of Crotona, was a celebrated philosopher of antiquity, of the school of Pythagoras, to whom that philosopher's Golden Verses have been ascribed. He made the heavens his principal object of contemplation; and has been idly supposed to have been the author of that true system of the world which Copernicus afterwards revived. This made Bullialdos place the name of Philolaus at the head of two works, written to illustrate and confirm that system.

"He was (says Dr. Enfield) a disciple of Archytas, and flourished in the time of Plato. It was from him that Plato purchased the written records of the Pythagorean system, contrary to an express oath taken by the society of Pythagoreans, pledging themselves to keep secret the mysteries of their sect. It is probable, that among these books were the writings of Timaeus, upon which Plato formed the dialogue that bore his name. Plutarch relates, that Philolaus was one of the persons who escaped from the house which was burned by Cydon, during the life of Pythagoras; but this account cannot be correct. Philolaus was contemporary with Plato, and therefore certainly not with Pythagoras. Interfering

(a) We say idly, because there is undoubted evidence that Pythagoras learned that system in Egypt. See PHILOSOPHY.