Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/03/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Geoff, Thanks for looking and your kind post! Iamblichus from the 4th cent AD is the source for the Pythia story. A more reliable source is Aristotle, 4th cent BC, who documented that the Pythagoreans had a special affinity for Apollo, but did not drift beyond that into sensationalism. The Pythagoreans were secretive and I recall that Plutarch wrote that he changed the subject when he saw one of his Pythagorean friends become uneasy when the discussion turned to Pythagoras. Plutarch was a priest of Delphi in the 1st and 2nd cent AD and perhaps the most prolific ancient Greek author. The coin probably does represent Pythagoras and Milo. Best, John On 3/5/12 6:34 PM, Geoff Hopkinson wrote: > John the subjects are always most interesting but the way that you are now > documenting them ought to be seen for best practice for every curator and > collector around. Technically superb work. > > By the way are you sure about that story or is it only a theorem? > > Cheers, > Geoff > http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman > > > > On 6 March 2012 10:26, John Nebel<john.nebel at csdco.com> wrote: > >> Pythagoras was conceived while his father, Mnesarchus, was visiting the >> Delphic Oracle, the Pythia. According to the Oracle, Menesarchus's wife >> would give birth to a remarkable son, she did and he was named Pythagoras >> after the Pythia, and his father was presumed to be the god Apollo. >> >> Milo the wrestler was one of the most famous athletes of the ancient >> world, a six time Olympic victor; his athletic and military feats were >> compared to the god Herakles. Milo was a student of Pythagoras's and >> thought to have married his daughter. >> >> http://photos.csd.net/kroton_**nomos.html<http://photos.csd.net/kroton_nomos.html>is >> a photo of a dime sized coin issued by the city-state of Kroton about >> 294 BC, a century after Pythagoras death; I think the city-state was >> commemorating its two most famous sons. It's a masterpiece of engraving, >> and a wonder of preservation. >> >> The obverse is Apollo, and the reverse is the infant Herakles, son of Zeus >> and the mortal Alcmeme, strangling two snakes sent to kill him by Zeus's >> perpetually jealous wife, Hera. >> >> Mouse over the image to see the reverse, click for a larger image. >> >> Best, >> >> John >> >> ______________________________**_________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See >> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug>for >> more information >> > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information