Pythagorean influence?

So, I keep coming back in my mind to the first act of Love's Labour's Lost.  In it, the king is trying to set up an academy where the men do nothing but study.  It is interesting to note some of the similarities this shares with the brotherhood that Pythagoras established.

 

As per Wikipedia, some of the characteristics were:

Candidates had to pass through a period of probation, in which their powers of maintaining silence (echemythia) were especially tested, as well as their general temper, disposition, and mental capacity.


There were ascetic practices (many of which had, perhaps, a symbolic meaning) in the way of life of the sect.^[65] Some represent Pythagoras as forbidding all animal food, advocating a plant-based diet, and prohibiting consumption of beans.
There appears to be some historical discrepancies regarding this, but temperance of all kinds seems to have been urged. 


It is also stated that they had common meals, resembling the Spartan system, at which they met in companies of ten.^[70]

Ten, of course, was the most sacred number. They even prayed to it. :)

So, when Ferdinand creates a law that those who study with him for the next three years must inhibit their time with women (even though women were included in Pythagoras' brotherhood), food, and other such pursuits, it really reminded me of this.  In their search for further knowledge, they wished to be bereft of all worldly influences.

This also seems to follow after ancient views of knowledge.  After all, when Pythagoras or the Jains of India sought to learn more about the abstract qualities of numbers, they also felt that in so doing they would unlock a spiritual aspect of themselves.  They felt that understanding numbers would lead them to understanding the divine. Why else would Pythagoras' adherents assign meaning and gender to numbers, even praying to the number 10 as the "most holy"? Why would the Babylonians use a base 60 number system to correspond to the numerical rating they gave to their highest God? People in these times believed that numbers were divine, and that deep study of them would bring one closer to their God(s).

So, that last paragraph was me largely throwing out a lot of ideas regarding the ancient's views on numbers, but I would definitely say that this still had some influence in the minds of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. If we look at Shakespeare's other plays and remind ourselves that this was still near the time of the Renaissance, we can easily see it creep into his works. After all, if numbers and other types of learning were not seen as "divine" or god-like, how could Prospero hold so much power based solely on his learning from his books? How could witches exist? It seems that much of the supernatural things humans can do in plays are attributed to their learning. I find it very interesting.

 

Isn't it an interesting book? We have Prospero's magic mixed with learning. Go figure! Fits this post perfectly!

Anyway, that's what it got me thinking about.  The play's about love, and I think about math and magic. Go me! I'll probably be single for a long time because of that. :)