Quaternarii Pythagorici
The Triangle and the Pyramid as the central motif, with the Heavens in a secondary part. From Monas Hieroglyphica.
What is happening
John Dee, 1564 “Quaternarii Pythagorici.”
John Dee, 1564 “Omnis possibilis Metathesis, 24. Summa Pythagorica, 10. Omnimoda partium additio, dat 30.”
Symbolica, 2026 Dee's Latin, put into English here: Of the Pythagorean Quaternary. Every possible transposition, 24; the Pythagorean sum, 10; the addition of the parts in every way gives 30. The figure is the tetractys of one, two, three and four, whose sum is ten, drawn as arcs rather than as the usual triangle of points, and Dee makes it the arithmetic of his glyph.
Key · 2 motifs
The motifs the picture carries, filed by role. The marks on the picture itself come with the entry.
- 1The Triangle and the Pyramidcentral motif as it reads here: Quaternarii Pythagorici
- 2The Heavenssecondary motif
The picture
The numbers one to four set in a row and joined by arcs beneath, their sums written along the arcs, the figure of the Pythagorean fourfold. By eye
Not yet decoded: the motifs are tagged by eye and the readings above are quoted from their sources. The marks on the picture and the sourced notes come with the entry.
Also carrying the Triangle and the Pyramid
14 works carry it. The 5 where it is the central motif are here. The symbol.
Where the detail is the subject
This is in the picture without being what it is about. Below, one work that is about it.
In the same series
Record
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