Life of Pythagoras and Sentences on the Intelligibles

PORPHYRY

...on the same day in both places original Latin: die utrobiq; conueniret. He used to soothe the passions of the soul and the body with rhythms, songs, and incantations. And these indeed he applied to his friends; but he himself perceived the harmony of the universe original Latin: vniuerfi concentum; refers to the "Music of the Spheres," a Pythagorean belief that the movements of celestial bodies produce a divine harmony with his ears, for he understood that entire and universal harmony of the celestial spheres and the stars that move within those spheres—which we, because of the weakness of our nature, do not hear. Empedocles also testifies to these things concerning Pythagoras in these verses:

Among these there was a certain man of extraordinary knowledge,
Who possessed a vast wealth of understanding within his breast,
Investigating all the learned discoveries of the wise.
For whenever he exerted all the powers of his mind,
He easily saw each of all existing things,
Even throughout ten or twenty human generations.

For the phrases "extraordinary things," and "he saw each of existing things," and "wealth of understanding," and the like, indicate an exquisite and most accurate [perception] in Pythagoras above others...

...met with his companions on the same day. He used to soothe 5 the passions of the soul and the body with rhythms, songs, and incantations. And while he applied these to his companions, he himself listened to the harmony of the universe, 10 understanding the universal harmony of the spheres sphaerarum and the stars that move within them, which we do not hear because of the smallness of our nature. To these things 15 Empedocles also testifies, saying of him:

Among these there was a certain man of extraordinary knowledge,
Who possessed a vast wealth of understanding prapidon prapidon: a Greek term for the midriff or diaphragm, often used poetically to refer to the seat of the mind or heart within his breast,
Investigating all the learned discoveries of the wise.
For whenever he exerted all the powers of his mind,
He easily saw each of all existing things,
Even throughout ten or twenty human generations aionessi aionessi: lifetimes or ages.

For the "extraordinary things," and "he saw each of existing things," and "wealth of understanding," and 35 similar expressions, are especially emphatic of that exquisite and more accurate [constitution] compared to others...