Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE GOSPEL OF PHILOSOPHIC HEATHENISM231his mode of life according to the doctrine of Pythagoras,who in his unspeakable wisdom knew notonly what he was, but what he had been. Theyhad formerly instructed Pythagoras in his philosophy,having themselves derived it from the Indians. Nowhe had seen it in its source, and had gone to theIndians rather than to them, " as men of sublimergenius, living in a purer atmosphere, and also asholding truer opinions respecting nature and the gods,by reason of being nearer heaven, and the fountain ofan ethereal and vivifying substance." Such men bestknew the nature of the soul, " of whose generationthat which is immortal and immutable is the source."1" The Indians," he farther told them, " having instructedme in all those points of their wisdom which I thoughtof service to me, I do not forget my instructors. Igo about teaching what I have heard from them, andI may be of service to you if you send me forthacquainted with all you know, for I should nevercease imparting it myself to the Greeks and writingit to the Indians." * He then reproached them thatwhile the Greeks represented their gods only in anoble and beautiful shape, they made them ridiculousand unseemly by figuring them as beasts. Thespesionreplied that the Egyptians dared not venture to giveany forms to the gods, but represented them onlyin symbols and allegories, that they might be morevenerable. Apollonius retorted by asking what therecould be symbolical or venerable in a dog, an ibis, ora goat.Apollonius thus "quitted the Egyptian Gymnoso-phists in full assurance that the wisdom of Egyptpossessed nothing which he as a Pythagorean had to1 Book vi. 11. -fjs rb adavarbv re Kal dyevvrjTov Tnjyal yevecreus.