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Hortatory Address to the Greeks

Justin Martyr

Chapter 19

About this work

Author: Justin Martyr

Chapter XIX.—Testimony of Pythagoras.

And Pythagoras, son of Mnesarchus, who expounded the

‹ Chapter 18 Chapter 20 ›

doctrines

of

his

own

philosophy

,

mystically

by

means

of

symbols

,

as

those

who

have

written

his

life

show

,

himself

seems

to

have

entertained

thoughts

about

the

unity

of

God

not

unworthy

of

his

foreign

residence

in

Egypt

.

For

when

he

says

that

unity

is

the

first

principle

of

all

things

,

and

that

it

is

the

cause

of

all

good

,

he

teaches

by

an

allegory

that

God

is

one

,

and

alone

.

And

that

this

is

so

,

is

evident

from

his

saying

that

unity

and

one

differ

widely

from

one

another

.

For

he

says

that

unity

belongs

to

the

class

of

things

perceived

by

the

mind

,

but

that

one

belongs

to

numbers

.

And

if

you

desire

to

see

a

clearer

proof

of

the

opinion

of

Pythagoras

concerning

one

God

,

hear

his

own

opinion

,

for

he

spoke

as

follows

:

“

God

is

one

;

and

He

Himself

does

not

,

as

some

suppose

,

exist

outside

the

world

,

but

in

it

,

He

being

wholly

present

in

the

whole

circle

,

and

beholding

all

generations

;

being

the

regulating

ingredient

of

all

the

ages

,

and

the

administrator

of

His

own

powers

and

works

,

the

first

principle

of

all

things

,

the

light

of

heaven

,

and

Father

of

all

,

the

intelligence

and

animating

soul

of

the

universe

,

the

movement

of

all

orbits

.

”

Thus

,

then

,

Pythagoras

.

Notes

39
Has no fellow.