Book contents
- Aristoxenus of Tarentum: the Pythagorean Precepts (How to Live a Pythagorean Life)
- Aristoxenus of Tarentum: the Pythagorean Precepts (How to Live a Pythagorean Life)
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Fragments with Translation and Commentary
- 11 The Pythagorean Precepts: A Reconstructed Text in English
- 12 Fragment 1: Obedience to Parents and the Laws (34 W)
- 13 Fragment 2: The Importance of Order and Supervision for Every Age of Life (35 W)
- 14 Fragment 3: Desire (37 W)
- 15 Fragment 4: The Generation of Children (39 W)
- 16 Fragment 5: The Love of What is Beautiful and Fine (40 W)
- 17 Fragment 6: Learning Must be Willing (36 W)
- 18 Fragment 7: Luck (41 W)
- 19 Fragment 8: Human Nature is Prone to Excess and Needs the Supervision of the Gods, Parents, and Laws (33 W)
- 20 Fragment 9: On Opinion, the Training of Children and Young People, Pleasure, Desire, Diet, and the Generation of Children (38 W)
- 21 Fragment 10: The Appropriate and the Inappropriate in Human Interaction. On Starting Points and Rulers
- 22 Fragment 11: Friendship
- Appendices
- Concordance with the Fragment Numbers in Wehrli’s Edition
- Bibliography
- Select Index of Greek Words and Phrases Discussed
- Index Locorum
- General Index
15 - Fragment 4: The Generation of Children (39 W)
from Part II - Fragments with Translation and Commentary
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 October 2019
- Aristoxenus of Tarentum: the Pythagorean Precepts (How to Live a Pythagorean Life)
- Aristoxenus of Tarentum: the Pythagorean Precepts (How to Live a Pythagorean Life)
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Fragments with Translation and Commentary
- 11 The Pythagorean Precepts: A Reconstructed Text in English
- 12 Fragment 1: Obedience to Parents and the Laws (34 W)
- 13 Fragment 2: The Importance of Order and Supervision for Every Age of Life (35 W)
- 14 Fragment 3: Desire (37 W)
- 15 Fragment 4: The Generation of Children (39 W)
- 16 Fragment 5: The Love of What is Beautiful and Fine (40 W)
- 17 Fragment 6: Learning Must be Willing (36 W)
- 18 Fragment 7: Luck (41 W)
- 19 Fragment 8: Human Nature is Prone to Excess and Needs the Supervision of the Gods, Parents, and Laws (33 W)
- 20 Fragment 9: On Opinion, the Training of Children and Young People, Pleasure, Desire, Diet, and the Generation of Children (38 W)
- 21 Fragment 10: The Appropriate and the Inappropriate in Human Interaction. On Starting Points and Rulers
- 22 Fragment 11: Friendship
- Appendices
- Concordance with the Fragment Numbers in Wehrli’s Edition
- Bibliography
- Select Index of Greek Words and Phrases Discussed
- Index Locorum
- General Index
Summary
Concerning generation of children they said the following. As a general rule, <they thought that it was necessary> to guard against what is called “precocious,” for neither in the case of plants nor of animals does the precocious bear good fruit, but they need to be prepared in advance of bearing fruit for some time, in which time their bodies, having gained full strength and having reached maturity, become able to provide both seeds and fruits.
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- Aristoxenus of Tarentum: The Pythagorean Precepts (How to Live a Pythagorean Life)An Edition of and Commentary on the Fragments with an Introduction, pp. 212 - 225Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2019