Pillars of Humanity

Marios Koutsoukos

Description

Nestled on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus, the Delphic oracle, seat of the "Delphic Sybil", was the most learned, opulent and celebrated religious centre of the classical Greek world. In the fore temple of the sun-god, Apollo, at Delphi, 148 brief maxims were inscribed on votive pillars surrounding the visiting pilgrim. They were known as the Delphic Admonitions: the milestones of the path to an enlightened and happy life. Attributed either to the divine revelation of Apollo's wisdom or to the Seven Sages of Antiquity, the philosophers who laid the foundations of Western culture, the Delphic Admonitions are a sublime summary of Ancient Greek philosophical and theological teachings, addressed to the savant and the common man alike. In this work, all 148 Delphic Admonitions are presented complete with historical commentary and semantic analysis of each one, so as to render them easy to comprehend even to the reader unfamiliar with the particulars of the ancient Greek world. Each Admonition is embellished with historical notes concerning the prevalent philosophical and theological notions of the Classical era as well as anecdotal accounts from the lives of philosophers to serve as examples. Furthermore, an appendix containing the Delphic Admonitions in ancient Greek is supplied for the cross-reference and research needs of the discerning reader. The Delphic Admonitions comprise a complete system by which one may chose to lead a harmonious and balanced life of happiness, dealing with every aspect of human existence - from the most mundane practices of everyday living to the abstract spiritual notions which govern belief in the preternatural.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 10 juillet 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781782349198
• Langue: English

Extrait

Title Page
PILLARS OF HUMANITY
The Delphic Admonitions
Ancient wisdom for the Modern man

by
Marios Koutsoukos



Publisher Information
Published in 2013 by
Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
The right of Marios Koutsoukos to be identified as the Authors of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998
Copyright © 2013 Marios Koutsoukos
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.



Preface
The Delphic Admonitions comprise the storyboard of the ideal man of the Classical Era, the womb which gave birth to the “homo universalis” of the Renaissance and the “enlightened man” of the 18 th century. Today they have fallen into considerable obscurity, overshadowed by New-Age-friendly quotes attributed to Buddha or more recent gurus. Centuries of “thou shalt nots” inscribed in the Mosaic Law have dominated over the gentler and more refined admonitions of the Oracle of Delphi, slowly extinguishing the afterglow of the Hellenistic world into the melancholy of the Middle Ages.
The Delphic Admonitions were brief maxims, two to five words each, inscribed in stylae (votive pillars) either around or in the entrance of the temple of Apollo in Delphi. According to tradition they are attributed to the “Seven Sages of Antiquity” (Thales of Miletus, Pittacus of Mytilene, Bias of Priene, Solon of Athens, Cleobulus of Rhodes, Periander of Corinth and Chilon of Sparta) or, according to an even earlier tradition, to the wisdom of the Sun-God Apollo himself. The truth is that the exact origin and date of each of these 148 maxims remains unknown but that does not diminish their importance and ability to spur a refined soul towards a life of harmony and virtue.
“In the fore-temple at Delphi” Pausanias writes in his travel journal of Phocis, “are written Admonitions useful for the life of men, inscribed by those whom the Greeks say were sages”.
The Delphic Admonitions should not be viewed as “Divine Law” or “intellectual orders”. The word “paragaelmata” (usually translated as “admonitions” or “maxims”) means literally “things that are asked of you”. They are written in the imperative voice - as was the proper grammatical form to phrase advice given to a friend, or the admonition of a father to a son. One was not obliged to follow these maxims by any law, man-made or divine: despite the fact that in ancient Greece there existed a complex religious system with various festivals and a plethora of sacerdotal practices that were to be observed by the pious man or woman, the Delphic Admonitions were “free-for-all” advice, be they noble or peasant, be they initiated in the Mysteries of the god or simple proselytes.
They are an intriguing mix of belief in divinely-inspired revelation and rational, empirical thought.
Since, as far as I am aware, these 148 Delphic Admonitions or maxims are not widely available to the English-speaking world I will present them here translated to the best of my ability with a brief commentary / explanation on each in the hopes that you will find them inspiring and, as Pausanias said, beneficiary. Keep in mind that each maxim, according to the norm of the Ancient Greek way of thinking and teaching, could hold more than one meaning so that each person according to his or her level of spiritual awareness and education could perceive and deduct a different admonition from it. Also, it is important to understand that these admonitions should be enacted together, each in context with the other, and not as separate aphorisms - always tempered by reason and in the light of individual and temporal circumstance.



The Delphic Admonitions
1
“FOLLOW GOD”
It is interesting to note the singular number in “God” without, however, confusing it with the monotheistic notion of a prevalent Godhead during the Christian era. Here, “God” either refers to Apollo or, perhaps, to the One Creator God of triadic nature about which Pythagoras, Socrates and the disciples of Plato spoke, being as they were initiated in the Mysteries of the Orphic cult and the teaching of Hermes Trismegistus. To the common man as well as to the uninitiated it could simply mean “be pious” or “follow the Divine Law”.
2
“RESPECT THE GODS”
“Respect” is given here in the sense of “do not insult” and “observe the feasts, sacrifices and other religious practices”. Be a pious man and not a blasphemer. “Gods”, in plural, makes the polytheistic theological notion of the maxim stand out in stark contrast to the monotheistic reference of the Admonition above - while at the same time reconciling both in the same frame of existence. Furthermore, respect for the gods, may not only be confined to the Olympians of the Greek pantheon but to all the gods of all nations. Religious tolerance was characteristic of the polytheistic world - but not entirely unstained by violent exceptions. The polytheist standing at the shrine of a foreign god maybe would refrain from offering sacrifice to the deity unfamiliar to him but he would not deem that other god any less “true” or “existent” than he believed own to be.
3
“RESPECT YOUR PARENTS”
A fairly self-explanatory Admonition: respect here has the sense of “do nothing that will shame you before your parents”. It can also be taken in the context of “do not bring shame to your parents” or “do not contradict, insult or rebel against your parents”. Respect towards one’s parents is the first lesson in human decency a child is taught and it will follow him for the rest of his life.
4
“RESPECT THE ELDERLY”
Here, “elderly” should be understood as “those older than you”. Aside from the obvious admonition to decency, it is also implied in this maxim that you should listen to those who have more experience in life than you, respect them, and avoid being cocky or insulting towards them due to the impetuousness of youth. You always have something to learn from your elders and therefore they merit your respect as potential teachers.
5
“RESPECT THOSE WHO COME BEGGING FOR YOUR HELP”
“Those who come begging for your help” is described by the word “heketes” (plural). An heketis (singular), or suppliant, in antiquity was a man in dire need, persecuted (justly or unjustly - it did not matter) who came either to you or to a holy place to ask for refuge in the name of the gods / unwritten Divine Law. There was even a “ceremonial” posture that such a suppliant would assume: he would fall to your feet and grasp your knee while he pleaded his case. In ancient Greece even slaves being mistreated by their master could take refuge in a temple or in the home of another man, become heketis and arrange to be sold to another, more temperate master. It was considered hubris against the Divine to slay such a suppliant or refuse to aid him. Here we see the concept of mercy towards a fellow human being who has been driven to cast aside personal dignity and place his person entirely at another’s mercy.
6
“RESPECT YOURSELF”
Do nothing that will be bring shame unto yourself; outward or inward. By respecting others weaker than you, as stated in the maxim above, you are led to self-respect. Here we see the notion of viewing the self as a “third-party”, someone you live with, attached to you - yet separate from the workings of your mind; someone you should treat with courtesy and honor. After all, is it not irrational to treat strangers with a detached yet respectful manner of respect and deny your own self of the same, at the very least, treatment? By respecting himself man abstains from what is offensive towards his dignity and his person, whether it comes from others or from his own base desires.
7
“ABSTAIN FROM MURDER”
Obviously; no society would tolerate murderous behavior in its midst. Note here that “murder” is given in the context of killing someone outside the institutions of the state (political executions, death penalties for criminal violations, etc) or on the field of battle. On another level it may also refer to the killing of any living thing for private reasons such as gain, revenge, anger or perverse pleasure. Murder should be understood as the act of killing someone even though other alternative courses of action are available and, as such, should be branded as antisocial behavior harmful to the common interest.
8
“DO NOT USE OATHS”
This is an interesting Admonition. Swearing an oath in the name of the gods was mandatory in ancient Greece when one was elected into a public office or became a man-at-arms (hoplite) in the army of the City-State - just as it remained throughout the Christian era up to the Modern age. Oaths were also traditionally sworn at various public events of a religious nature. As such, this particular maxim (intriguingly similar to the admonition of Jesus Christ of “not using oaths or taking the Lord’s name in vain”) may refer to private oaths that men were prone to swear to seal their private dealings. Seeing how things in life often take unexpected turns and seldom happen the way we initially planned them, swearing an oath beforehand could lead to damaging your own reputation in a “the boy who cried wolf” kind of way. Furthermore it could demean in the long run the value and moral obligation oaths sworn to the City State carried with them.
9
“LOVE THOSE YOU SUPPORT”
“Support” is here given in the