Pythagorean System of Life and Death

The image features a circular diagram divided into concentric bands and sectors, centered on a vertical bar labeled with Roman numerals and planetary symbols including the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and Venus. The surrounding circular fields contain sequences of letters from the Latin alphabet paired with Arabic numerals, suggesting a system of chronomancy or arithmology. The outer border contains a Latin text written in a cursive, flowing script that frames the mathematical grid, emphasizing the relationship between numbers, life ('vita'), and death ('mors').

This diagram reflects the early modern preoccupation with Pythagorean and Hermetic numerology, where the duration of human life was believed to be mathematically calculable through celestial alignments and alphanumeric systems. It is closely associated with the tradition of 'ars moriendi' (the art of dying) and the philosophical quest to determine the 'fated' span of existence.