Abstracts Astronomy & Space Science

Le Matematiche nella letteratura pseudopitagorica

by MATTEO VAROLI

My PhD thesis investigates a delicate problem in the history of ancient philosophy and science, the relationship between Pythagorean philosophy and the history of Greek mathematics. The names of Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans are immediately associated with mathematics; nevertheless, modern scholars mostly agree that the Master and his first disciples played at best a minor role in the development of what Archytas called the “sister disciplines” which form the core of ancient “scientific” knowledge, namely arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. Between the tragic end of the Pythagorean school and the extinguishing of its last sparkles in the 4th century BC, on one hand, and the full Neopythagorean rebirth of the 1st century CE with figures as Moderatus, Numenius and Nicomachus, on other hand, a long gap of silence lies in the sources on Pythagoreanism; nonetheless, those centuries were decisive for the reshaping of a Pythagorean identity, and mathematics played in this operation of rebuilding a major role. Most of the testimonies for this long, partly unexplored chapter of the philosophical history of Antiquity consist of Pythagorean apocryphal writings: we know nothing about the real authors of these writings, “forged” in the name of Pythagoras, Archytas, Philolaus and many other minor figures; they adopted mainly Platonist and Aristotelian views as Pythagorean doctrine. My dissertation consists of two parts: the first is devoted to an historical survey, in form of an essay, on the history of Pythagorean mathematics, epistemology and number philosophy in the centuries from the rising of the Hellenistic Age (4th century BC) to the edges of Late Antiquity. The second part is dedicated to the sources, consisting of a collection of fragments and testimonia related to mathematics in the Pythagorean apocrypha which provides an Italian translation and detailed commentary. The collection is based on Holger Thesleff’s edition, greatly increased, and widely revised with regard both to the selection of texts and textual choices.