At that time also, when he was journeying from Sybaris to Crotona, he
met near the shore with some fishermen, who were then drawing their nets
heavily laden with fishes from the deep, and told them he knew the exact
number of the fish they had caught. But the fishermen promising they
would perform whatever he should order them to do, if the event
corresponded with his prediction, he ordered them, after they had
accurately numbered the fish, to return them alive to the sea: and what
is yet more wonderful, not one of the fish died while he stood on the
shore, though they had been detained from the water a considerable time.
Having therefore paid the fishermen the price of their fish, he departed
for Crotona. But they every where divulged the fact, and having learnt
his name from some children, they told it to all men. Hence those that
heard of this affair were desirous of seeing the stranger, and what they
desired was easily obtained. But they were astonished on surveying his
countenance, and conjectured him to be such a man as he was in reality.
A few days also after this, he entered the Gymnasium, and being
surrounded with a crowd of young men, he is said to have delivered an
oration to them, in which he incited them to pay attention to their
elders, evincing that in the world, in life, in cities, and in nature,
that which has a precedency is more honorable than that which is
consequent in time. As for instance, that the east is more honorable
than the west; the morning than the evening; the beginning than the end;
and generation than corruption. In a similar manner he observed, that
natives were more honorable than strangers, and the leaders of colonies
than the builders of cities: and universally Gods than dæmons; dæmons
than demigods; and heroes than men. Of these likewise he observed, that
the authors of generation are more honorable than their progeny. He said
these things, however, for the sake of proving by induction, that
children should very much esteem their parents, to whom he asserted they
owed as many thanks as a dead man would owe to him who should be able to
bring him back again into light. Afterwards, he observed, that it was
indeed just to love those above all others, and never to give them pain,
who first benefited us, and in the greatest degree. But parents alone
benefit their children prior to their birth, and are the causes to their
offspring of all their upright conduct; and that when children show
themselves to be in no respect inferior to their parents in beneficence
towards them, it is not possible for them in this respect to err. For it
is reasonable to suppose, that the Gods will pardon those who honor
their parent in no less a degree than the divinities themselves; since
we learnt from our parents to honor divinity. Hence Homer also added the
same appellation to the king of the Gods; for he denominates him the
father of Gods and mortals. Many other mythologists also have delivered
to us, that the kings of the Gods have been ambitious to vindicate to
themselves that excessive love which subsists through marriage, in
children towards their parents. And that on this account, they have at
the same time introduced the hypothesis of father and mother among the
Gods,[12] the former indeed generating Minerva, but the latter Vulcan,
who are of a nature contrary to each other, in order that what is most
remote may participate of friendship.
All his auditors likewise having granted that the judgment of the
immortals is most valid, he said he would demonstrate to the Crotonians,
by the example of Hercules the founder of the colony brought to Crotona,
that it is necessary to be voluntarily obedient to the mandates of
parents, as they knew from tradition that the God himself had undertaken
such great labors in consequence of obeying the commands of one older
than himself, and being victorious in what he had undertaken to
accomplish, had instituted in honor of his father the Olympic games. He
also showed them that they should associate with each other in such a
manner, as never to be in a state of hostility to their friends, but to
become most rapidly friends to their enemies; and that they should
exhibit in modesty of behaviour to their elders, the benevolent
disposition of children towards their parents; but in their philanthropy
to others, fraternal love and regard.
In the next place, he spoke concerning temperance, and said, that the
juvenile age should make trial of its nature, this being the period in
which the desires are in the most florishing state. Afterwards, he
exhorted them to consider, that this alone among the virtues was adapted
to a boy and a virgin, to a woman, and to the order of those of a more
advanced age; and that it was especially accommodated to the younger
part of the community. He also added, that this virtue alone
comprehended the goods both of body and soul, as it preserved the health
and also the desire of the most excellent studies. But this is evident
from the opposite. For when the Barbarians and Greeks warred on each
other about Troy, each of them fell into the most dreadful calamities,
through the incontinence of one man, partly in the war itself, and
partly in returning to their native land. And divinity ordained that the
punishment of injustice alone should endure for a thousand and ten
years, predicting by an oracle the capture of Troy, and ordering that
virgins should be annually sent by the Locrians into the temple of
Trojan Minerva. Pythagoras also exhorted young men to the cultivation of
learning, calling on them to observe how absurd it would be that they
should judge the reasoning power to be the most laudable of all things,
and should consult about other things through this, and yet bestow no
time nor labour in the exercise of it; though the attention which is
paid to the body, resembles depraved friends, and rapidly fails; but
erudition, like worthy and good men, endures till death, and for some
persons procures immortal renown after death. These and other
observations of the like kind, were made by Pythagoras, partly from
history, and partly from [philosophic] dogmas, in which he showed that
erudition is a natural excellence of disposition common to those in each
genus, who rank in the first class of human nature. For the discoveries
of these, become erudition to others. But this is naturally so worthy of
pursuit, that with respect to other laudable objects of attainment, it
is not possible to partake of some of them through another person, such
as strength, beauty, health, and fortitude; and others are no longer
possessed by him who imparts them to another, such as wealth, dominion,
and many other things which we shall omit to mention. It is possible,
however, for erudition to be received by another, without in the least
diminishing that which the giver possesses. In a similar manner also,
some goods cannot be possessed by men; but we are capable of being
instructed, according to our own proper and deliberate choice. And in
the next place, he who being thus instructed, engages in the
administration of the affairs of his country, does not do this from
impudence, but from erudition. For by education nearly men differ from
wild beasts, the Greeks from the Barbarians, those that are free from
slaves, and philosophers from the vulgar. And in short, those that have
erudition possess such a transcendency with respect to those that have
not, that seven men have been found from one city, and in one Olympiad,
that were swifter than others in the course; and in the whole of the
habitable part of the globe, those that excelled in wisdom were also
seven in number. But in the following times in which Pythagoras lived,
he alone surpassed all others in philosophy. For he called himself by
this name [viz. a philosopher], instead of a wise man.