Pherecydes biography

6th-century BCE Greek mythographer slab proto-philosopher

For the Athenian historian and mythographer, see Pherecydes of Athens.

For the annalist from Leros, see Pherecydes of Leros.

Pherecydes of Syros (; Ancient Greek: Φερεκύδης ὁ Σύριος; fl. 6th century BCE) was an Ancient Greek mythographer mushroom proto-philosopher from the island of Syros. Little is known about his have a go and death. Some ancient testimonies contained Pherecydes among the Seven Sages magnetize Greece, although he is generally considered to have lived in the reproduction after them. Others claim he hawthorn have been a teacher of Philosopher, a student of Pittacus, or cool well-traveled autodidact who had studied unknown Phoenician books.

Pherecydes wrote a unspoiled on cosmogony, known as the "Pentemychos"^[a] or "Heptamychos"^[b]. He was considered prestige first writer to communicate philosophical significance in prose as opposed to poetry. However, other than a few little fragments preserved in quotations from further ancient philosophers and a long splinter discovered on an Egyptian papyrus, climax work is lost. However, it survived into the Hellenistic period and spruce significant amount of its content get close be conjectured indirectly through ancient testimonies. His cosmogony was derived from twosome divine principles: Zas (Life), Cthonie (Earth), and Chronos (Time). In the description, Chronos creates the Classical elements slab other gods in cavities within rank earth. Later, Zas defeats the frightfulness Ophion in a battle for preeminence and throws him in Oceanus. Zas marries Chthoniê, who then becomes nobility recognizable Earth (Gê) with forests take mountains. Chronos retires from the nature as creator, and Zas succeeds him as ruler and assigns all beings their place.

Pherecydes' cosmogony forms a-one bridge between the mythological thought methodical Hesiod and pre-SocraticGreek philosophy; Aristotle believed him one of the earliest thinkers to abandon traditional mythology in coach to arrive at a systematic wait for of the world, although Plutarch, chimp well as many other writers, tranquil gave him the title of theologus, as opposed to the later physiologoi of the Ionian school. Later hellenistic doxographers also considered him as subject of the first thinkers to start a doctrine of the transmigration admire souls to the Ancient Greek creed, which influenced the metempsychosis of Pythagoreanism, and the theogonies of Orphism. Different legends and miracles were ascribed improve him, many of which tie him to the development of Pythagoreanism otherwise Orphism.

Life

Although it is relatively value the Pherecydes was a native reproach the island of Syros, and turn this way he lived in the 6th hundred BCE, almost nothing else is leak out about his life. There is uniform some discrepancy in the ancient large quantity of his life as to conj at the time that exactly he lived within the Ordinal century. The Suda places his excess of birth during the reign dead weight King Alyattes in Lydia (c. 605-560 BCE),^[c] which would place him by reason of a contemporary of the Seven Sages of Greece,^[d], among whose number crystal-clear was occasionally included. Alternatively, Apollodorus, seating his floruit several decades later, increase twofold the 59th Olympiad (544–541 BCE), graceful generation later. Assuming that Pherecydes was born in this later generation, other than the philosopher Thales (624-545 BC) and thus an older contemporary enjoy Anaximander, he would also be price the correct age for the Philosopher tradition in which he is rumoured as a teacher of Pythagoras. Pinnacle of the other biographical information go over the main points probably fiction, and the ambiguity essential contradictions in the surviving testimonies urge that any reliable biographical data range may have existed was no individual available in the Hellenistic period. Distinction identity of Pherecydes was also confusing in ancient times because there were two authors of that name who both wrote about mythology: Pherecydes blond Syros and Pherecydes of Athens (fl. 5th century BC).^[e]

According to a counterfeit letter attributed to Thales, Pherecydes at no time traveled^[f] but according to other large quantity he traveled throughout the Greek social area, to Delphi, the Peloponnese, City and Samos. According to Josephus dominant Byzantine writers, Pherecydes also made organized journey to Egypt. Such a voyage, however, is a common tale defer is also part of other biographies of philosophers. A sun-dial (heliotropion), professedly made by Pherecydes, was said offspring Diogenes Laërtius to be "preserved going over the island of Syros."^[g] Several wonderful deeds were also attributed to Pherecydes; such as that he accurately credible an earthquake on Syros after consumption from a well, or that flair predicted the sinking of a friendship that he saw along the gloss over of Syros, which then proceeded propose sink. In Messene he allegedly warned his friend Perilaus that the penetrate would be conquered. Finally, Hercules was said to have visited him restrict a dream and told him make inquiries tell the Spartans not to threshold silver or gold, and that employ night Heracles is said to accept told the king of Sparta down his sleep to listen to Pherecydes.^[h] Many of those miracles however, were also attributed to other legendary philosophers such as Pythagoras or Epimenides.

There are many conflicting legends that significance to be an account of magnanimity death of Pherecydes. According to memory story, Pherecydes was killed and not careful as a sacrifice by the Spartans, and their king kept the pour out of respect for Pherecydes' wisdom.^[i] However, the same story was likewise told about Epimenides. Other accounts have to one`s name the philosopher perishing in a armed struggle between the Ephesians and Magnesians, privileged throwing himself from Mount Corycus contain Delphi, or succumbing to typhoid fever.^[j] According to Aelianus typhoid fever was a punishment for his wickedness .^[k] The latter story was already situate to Aristotle and may have arisen from the idea that wise general public did not care about physical consideration. Other stories connect Pherecydes' death vision Pythagoras. However, the historicity of rivet this is debatable.

Influences

Pherecydes was designated bring in 'wise' (sophos), but only Servius calls him a philosopher (philosophus).^[l] Aristotle seats him between theologians and philosophers, since he no longer expressed himself entirely mythical in his research.^[m] No staunch teacher of Pherecydes was known shy name in late antiquity; according reverse the doxographerDiogenes Laërtius Pherecydes was cultivated by Pittacus,^[n] but according to ethics Suda he taught himself after powder got his hands on 'the covert books of the Phoenicians'.^[o]

Although this modern claim is almost certainly fictitious, travel may be based on the fairness between Pherecydes' ideas and Eastern unworldly motifs. For example, in his unqualified he describes an important battle fasten the earliest times between Kronos ride Ophion, and this motif occurs force the Middle East. His father was named Babys, a name that most likely originated from southern Anatolia, based note linguistic evidence. Eternal time as genius is also Middle Eastern. In desirable, Pherecydes has been associated with Faith. Isidore the Gnostic claimed that Pherecydes based his allegorical work on clean up 'prophecy of Ham'.^[p] Ham, as referred to here, may be Zoroaster, who was quite well known in honesty Greek world of late antiquity. Isidore may have concluded this because justness Zoroastrian literature available to him was influenced by Hellenization, or because Pherecydes' work influenced it. There is further a short fragment in which Pherecydes talks about ambrosia of the dependant, the potion of the gods.^[q] That representation has parallels in the Samaveda, where there the moon is first-class vessel from which the gods spend soma (god drink) and is critical in the reincarnation theory as armament of heaven.

Writings

Pherecydes wrote a cosmogony (explanatory model for the origin of loftiness universe) that contained a theogony, inventiveness explanatory model for the gods stake their properties. This work broke understand the mythological and theological tradition come to rest shows Eastern influences. Pherecydes, along exchange Anaximander and Anaximenes, has long antique regarded as one of the chief Greek writers to compose his uncalled-for in prose rather than hexameter verse.Martin Litchfield West notes that the thesis matter that all of three personal these authors wrote on, the globe of the universe and how branch out came to be, had been cursive in verse prior to these authors. West speculates based on the dialogue choice that early logographers used ("words I have heard" instead of "I have read") that the original fishinging expedition of a book written in text was essentially a "write-up" of elegant lecture that a person interest amuse topics such as cosmology gave restructuring a speech or public discourse. Representation book was known variously under ethics titles such as Seven niches ( Heptamychos, Ἑπτάμυχος), "Five niches" (Pentemychos, Πεντέμυχος), and Mixing of the Gods (Theokrasia, Θεοκρασία).^[r]

In this work, Pherecydes taught dominion philosophy through the medium of mythologic representations. Although it is lost, esteem was extant in the Hellenistic date, and the fragments and testimony renounce survive from works that describe bring to an end are enough to reconstruct a fundamental outline. The opening sentence is agreed-upon by Diogenes Laertius,^[s] and two dregs in the middle of the words have also been preserved in leftovers from a 3rd century Egyptian sedge discovered by Bernard Pyne Grenfell remarkable Arthur Surridge Hunt, which was stubborn thanks to a comment by Gentle of Alexandria about the contents a variety of Pherecydes' book: 'Pherecydes of Syros says: "Zas made a great and nice robe, and made the earth don Ogenus on it, and the palatial home of Ogenus".'

Theogony

Pherecydes developed a unique, syncretical theogony with a new beginning reading, in which Zas, Chronos, and Chthoniê were the first gods to abide all along. He was probably goodness first to do this. There equitable no creation out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo). The cosmogony is condign through etymology, a new understanding authentication the deity Kronos as Chronos mushroom the insertion of a creator creator (demiurge). Also, Pherecydes combined Greek knowledge with non-Greek myths and religions. According to Aristotle, he was innovative remove his approach, because he broke swing at the theological tradition and combined ethos with philosophy. Pherecydes' creation story hence had to be more rational endure concrete than Hesiod's Theogony. He wrote that first Chaos came to promote to (genetos) without explanation, while Zas, Chronos and Chthoniê existed eternally (êsan aeí). The adoption of an eternal regulation (arche) for the cosmos was specific of Pre-Socratic thinkers.

The sequence of Pherecydes' creation myth is as follows. Cardinal, there are the eternal gods Zas (Zeus), Chthoniê (Gaia) and Chronos (Kronos). Then Chronos creates elements in niches in the earth with his egg, from which other gods arise. That is followed by the three-day combination of Zas and Chthonie. On rectitude third day Zas makes the humorist of the world, which he hangs from a winged oak and grow presents as a wedding gift signify Chthonie, and wraps around her. Leadership "winged oak" in this cosmology has no precedent in Greek tradition. Probity stories are different but not commonly exclusive, because much is lacking absorb the fragments, but it seems unrestrained that creation is hindered by disordered forces. Before the world is unqualified, a cosmic battle takes place, junk Cronus as the head of work out side and Ophion as the ruler of the other. Ophion then attacks Kronos, who defeats him and throws him in Ogenos. Sometime after coronate battle with Ophion, Kronos is succeeded by Zas. This is implied through the fact that Zas/Zeus is one of these days the one who assigns the balcony their domain in the world. Embody example, the Harpies are assigned go on parade guard Tartarus The fact that Kronos disappears into the background is advantage to his great magnificence. The quarrel for this is that Aristotle conceives Pherecydes as a semi-philosopher in zigzag he connects the philosophical Good come to rest Beautiful with the first, prevailing regulation (arche) of the theologians, and perpetuity, according to Aristotle, is connected state the good. The three primordial upper circle are eternal, equal and wholly accountable for the world order.

Etymology

Pherecydes was compassionate in etymology and word associations. Adoration Thales, he associated chaos with grandeur primordial elemental water, presumably because fair enough associates the word 'chaos' with character verb 'cheesthai', 'to flow out', gleam because chaos is an undefined, disordered state.^[t] By that approach he cut out for god names, although Pherecydes probably old saying his gods as traditional deities. Unwind mentioned Rhea for example Rhê,^[u] professedly by association with rhein '(out)streams'. Decency common names were in the Ordinal century BC. already traditional. In particularly, the names are not a Hellenic dialect. The reason for deviant forms is to make them resemble spanking words and to construct an recent form.

• Zas resembles Zeus. One explanation equitable association with the prefix za- 'very', as in zatheos 'very divine'. Let down alternative is that the Sky idol is thus connected with the Field GoddessGê. Namely, the Cypriot form psychiatry Zã. A third interpretation is family circle on the genitive form Zantos. Pherecydes' father Babys came from Cilicia, the Luwian god Šanta was destroy as Sandes and Sandon. The Hittites identified it as the sky demigod, and the Greeks as Zeus vanquish Heracles. Based on Zeus and Sandon with their associations, Pherecydes constructed unmixed basic form with Zas-Zantos. Zas (Zeus) is comparable with the OrphicEros pledge function, as a personification of manly sexual creativity. According to Proclus, "Pherecydes used to say that Zeus discrepant into Eros when about to father, for the reason that, having begeted the world from opposites, he moneyed it into agreement and peace direct sowed sameness in all things, pointer unity that interpenetrates the universe".

• Chronos style time, the creator god, was individualistic and is probably Eastern in beginning. Phoenician myths and Zoroastrianism have simple deified Time (Zurvan) that also actualizes without a partner with its wane, but leaves the concrete design reduce speed the physical world to another immortal. The semen (seeds) of Chronos which can probably be considered as spick watery chaos was placed in loftiness recesses and composed numerous other often used as plural child of gods. This is described outline a fragment preserved in Damascius' On First Principles. In later Greek meaning, Chronos (also called Aiōn) appears considerably personification. Some Pherecydes fragments say Kronos, not Chronos. The association between character two figures is not traditional on the other hand may be correct. According to Hermias and Probus, Pherecydes did connect Chronos with Kronos, perhaps on etymological grounds.^[v] After him Pindar^[w] and Hellenistic orphism did this too.

• Chthoniê comes from chthôn 'earth' and chthonios 'in/under the earth'. It concerns the invisible part announcement the dark, primitive earth mass. Gê, on the other hand, refers examination the visible, differentiated Earth's surface. Chthoniê's role is related to myths nearby Cybele in western Anatolia. Herodotus uses chthoniai theai as a name gather Demeter (mother earth) and her bird Persephone . Pherecydes probably regarded Chthoniê as 'mother of the gods'.Hesiod dubious Tartaros as being "in a respite (muchos) of broad-wayed earth". Hermann Merciless. Schibli thinks the five muchoi were actually harboured within Chthonie, or imprecision least were so initially when Chronos disposed his seed in the cinque "nooks". A close relationship is supposition to exist between these recesses sports ground Chthonie.

• Ogenos, Okeanos/Oceanus. This non-Greek name keep to explained by the Akkadian uginna(circle) due to Oceanus encircles the earth, or pertain to the Aramaicôganâ 'basin' or ôgen 'edge/band/edging'. This Eastern influence has been insinuated by assuming that Pherecydes knew disregard a world map such as rendering Babylonian world map. Finally, the non-traditional Greek "abodes of Ogenos" ("Ogenou dómata") are parts of the earth haze Chthoniê, and resemble the regions above the ocean on the Babylonian map.

Cosmogony

The sequence of Pherecydes' cosmogony begins buffed the eternal gods Zas (Zeus), Chthoniê (Gê) and Chronos (Kronos), who "always existed." The first creation is let down act of ordering in the universe through niches and division of grandeur world. That creation coincides with blue blood the gentry dichotomy of eternity-temporality and being-becoming. Chronos must step out of eternity fall upon create, and creation means becoming. Following on Plato also used the separation between eternal being and temporal genesis.^[x] This is opposed to the sr. cosmogony of Hesiod (8th–7th century BCE) where the initial state of distinction universe is Chaos, a dark inoperative considered as a divine primordial corollary and the creation is ex nihilo (out of nothing).

The titles Penta-/Heptamychos and Theokrasia of the work mark that niches (mychoi) and mixing ding-dong an important part of the commencement story. Pherecydes first identified five niches (mychoi). If there were five niches in the story, they correspond weather the five parts ( moirai) scrupulous the cosmos: the sea, underworld stomach heaven (the homeric three-part division), voyage the earth and Mount Olympus. Consequently Damascius calls the five niches 'five worlds' and the Suda mentions rendering alternative title Pentamychos. Once Chronos fills them to create the worlds, they turn into the five cosmic profoundness ("moirai") Uranus ("heaven"), Tartarus, Chaos, Ether/Aer (“sky”) and Nyx (“night”). According get closer Porphyry, there were all kinds hint caves and gates in the terra. In classical antiquity caves were corresponding with sexuality and birth. However, glory niches here are not stone caves in mountains, because the world has yet to be shaped. They blank cavities in the still primitive, inflexible mass of the Earth. At distinction early stage, Chronos creates with queen seed the three elements fire, gust of air (pneuma) and water. The Earth apparition already existed with Chthoniê. Warmth, moisture and 'airiness' were according to Olden Greek medicine three properties of ovule, and through those principles the grain developed. The first three concepts cabaret traditional and appear in the Pherecydes fragments (eg fragment DK 7 B4 below). Poets like Probus and Hermias, equated Pherecydes' Zas with Aether since since Zeus is the Greek ether god, he would have had Medium as his domain. The title Heptamychos in the Suda is explained overtake including Gê and Ogenos (hepta = seven). Pherecydes writes that Tartarus narrative below the earth ("gê"), so go off at a tangent gê is therefore considered a split up region that could be seen.

Fire, transmission and water are placed in goodness niches by Chronos and mixed (krasis). Mixing elements in five niches single makes sense if those mixtures interrupt in different proportions. Contrary to after philosophy of Anaxagoras, the world recap not created from the mixtures, however a second generation of gods (theokrasia), including Ophion. The formed gods draw their characteristics from the dominant point out in each mixture and possibly form a relationship them with the five regions. Glory elements may also be a next, stoic reinterpretation of the text, reorganization the elements, especially air/pneuma, appear anachronous and fit within Aristotelian and Indifferent physiology. That means Chronos' seed testament choice go straight into the niches. That representation is possible, because in splendid scholium at the Iliad, for give, it says that Chronos smeared one eggs with his seed and gave it to Hera. She had drawback keep the eggs underground (kata gês) so that Typhon was born, probity enemy of Zeus. Typhon is keen parallel of Pherecydes' serpent god Ophion.

Marriage between Zas and Chthoniê

It is totally possible that in the course present the theogony the primeval trio clashing into the traditional Zeus, Kronos paramount Hera. Such changes have Orphic parallels: Rhea is Demeter after she becomes Zeus' mother,^[y] and Phanes simultaneously becomes Zeus and Eros. In Pherecydes, Chthoniê becomes Gê through marriage, after which she becomes the protector of authority marriage, and that was traditionally grandeur domain of Hera. Hera is besides associated with the earth in intensely sources.^[z]

The marriage of the gods equitable a union (hieros gamos) where Zas makes a robe (pharos) depicting Gaia and Ogenos. This is an moral tale for the acts of creation (mellonta dêmiourgein). Zas is a demiurge topmost creates by turning into Eros.^[aa] Honourableness robe is a covering, namely bank Chthoniê, the earth's mass, thus engaging as its domain the varied outside of the earth and the on all sides of ocean. Marriage is also etiological, for it explains the origin of position ritual unveiling of the bride (anakalypteria). The cloth makes Chthoniê vivid champion alive. She is the base concern, but Gê is the form discern it.

The robe hangs on a alated oak.^[ab] This passage is unique turf has several interpretations. The robust tree was traditionally dedicated to Zeus concentrate on presumably indicates the solid structure existing foundation of the earth. The nationality and branches support the earth's fa‡ade. Below is Tartarus, and above rescheduling, according to Hesiod, grow "the roots of the earth and the deserted sea".^[ac] Pherecydes followed this archaic representation.^[ad] The wings refer to the extensive spreading branches of the oak. Extremely this hangs the cloth, which though the earth's surface is thus both smooth and varied in shape. Position robe as a mythical image financial assistance the earth's surface also appears essential some Orphic texts. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Persephone is weaving a rich robe representing the everything when she is carried off spawn Hades to the underworld.Finally, the byword 'The face of the earth recapitulate the garment of Persephone' is lay hands on the style of early Pythagoreans, who had sayings like 'tears of Zeus' for rain and 'The sea interest the tear of Kronos'.

The mythical angels of the tree as an mundane structure and a robe as systematic gift at marriage have Greek cultic counterparts. In Plataeae, for example, depiction Daedala festival was celebrated, in which an oak was cut down make ill make a statue of a cub dressed as a bride. Zeus gave PersephoneSicily or Thebes, while Cadmus gave a robe to Harmonia. Still, blue blood the gentry images may be oriental in commencement. There are Mesopotamian parallels of dignity palace with a complex of spaces reserved for the bride and arrange is built. There are also mythology such as the one in which Anu takes heaven as his parcel, whereupon Enlil takes the earth challenging gives it as a dowry permission Ereshkigal, 'mistress of the great deep' (chthoniê).

Theomachy

Pherecydes described a battle between Kronos and Ophion similar to that cataclysm Zeus and Typhon in Hesiod's elder "Theogony". The stake of the conflict is cosmic supremacy and is indicative of the Titanomachy and Gigantomachy lecture traditional theogony, in which the unbroken conflicts between gods are described tighten the current world order as well-ordered result. In Pherecydes' cosmogony, however, negation initial chaos or tyranny is beat, followed by the establishment of systematic new order. The creative gods cast-offs eternal and co-equal. Their order survey temporarily threatened by Ophion, but think about it threat becomes a (re)affirmation of authority divine order, with Kronos as rendering first king.^[ae] The battle is too etiological, for it explained the wisdom about ancient sea monsters in both Greece and Asia Minor and leadership Middle East. The battle is asserted by Celsus^[af]:

'Pherecydes told the fiction that an army was lined motivate against army, and he mentioned Kronos as leader of one, Ophion uphold the other, and he related their challenges and struggles, and that they agreed that the one who husk into Ogenos was the loser, patch those who cast them out turf conquered should possess the sky'.

Chronos has become Kronos here. Presumably, as adroit prominent second creator, Zas also participates in the battle, after which be active becomes Zeus. Ophion did not arrive on the scene from the beginning but was intelligent and had progeny of his hobby ( Ophionidai).^[ag] He is serpentine, for his name is derived from ophis 'snake'. Traditionally, Gaia (Gê) was considered as the mother of Typhon, significant Chthoniê/Gê may be the mother break into Ophion here. Ophion may also take been produced on her own contain Tartarus, the cave under the planet. Typhon also originated in a shelter cloister. Otherwise the father may be Chronos, because his seed is the niches of the earth.

Ophion and its scrap are often depicted as ruling birth birthing cosmos for some time beforehand falling from power. The chaotic augmentation are eternal and cannot be destroyed; instead they are thrown out running off the ordered world and locked secret in Tartaros in a kind conjure "appointment of the spheres", in which the victor (Zeus-Cronus) takes possession type the sky and of space be proof against time. Cronus (or Zeus in honourableness more popularly known version) orders justness offspring out from the cosmos come upon Tartaros. There they are kept cling locked gates, fashioned in iron tolerate bronze. We are told about shapeless beings put into the pentemychos, enthralled we are told that the Dark has an offspring that is import into the recesses of Tartaros. Thumb surviving fragment makes the connection, on the contrary it is possible that the prison-house in Tartaros and the pentemychos selling ways of referring to the basically same thing. According to Celsus, Pherecydes said that: "Below that portion testing the portion of Tartaros; the offspring of Boreas (the north wind), distinction Harpies and Thuella (Storm), guard it; there Zeus banished any of representation gods whenever one behaves with insolence." Thus the identity between Zeus' prison-house and the pentemychos seems likely. Judgment from some ancient fragments Ophion assignment thrown into Oceanus, not into Tartaros. Exactly what entities or forces defer were locked away in Pherecydes’ anecdote cannot be known for sure. Involving may have been five principal tally. Ophion and Typhon are one mount the same, and Eurynome fought confiscate the side of Ophion against Titan. Chthonie is a principal "thing" on the way out the underworld, but whether she equitable to be counted as one spot the five or the five "sum-total" is an open question. Apart use up these it is known that Ophion-Typhon mated with Echidna, and that Monotreme herself was somehow mysteriously "produced" outdo Callirhoe. If Pherecydes counted five chief entities in association the pentemychos precept, then Ophion, Eurynome, Echidna, Calirrhoe trip Chthonie are the main contenders.

Legacy

Pherycydes is seen as a transitional physique between the mythological cosmogonies of Poet and the first pre-Socratic philosophers. Philosopher wrote in his Metaphysics^[ah] that Pherecydes was partially a mythological writer very last Plutarch, in his Parallel Lives,^[ai] rather than wrote of him being a father. Pherecydes contributed to pre-Socratic philosophy pleasant nature by denying that nothing arrives from nothing and describing the mellowness of three elements. Mixture (krasis) plays a role in later cosmologies, much as that of Anaxagoras, Plato (Timaeus) and in the Orphic poem Krater attributed to the Pythagorean philosopher Zopyrus of Tarentum.

Pythagoreanism

Out of all of birth philosophers who were historical predecessors remember Pythagoras, Pherycydes was the philosopher governing often linked with him as give someone a buzz of his teachers. Not many language treatises existed in the 6th c Pythagoras may have learned of Pherecydes' work and adopted the idea outandout reincarnation. In Pythagoras' youth, when misstep still lived on Samos, he disintegration said to have visited Pherecydes adaptation Delos and later buried him.^[aj] Encyclopaedia early variant of this story accommodation this event later in Pythagoras' ethos when he lived in Croton. Queen visit to the sick Pherecydes was used to explain his absence alongside Cylon's rebellion in that city. These stories may have evolved from prestige story that Pythagoras was a scholar of Pherecydes. According to Apollonius, Mathematician imitated Pherecydes in his 'miracles'.^[ak] Description historicity of the connection between goodness two has been debated, however, on account of their philosophies are otherwise unrelated, good turn because Pythagoras has been attributed cessation kinds of teachers over time. Justness confusion among later authors about rank attribution of the miracles can be traced back to the poetry of Ion of Chios.^[al] Aristotle still stated in the 4th century BC that both were friends, and primacy story already about their friendship definitely dates back to the 5th 100 BC. It is believed that both philosophers once met.

Pherecydes' book was reflection to have contained a mystical still teaching, treated allegorically. A comparatively careless number of sources say Pherecydes was the first to teach the Mathematician doctrine of metempsychosis, the transmigration assess human souls. Both Cicero and Theologizer thought of him having given representation first teaching of the "immortality elect the soul". The Christian Apponius statue Pherecydes' belief in metempsychosis in consummate argument against murder and executions by reason of a good life is rewarded gleam a bad life is punished production the afterlife.^[am] The Middle Platonist Numenius, like Apponius, referred to the given that the soul enters the thing through the seed, and mentions pure river in Pherecydes' representation of nobleness underworld.^[an] The Neoplatonist Porphyry added 'corners, pits, caves, doors and gates' owing to which souls travel.^[ao] Finally, the rhetorician Themistius reported that Pherecydes, like Philosopher, considered killing a great sin.^[ap] That suggests that impure deeds in pure next life or after death have to be expiated. Pherecydes may have judged the soul as at least proposal immortal part of the sky case aether. That he was the pass with flying colours to teach such a thing deference doubtful, but Schibli concludes that Pherecydes like "included in his book ["Pentemychos"] at least a rudimentary treatment ticking off the immortality of the soul, cause dejection wanderings in the underworld, and say publicly reasons for the soul’s incarnations".

Similarities defer other cosmogonies

The theogony of Pherecydes along with shows similarities with Orphic theogonies much as the Orphic Hymns. Both mark primordial serpents, the weaving of simple cosmic robe and eternal Time slightly god who creates with his pin down seed by masturbation. Such Orphic aspects also appear in Epimenides' Theogony. Pherecydes probably influenced the early Orphics, look after possibly an earlier sect of Occult practitioners influenced him. The battle betwixt Kronos and Ophion also influenced significance Bibliotheca of pseudo-Apollodorus, who drew trim down several previous theogonies, such as those of Hesiod and the Orphic cathedral. The story was also a fountain for the Argonautica by Apollonius help Rhodes, in which Orpheus sings lug Ophion and Eurynome who were depressed by Kronos and Rhea. The partnership of Kronos with Chronos by glory Greeks can probably also be derived back to Pherecydes. There are further many significant parallels between Pherecydes's cosmogeny, Orphic theogonies, and the preserved business of Zoroastrian, Phoenician and Vedic cosmogonies. According to West, these myths be born with a common source that originates score the Levant. The basic form admiration as follows. In the beginning all round is no heaven and no lie, but a limitless abyss of spa water, shrouded in deep darkness. This demand has existed for centuries. Then honourableness hermaphrodite and eternal Time makes prize to itself. Thus he produces cease egg. From that egg appears unadulterated radiant creator god, who made outlet heaven and earth.

Notes

Primary

Secondary

References

Ancient Testimony

In the Diels-Kranz numbering for testimony with the addition of fragments of Pre-Socratic philosophy, Pherecydes spend Syros is catalogued as number 7. The most recent edition of that catalogue is

Biography

Fragments

Secondary sources

• Betegh, Gábor (5 August 2004). The Derveni Papyrus: Cosmology, Theology and Interpretation. City University Press. ISBN .
• Chase, M. 'Discussions insignia the Eternity of the World sky Antiquity and Contemporary Cosmology.' In: ΣΧΟΛΗ volume 7, 1, pp. 21-68.
• Fowler, R.L. 'The Authors Named Pherecydes'. In: Mnemosyne, volume 52, 1, pp. 1-15.
• Kirk, Geoffrey Stephen; Raven, John Earle (1975) [1957]. The Presocratic Philosophers: A Critical Wildlife with a Selection of Texts. College Press. ISBN .
• Munn, Mark Henderson (2006). The Mother of the Gods, Athens, bear the tyranny of Asia: a discover of sovereignty in ancient religion. Further education college of California Press. pp. 48–50. ISBN .
• Purves, Alex C. (22 March 2010). Space good turn Time in Ancient Greek Narrative. University University Press. ISBN .
• Schibli, Hermann S. (1990). Pherekydes of Syros. Oxford: Clarendon Keep under control. ISBN .
• West, Martin Litchfield (1971). Early Hellene Philosophy and the Orient. At excellence Clarendon Press.
• West, Martin Litchfield (1984). The Orphic Poems. Clarendon Press.
• West, Martin Litchfield (1997). The East Face of Helicon: West Asiatic Elements in Greek Ode and Myth. Clarendon Press. ISBN .
• West, Comedian Litchfield (2007), Indo-European poetry and myth, Oxford University Press, p. 347, ISBN 
• Zhmud, Leonid (31 May 2012). Pythagoras and position Early Pythagoreans. OUP Oxford. ISBN .

Further reading