The Lives and Opinions of Eminent PhilosophersDiogenes Laertius
Philosophy
The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
Diogenes Laertius
Philosophers, Ancient -- Biography; Philosophy, Ancient
XVIII. And above all things, he used to prohibit the eating of the
erythinus, and the melanurus; and also, he enjoined his disciples to
abstain from the hearts of animals, and from beans. And Aristotle informs
us, that he sometimes used also to add to these prohibitions paunches
and mullet. And some authors assert that he himself used to be contented
with honey and honeycomb, and bread, and that he never drank wine in the
day time. And his desert was usually vegetables, either boiled or raw;
and he very rarely ate fish. His dress was white, very clean, and his
bed-clothes were also white, and woollen, for linen had not yet been
introduced into that country. He was never known to have eaten too much,
or to have drunk too much, or to indulge in the pleasures of love. He
abstained wholly from laughter, and from all such indulgences as jests
and idle stories. And when he was angry, he never chastised any one,
whether slave or freeman. He used to call admonishing, feeding storks.
He used to practise divination, as far as auguries and auspices go, but
not by means of burnt offerings, except only the burning of frankincense.
And all the sacrifices which he offered consisted of inanimate things.
But some, however, assert that he did sacrifice animals, limiting himself
to cocks, and sucking kids, which are called ἁπάλιοι, but that he very
rarely offered lambs. Aristoxenus, however, affirms that he permitted
the eating of all other animals, and only abstained from oxen used in
agriculture, and from rams.
XIX. The same author tells us, as I have already mentioned, that he
received his doctrines from Themistoclea, at Delphi. And Hieronymus
says, that when he descended to the shades below, he saw the soul of
Hesiod bound to a brazen pillar, and gnashing its teeth; and that of
Homer suspended from a tree, and snakes around it, as a punishment for
the things that they had said of the Gods. And that those people also
were punished who refrained from commerce with their wives; and that on
account of this he was greatly honoured by the people of Crotona.
But Aristippus, of Cyrene, in his Account of Natural Philosophers,
says that Pythagoras derived his name from the fact of his speaking
(ἀγορεύειν) truth no less than the God at Delphi (τοῦ πυθίου).
It is said that he used to admonish his disciples to repeat these lines
to themselves whenever they returned home to their houses:—
In what have I transgress’d? What have I done?
What that I should have done have I omitted?
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