Pythagoras plays the lyre

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics Volume 6 | Issue 1 i Le January 2016 / 4 Sarah Glaz University of Connecticut, Sarah.Glaz@uconn.edu Follow this and additional works at: http: scholarshipn.claremont.o: & Part of the History Commons, and the Mathematics Commons Recommended Citation Glaz, 5, "Pythagoras plays his lyre," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 6 Issue 1 {January 2016), pages 291-291. DOI: 10.$642/jhummath.201601.21 . Available at: http://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol6/iss1/21 ©2016 by the authors, This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License, JHM is an apen access hi-annual journal sponsored by the Claremont Center for the Mathematical Sciences and published by the Claremont Colleges Library | ISSN 2159-8118 | hitp://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/

Pythagoras plays his lyre Sarah Glaz Sarah. Glaz®uconn. edu What is the wisest thing? Number. What is the most beautiful? Harmony. “On the Pythagorean Way of Life” Tamblichus (8rd century AD) Pythagoras plays his lyre surrounded by mathematicians. We sing pacans as he strikes the cords: We discovered the law of the cosmos: All is number! Mystcrious proportions! The way strings vibrate to harmonic ratios makes music sound like heaven. The sacred beans sprout in the nearby fields. AU animals are purt of our family. In the interval between earth and the firmament plunets circle and hur in concert. Each One u note in the yrand symphony of all creation. We guard ats winermoast secret. The music wafts upward like smoke from burt incense pleasing the gods who watch us play and pass. Journed of Mumanistie Mathematics Vol 6, No 1, January 2016