Philolaus’s Life
I. Philolaus was a native of Crotona, and a pupil of Pythagoras, it was from him that Plato wrote to Dion to take care and purchase the books of Pythagoras.
I. Philolaus was from Crotona and was a student of Pythagoras. Plato wrote to Dion, asking him to buy the books of Pythagoras from Philolaus.
II. And he died under suspicion of having designed to seize on the tyranny; and we have written an epigram on him:—
II. He died under suspicion of having planned to seize power as a tyrant. We have written an epigram about him:
I say that all men ought above all things To guard against suspicion. For, though innocent, Still if you are suspected, you’re unfortunate. And thus his native city of Crotona Slew Philolaus; for the jealous citizens Thought that his house betrayed a tyrant’s purpose.
I say that all men should above all else Guard against suspicion. For even if you are innocent, You are still unfortunate if people suspect you. And so his native city of Crotona Killed Philolaus. Its suspicious citizens Thought his house showed that he planned to become a tyrant.
III. His theory was, that everything was produced by harmony and necessity. And he was the first person who affirmed that the earth moved in a circle; though some attribute the assertion of this principle to Icetas of Syracuse.
III. He believed that everything came into being through harmony and necessity. He was the first to say that the earth moved in a circle. However, some credit Icetas of Syracuse with this idea.
IV. He wrote one book, which Hermippus reports, on the authority of some unknown writer, that Plato the philosopher purchased when he was in Sicily (having come thither to the court of Dionysius), of the relations of Philolaus, for forty Alexandrian minæ of silver; and that from this book he copied his Timæus. But others say that Plato received it as a present, after having obtained his liberty for a young man, one of the disciples of Philolaus, who had been arrested by Dionysius. Demetrius, in his treatise on people of the same name, says that he was the first of the Pythagoreans who wrote a treatise on Natural Philosophy; and it begins thus:—
IV. He wrote one book. According to Hermippus, an unknown writer reported that Plato the philosopher bought the book from Philolaus’s relatives. Plato was in Sicily at the time, having come to the court of Dionysius. He paid forty Alexandrian minæ of silver for the book, and copied his Timæus from it. But others say that Plato received the book as a gift. According to them, he had secured the release of a young disciple of Philolaus who had been arrested by Dionysius. Demetrius, in his treatise on people with the same name, says that Philolaus was the first Pythagorean to write a treatise on natural philosophy. It begins:
“But nature in the world has been composed of bodies infinite and finite, and so is the whole world and all that is in it.”
“But nature in the world is made up of infinite and finite bodies. So are the whole world and everything in it.”