THE LIFE OF PYTHAGORAS.

...all the cities of Italy and Sicily, both toward themselves and toward one another. For he frequently repeated to everyone, whether many or few, this apophtegma A concise, pithy saying or maxim intended to convey a moral truth.: "We must flee by every means, and cut away with fire and sword and every device, disease from the body, ignorance from the soul, luxury from the belly, sedition from the city, discord from the home, and together, excess from all things." And if one must believe those who have recorded his history—ancient and noteworthy authors—his admonition reached even to irrational animals. For having caught the Daunian bear Daunia was a region in ancient Apulia, Italy. which was harming the inhabitants, as they say, and having stroked it for a long time, and fed it with bread and fruit, and having made it swear never again to touch a living thing, he let it go. It immediately departed into the mountains and woods, and was never seen again attacking any living creature. And seeing an ox in Tarentum A major Greek colony in Southern Italy, modern Taranto. in a mixed pasture eating green beans, he stood by the herdsman and advised him to tell the ox to abstain from the beans. When the herdsman mocked him and said he did not know how to speak "ox-tongue," Pythagoras approached it himself, and into its ear...

...all the cities of Italy and Sicily without exception, both internal and external. For frequently he had upon his lips, before whoever might be present,
5 whether they were many together or few, this apophtegma: "One must drive away with all effort, and with fire and sword and whatever devices at last,
10 cut away disease from the body, ignorance from the soul, luxury from the belly, sedition from the city, discord from the
15 family, and finally, excess from all things." But if faith is to be given to those who wrote about him—authors of ancient and indeed established authority—his precepts and
20 admonitions extended even unto brute animals. For a Daunian bear, which was causing the greatest damage to the inhabitants, he captured;
25 and after handling it for a long time, and feeding it with morsels of bread and certain fruits, and binding it by oath to no longer touch anything living,
30 he sent it away again. It indeed hid itself in the mountains and forests, and afterwards was never seen to attack even a brute animal. And when near Tarentum
35 he saw an ox feeding recklessly and indiscriminately, and that it had touched green beans, he approached the cowherd and urged him to proclaim to the ox...