A Slip of the Tongue in Salutation (5)

Pythagoras the mystic has vouchsafed us no writings of his own; but we may infer from his disciples, Ocellus the Lucanian and Archytas, for instance, that he headed his letters neither with Joy nor Prosperity, but recommended beginning with Hail. At any rate all the Pythagoreans in writing to one another (when their tone is serious, that is) started with wishing Health, which they took to be the prime need of soul and body alike, and to include all human blessings, The Pentagram[*], that interlaced triple triangle which served them as a sort of password, they called by the name Health. They argued that

Health included Joy and Prosperity, but that neither of those two was coextensive with Health. Some of them gave to the Quaternion[*], which is their most solemn oath, and sums their perfect number, the name of Beginning of Health. Philolaus might be quoted.