CHARACTERS. As slaves for sale: JUPITER . MERCURY . PYTHAGORAS . DIOGONES . DEMOKRITOS . HERAKLEITOS . SOKRATES . CHRYSIPPOS . and a PYRRONIST . Various buyers.


 Zeus (to his assistants) Set the benches in order, and get the place ready
for visitors; and you, range the lives
in order and usher them in, but tidy
them up first so that they may make
a good appearance and attract a crowd. You,
Hermes, make a proclamation, and, by the grace
of heaven, summon the buyers to the sale-room
forthwith. We are going to announce for sale
philosophic lives of every description and varied
principles, and if any one is not able to lay down
his money on the nail he can pay up next year if
he gives security. Hermes A crowd is gathering, so we must not
waste time nor keep them waiting. Zeus Then let us proceed to sell. Hermes Which of them shall we put up first? Zeus This one with the long hair, the Ionian,
for he seems to be a reverend person. Hermes Let the Pythagorean there show his
points to the company. Zeus Announce him, pray. Hermes I offer the noblest life, the most reverend. Who will buy? Who wishes to be more


 



than human, to know the harmony of the all, and
rise from the dead? Buyer He is not bad to look at, but just what
does he know? Hermes Arithmetic, astronomy, magic, geometry, music, jugglery. A finished fortune-teller is
before you. Buyer May one question him? Hermes With all my heart. Buyer What country are you of? Pythagoras Samos. Buyer Where were you educated? Pythagoras In Egypt, among the sages there. Buyer Well, then, if I buy you what will you
teach me? Pythagoras I will not teach you anything. I
will remind you. Buyer How will you remind me? Pythagoras By first making your soul clean,
and washing off the filth that is on it. Buyer Now, suppose me already purified, what
is your method of reminding? Pythagoras The first step is a long, speechless
silence; you must not say a word for five whole
years. Buyer You ought to teach mutes, my friend.
But I am a talker with no desire to become a
graven image. All the same, what comes after
the silence and the five-year term? Pythagoras Practise in music and geometry. Buyer That is a nice statement ! If I am to
become a philosopher I must first learn to play
the harp! Pythagoras In addition to these, counting. Buyer I can count now. Pythagoras How do you do it? Buyer One, two, three, four. Pythagoras Look, now; what you deem four is
really ten, and a perfect triangle, and what we
swear by. Buyer Hear me swear a mighty oath: by Four,
I never heard diviner or more holy words. Pythagoras And after that, stranger, you will
have knowledge concerning earth and air and
water and fire-the mass of each, and what form
it has, and what motion by consequence. Buyer Then has fire form, or air, or water? Pythagoras Very clear forms, for the formless
and shapeless is immovable; and besides these
things you will know that God is number and
mind and harmony. Buyer This is startling! Pythagoras Beyond what I have already said,
you will know that you yourself, who seem to be
a unit, are one person in appearance and another
in reality. Buyer What do you say? Am I somebody
else and not this person now talking to you?


 Pythagoras Now you are he, but formerly you
appeared in another body and with another name;
and in time you will change again into another. Buyer You mean this: that I shall be immortal, changing into one form after another?
But that is enough on this subject.