h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A539048


This article would be a great backup to an article on Pythagoras.

A bit brief but I'd never heard of him so it was interesting.

How come he didn't die when he was buried alive?

Hello,

Interesting entry. After doing a websearch, I found some references that seem to indicate he was a deity of the Getae (or Thracians), and a section of Herodotus, which I think I can repeat here (it's only an excerpt, and I somehow doubt Herodotus can really claim copyright). You can check on it and summarize, but I think you'd find it interesting to back up your article. I personally don't know whether to but the God bit (could be the Greeks putting down Thracian yokels, and he wasn't the most accurate), but the Pythagoras connection is mentioned:

"Herodotus, 'History.' IV, 93-6)
93. But before he came to the Ister, he first subdued the Getae, who pretend to be immortal. The Thracians of Salmydessus and of the country above the towns of Appolonia and Mesambria, who are called Cyrmaianae and Nipsaei, surrendered themselves unresisting to Darius; but the Getae, who are the bravest and most law-abiding of all Thracians, resisted with obstinacy, and were enslaved forthwith.

94. As to their claim to be immortal, this is how they show it: they believe that they do not die, but that he who perishes goes to the god Salmoxis of Gebelexis, as some of them call him. Once in every five years they choose by lot one of their people and send him as a messenger to Salmoxis, charged to tell of their needs; and this is their manner of sending: Three lances are held by men thereto appointed; others seize the messenger to Salmoxis by his hands and feet, and swing and hurl him aloft on to the spear-point. If he be killed by the cast, they believe that the gods regard them with favour; but if he be not killed, they blame the messenger himself, deeming him a bad man, and send another messenger in place of him whom they blame. It is while the man yet lives that they charge him with the message. Moreover when there is thunder and lightning these same Thracians shoot arrows skyward as a threat to the god, believing in no other god but their own.

95. For myself, I have been told by the Greeks who dwell beside the Hellespont and Pontus that this Salmoxis was a man who was once a slave in Samos, his master being Pythagoras, son of Mnesarchus; presently, after being freed and gaining great wealth, he returned to his own country. Now the Thracians were a meanly-living and simple witted folk, but this Salmoxis knew Ionian usages and a fuller way of life than the Thracian; for he had consorted with Greeks, and moreover with one of the greatest Greek teachers, Pythagoras; wherefore he made himself a hall, where he entertained and feasted the chief among his countrymen, and taught them that neither he nor his guests nor any of their descendants should ever die, but that they should go to a place where they would live for ever and have all good things. While he was doing as I have said and teaching this doctrine, he was all the while making him an underground chamber. When this was finished, he vanished from the sight of the Thracians, and descended into the underground chamber, where he lived for three years, the Thracians wishing him back and mourning him for dead; then in the fourth year he appeared to the Thracians, and thus they came to believe what Salmoxis had told them. Such is the Greek story about him.

96. For myself, I neither disbelieve nor fully believe the tale about Salmoxis and his underground chamber; but I think that he lived many years before Pythagoras; and whether there was a man called Salmoxis, or this be the name the Getae for a god of their country, I have done with him.

Hello,

Again, I find it's a fascinating subject for the guide. I've noticed that there isn't a good entry on Pythagoras in the guide apart from a mention of his theorem (what about his philosophy, teachings, even the allegorical story of a disciple being drowned in a puddle for discovering non-rational numbers). I think you're the kind of person who could do that well.

Yours,
Jake

Thanks.

I've never heard the story of a disciple being drowned, but Pythagoras did sacrifice one hundred bulls to Zeus after he discovered irrational numbers (the first irrational number he found being the square root of two).

--Cooper

Hello,

I guess the problem with Pythagoras is that it's hard to separate the man from the myths about him. The story I'd heard is that he taught that there were no irrational numbers, but that somebody found one and was killed for his heresy (it's the hypotenuse of a 1-1 triangle or sqrt(2)). But I obviously can't say if this is true or just a story made up over the years. If only we had a Wayback Machine.

Yours,
Jake

Well Pythagoras *did* believe that all is number--this is in every source we have.

So when he hit a situation where no current type of number would do, he had to either invent a new type of number or give up his belief.

Most sources have Pythagoras inventing irrational numbers. I personally have never heard that he didn't believe in them.

--Cooper

It does feel a touch short... but you say that little is known of this person for certain. Perhaps you could mention some of the sources that do exist (eg, Herodotus), and explain where they agree and where they disagree. Even if some of the stories are obvious myths, it'd be nice to hear what those myths are (and how we can tell that they are myths, perhaps...)

I understand that nothing is definate, so dwell a little on the indefinate!

I agree this should be expanded. It is a good beginning and will be an excellent entry once it's done. You could do an entry on pythagoras as well.

Yes--I've little bits of it finished, but I've been really busy. Perhaps by August. . .

August has arrived
Some results of a web search also draw a connection from Salmoxis to vegetarianism which might be worth mentioning as well.

Yes, I've been doing some research. Should have the real thing up within a month or so.

It was really just a foray to see if there were enough interest in the subject to warrant a really good entry. Apparently there is.

Goody.

--Cooper

Cooper, how's it coming on the Salmoxis entry?

Feh. I'm on my third draught since I posted it, but it's going slowly, right when I thought I'd finish it up.

11.9 and all that has thrown my schedule into the seventh circle of Hell. Sorry.

There's a current lull in stuff. Maybe I'll get it out this weekend.

Feh. I'm on my third draught since I posted it, but it's going slowly, right when I thought I'd finish it up.

11.9 and all that has thrown my schedule into the seventh circle of Hell. Sorry.

There's a current lull in stuff. Maybe I'll get it out this weekend.

Okay - just wanted to know whether you were still toying with it. Take your time and nail that puppy...

Well, here's an update.

Looks great!

I spotted a usage error - 'principle' should be 'principal.'
"In later years, Salmoxis was known as the principle--and, according..." Principle refers to a code or law, while principal means a controlling authority.

Right. Damn word choice.

*Breaks something*

Okeh. All better now.

--Cooper
(fearing Carnivore)

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