The Commentary of Hierocles upon the Golden Verses of Pythagoras

he composed his famous Commentary on the Golden Verses of PYTHAGORAS. He had studied the philosophy of that eminent master with an uncommon degree of application, of which posterity now feel the happy effects. He understood the principles of that school to the bottom, and has given us, in his Commentary, the noblest compend of it, that ever the world was favoured with. Happy for us that it has reached our age; for without it, we should have had but a small insight into the tenets of that celebrated Italic school, founded by that great philosopher. He preserved in Alexandria, amongst all the great men that frequented his lectures, his character and reputation, as a philosopher, to the day of his death, which happened about the year four hundred and seventy-six, in the sixty-sixth year of his age.

SEVERAL of his sayings are transmitted to us; amongst which the following one is remarkable. When