The History of Initiation - The Masonic Trowel

IN GREECE. 85
tious or ambitious of worldly honours and distinctions. 15
Pythagoras made particular enquiry
as to the kind of
society in which the aspirant had passed his time 1G he
;
tried his fortitude and constancy by the infliction of
bodily wounds with an iron instrument heated red hot,
or with the point of a sword, or other sharp weapon. 17
And if he endured these torments without shrinking;
and proved in other respects worthy of admission, he was
allowed to receive the first degree, conformably to the
system of Grecian initiation 18
; and as an exoterick, was
the lg
Acousmatici.
ranked among After the lapse of
another considerable space of time, they were admitted
to the second degree, and were termed Mathematici : 20
"and afterwards, on receiving the third degree, they were
15
Jambl., c. 20. This Rejection was attended with circumstances
so galling to the mind, that the unfortunate person frequently expired
under its infliction.
16 Ibid. c. 17.
See Theocr. Phil, of Freem., p. 246.
17
Notwithstanding this rigid probation, Pythagoras had no sooner
established his system at Crotona, than in a very short time he had
six hundred candidates for initiation.
( Jarnbl., c. 6.) And " soon all
Italy was filled with his disciples and ; though before obscure, it was
afterwards, in compliment to Pythagoras, denominated Magna Grecia."
(Ibid. c. 29.)
18 The Oath propounded to the aspirant was made on the number
FOUR or Tetractys, which was expressed by ten commas or Jods,
(supposing it to be derived from the Tetragrammaton of the Jews,)
disposed in form of a triangle, each side con taming four ; as follows:'
Monad, Fire, or the active principle.
Duad, the passive principle.
Triad, the world proceeding from their union.
Quaternary, the liberal Sciences.
This triangle, some authors suppose, bore a reference to the triune
God, whence it was termed, Trigonon mysticum. (Jennings, Jewish
Ant., b. i., c. 12.) Jamblichus gives us the words of this oath. (De
vit. Pyth., c. 29.) Ov pa TOV d/nere^rj, &c. By the Great Tetractys,
or name Jao, who hath communicated the fountain of eternity to our
19
souls, &c.
Jambl., c. 17.
20 The doctrine of Aristotle, says Lucian. was of two kinds, exoteric
and acroatic. Under the first were ranked rhetoric, meditation, nice
disputes on the knowledge of civil things ; under the other, the more
remote and subtle
philosophy, the contemplation of nature and dialective
disceptations.