Moreover, if we may believe in so many ancient and credible historians
as have written concerning him, the words of Pythagoras contained
something of a recalling and admonitory nature, which extended as far as
to irrational animals; by which it may be inferred that learning
predominates in those endued with intellect, since it tames even wild
beasts, and those which are considered to be deprived of reason. For it
is said that Pythagoras detained the Daunian bear which had most
severely injured the inhabitants, and that having gently stroked it with
his hand for a long time, fed it with maze and acorns, and compelled it
by an oath no longer to touch any living thing, he dismissed it. But the
bear immediately after hid herself in the mountains and woods, and was
never seen from that time to attack any irrational animal. Perceiving
likewise an ox at Tarentum feeding in a pasture, and eating among other
things green beans, he advised the herdsman to tell the ox to abstain
from the beans. The herdsman, however, laughed at him, and said that he
did not understand the language of oxen, but if Pythagoras did, it was
in vain to advise him to speak to the ox, but fit that he himself should
advise the animal to abstain from such food. Pythagoras therefore,
approaching to the ear of the ox, and whispering in it for a long time,
not only caused him then to refrain from beans, but it is said that he
never after tasted them. This ox also lived for a long time at Tarentum
near the temple of Juno, where it remained when it was old, and was
called the sacred ox of Pythagoras. It was also fed by those that came
to it with human food. When likewise he happened to be conversing with
his familiars about birds, symbols, and prodigies, and was observing
that all these are the messengers of the Gods, sent by them to those men
who are truly dear to the Gods, he is said to have brought down an eagle
that was flying over Olympia, and after gently stroking, to have
dismissed it. Through these things, therefore, and other things similar
to these, he demonstrated that he possessed the same dominion as
Orpheus, over savage animals, and that he allured and detained them by
the power of voice proceeding from the mouth.