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Calvin
An ancient Greek philosopher from the sixth century B.C.E. Among other things, Pythagoras was known for his belief in the transmigration of souls, which assumes that the human soul can pass to another person, object, or animal upon death. Milton implies that Pythagoras’s belief in the transmigration of souls originated with the Druids, the ancient people of the British Isles. Through Milton’s reference to Pythagoras, he implies that it was the British who influenced and inspired the Greeks, not the other way around.
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Pythagoras Character Timeline in Areopagitica
The timeline below shows where the character Pythagoras appears in Areopagitica. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Areopagitica
...aspire to. English studies are “so ancient, and so eminent” that “even the school of Pythagoras and Persian wisdom took beginning from the old philosophy of this island,” Milton claims.
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