It is said, therefore, that Ancæus who dwelt in Samos in Cephallenia,
was begot by Jupiter, whether he derived the fame of such an honorable
descent through virtue, or through a certain greatness of soul. He
surpassed, however, the rest of the Cephallenians in wisdom and renown.
This Ancæus, therefore, was ordered by the Pythian oracle to form a
colony from Arcadia and Thessaly; and that besides this, taking with him
some of the inhabitants of Athens, Epidaurus, and Chalcis, and placing
himself at their head, he should render an island habitable, which from
the virtue of the soil and land should be called Melamphyllos;[8] and
that he should call the city Samos, on account of Same in Cephallenia.
The oracle, therefore, which was given to him, was as follows: “I order
you, Ancæus, to colonise the marine island Samos instead of Same, and to
call it Phyllas.” But that a colony was collected from these places, is
not only indicated by the honors and sacrifices of the Gods, transferred
into those regions together with the inhabitants, but also by the
kindred families that dwell there, and the associations of the Samians
with each other.
It is said, therefore, that Mnesarchus and Pythaïs, who were the parents
of Pythagoras, descended from the family and alliance of this Ancæus,
who founded the colony. In consequence, however, of this nobility of
birth being celebrated by the citizens, a certain Samian poet says, that
Pythagoras was the son of Apollo. For thus he sings,
Pythaïs, fairest of the Samian tribe,
Bore from th’embraces of the God of day
Renown’d Pythagoras, the friend of Jove.
It is worth while, however, to relate how this report became so
prevalent. The Pythian oracle then had predicted to this Mnesarchus (who
came to Delphi for the purposes of merchandize, with his wife not yet
apparently pregnant, and who inquired of the God concerning the event of
his voyage to Syria) that his voyage would be lucrative and most
conformable to his wishes, but that his wife was now pregnant, and would
bring forth a son surpassing in beauty and wisdom all that ever lived,
and who would be of the greatest advantage to the human race in every
thing pertaining to the life of man. But, when Mnesarchus considered
with himself, that the God, without being interrogated concerning his
son, had informed him by an oracle, that he would possess an illustrious
prerogative, and a gift truly divine, he immediately named his wife
Pythaïs, from her son and the Delphic prophet, instead of Parthenis,
which was her former appellation; and he called the infant, who was soon
after born at Sidon in Phœnicia, Pythagoras; signifying by this
appellation, that such an offspring was predicted to him by the Pythian
Apollo. For we must not regard the assertions of Epimenides, Eudoxus,
and Xenocrates, who suspect that Apollo at that time, becoming connected
with Parthenis, and causing her to be pregnant from not being so, had in
consequence of this predicted concerning Pythagoras, by the Delphic
prophet: for this is by no means to be admitted.[9] Indeed, no one can
doubt that the soul of Pythagoras was sent to mankind from the empire of
Apollo, either being an attendant on the God, of co-arranged with him in
some other more familiar way: for this may be inferred both from his
birth, and the all-various wisdom of his soul. And thus much concerning
the nativity of Pythagoras.
But after his father Mnesarchus had returned from Syria to Samos, with
great wealth, which he had collected from a prosperous navigation, he
built a temple to Apollo, with the inscription of Pythius; and took care
to have his son nourished with various and the best disciplines, at one
time by Creophilus, at another by Pherecydes the Syrian, and at another
by almost all those who presided over sacred concerns, to whom he
earnestly recommended Pythagoras, that he might be as much as possible
sufficiently instructed in divine concerns. He, however, was educated in
such a manner, as to be fortunately the most beautiful and godlike of
all those that have been celebrated in the annals of history. On the
death of his father, likewise, though he was still but a youth, his
aspect was most venerable, and his habits most temperate, so that he was
even reverenced and honored by elderly men; and converted the attention
of all who saw and heard him speak, on himself, and appeared to be an
admirable person to every one who beheld him. Hence it was reasonably
asserted by many, that he was the son of a God. But he being
corroborated by renown of this kind, by the education which he had
received from his infancy, and by his natural deiform appearance, in a
still greater degree evinced that he deserved his present prerogatives.
He was also adorned by piety and disciplines, by a mode of living
transcendency good, by firmness of soul, and by a body in due subjection
to the mandates of reason. In all his words and actions, he discovered
an inimitable quiet and serenity, not being subdued at any time by
anger, or laughter, or emulation, or contention, or any other
perturbation or precipitation of conduct; but he dwelt at Samos like
some beneficent dæmon. Hence, while he was yet a youth, his great renown
having reached Thales at Miletus, and Bias at Priene, men illustrious
for their wisdom, it also extended to the neighbouring cities. To all
which we may add, that the youth was every where celebrated as the
_long-haired Samian_, and was reverenced by the multitude as one under
the influence of divine inspiration. But after he had attained the
eighteenth year of his age, about the period when the tyranny of
Policrates first made its appearance, foreseeing that under such a
government he might receive some impediment in his studies, which
engrossed the whole of his attention, he departed privately by night
with one Hermodamas (whose surname was Creophilus, and who was the
grandson of him who had formerly been the host, friend, and preceptor in
all things of Homer the poet,) to Pherecydes, to Anaximander the natural
philosopher, and to Thales at Miletus. He likewise alternately
associated with each of these philosophers, in such a manner, that they
all loved him, admired his natural endowments, and made him a partaker
of their doctrines. Indeed, after Thales had gladly admitted him to his
intimate confidence, he admired the great difference between him and
other young men, whom Pythagoras left far behind in every
accomplishment. And besides this, Thales increased the reputation
Pythagoras had already acquired, by communicating to him such
disciplines as he was able to impart: and, apologizing for his old age,
and the imbecility of his body, he exhorted him to sail into Egypt, and
associate with the Memphian and Diospolitan[10] priests. For he
confessed that his own reputation for wisdom, was derived from the
instructions of these priests; but that he was neither naturally, nor by
exercise, endued with those excellent prerogatives, which were so
visibly displayed in the person of Pythagoras. Thales, therefore, gladly
announced to him, from all these circumstances, that he would become the
wisest and most divine of all men, if he associated with these Egyptian
priests.