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Pythagoras

On Abstinence from Animal Food: Health

Excerpts from Biographies of the Life of Pythagoras

Excerpts from the biographies on the Life of Pythagoras by Diogenes Laertius (ca 180); The Life of Pythagoras by Porphyry (ca233-306); Iamblichus of Syrian Chalcis's Life of Pythagoras (ca280-333); and an Anonymous Biography on the Life of Pythagoras, Preserved by Photius (ca 820-891) in The Complete Pythagoras, translated by Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie

He prohibited the eating of animals because he wished to train and accustom them to simplicity of life; so that all their food should be easily procurable, as it would be, if they ate only such things required no fire to cook them and if they drank plain water; for from this diet they would derive heath of body and acuteness of intellect. (Diogenes, Life of Pythagoras, XII "Diet and Sacrifices")

Men should avoid eating too much flesh…and his disciples were forbidden to eat beans, because they greatly partook of animal properties; (that their stomachs would be kept in much better order by avoiding them), and that such abstinence would make the visions that appear in one's sleep gentle and free from agitation. (Diogenes, Life of Pythagoras, XIX "Various Teachings" )

The Pythagoreans abstained from eating animals, on their foolish belief in transmigration; also because this flesh-food engages digestion too much, and is too fattening. (Photius, Anonymous Biography of Pythagoras, Preserved by Photius, 6)

Pythagoras had benefited by the instruction of Thales in many respects, but his greatest lesson had been to learn the value of saving time, which led him to abstain entirely from wine and animal food, avoiding greediness, confining himself to nutriments of easy preparation and digestion. As a result, his sleep was short, his soul pure and vigilant, and the general health of his body was invariable. (Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras, III "Journey to Egypt" )

Indeed, the variety of food eaten is beyond description. The kinds of fruits and roots which the human race eats is nothing less than infinite. The kinds of flesh eaten are innumerable; there is no terrestrial, aerial, or aquatic animal which has not been partaken of. Besides, in the preparation of these, the contrivances used are innumerable and they are seasoned with manifold mixtures of juices. Hence, according to the motions of the human soul, it is no more than natural that the human race should be so various as to be actually insane; for each kind of food that is introduced into the human body becomes the cause of a certain peculiar disposition. (Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras, XXXI "Temperance and Self-Control")

Diogenes suggests that "Aritoxenus affirms that he permitted the eating of all other animals, and abstained only from oxen used in agriculture, and from rams" (Diogenes, XVIII), a passage in Porphyry's bibliography states that "only rarely did he eat the flesh of his victims" (Porphyry, 36) and Iamblichus tells us that the "eating of flesh of certain animals was however permitted to life was not entirely purified, philosophic and sacred" (Iamblichus, XXIV ). But these passages are the exception to the overwhelming evidence that support the Pythagorean principle of vegetarianism. His respect and reverence for all living being is further confirmed by the continuing passages on Abstinence from Animals, Justice and Kinship with Animals; Reverence for Animals, Sacrifice of Animals and on the Training of Athletes.