More from the Ancient Greeks

In the section on “Fifth-century Pythagoreanism” in his book Early Greek Philosophy, Jonathan Barnes states that. “. . . there were two forms of philosophy; for there were two kinds of people who practiced it, the Aphorists and the Scientists.”  (pp. 162, 163)

 An aphorism is a terse formulation of a truth or a concise statement of a principle, and the Aphorists support these “as if they were divine doctrines.”  (Webster)

Some sound very reasonable and therefor true to me as well. 

1. “What is most just? – Sacrificing.” (p. 163)

2. “What is most powerful? – Knowledge.” (p. 163)

3. “What is most good? – Happiness.” (p. 163)

4. “Do not help anyone to put down a burden (for one must not become a cause of idleness); rather, help him to take it up.” (p. 163)

5. “It is good to stand fast, to receive wounds in the front, and so to die: the opposite is bad.” (p. 164)

#4 seems praticularly apt for today!