is to establish for practitioners a harmony with the cosmos, purifying their souls, and leading to union with the Divine Intellect and the One. Such philosophy is closer to the eternal Mysteries than to the fashions of Western logicians. By the Platonists and Pythagoreans themselves, their philosophy has been regarded as the “Golden Chain” of succession and transmission of essential and unchangeable knowledge. Though Pythagoras (born c.570 B.C.E.) did not invent philosophy as such, his role as a spiritual guide who reinterpreted and synthesized all available religious and philosophic knowledge (including the mysteries of Egypt and the science of Babylonia, inherited from Sumer) was crucial to the rise of the Hellenic intellectual tradition and the establishment of the so-called esoteric "house of mysteries."