Iamblichus' Life of Pythagoras

He entirely abstained from wine and animal food, and even before that, from gluttony, confining himself to such food as was light and easy to digest. Consequently, his sleep was short, his soul was vigilant and pure, and his body was maintained in a state of perfect and consistent health. In possession of such advantages, he sailed to Sidon, believing this to be his native land, and rightly conceiving that he could easily travel from there into Egypt. Here, he conversed with the prophets who were descendants of Mochus the physiologist, as well as with other scholars and Phoenician hierophantspriests who interpret sacred mysteries. He was initiated into all the mysteries of Byblus and Tyre, and in the sacred rituals performed in many parts of Syria; not engaging in such things out of superstition, as some might suppose, but rather from a love and desire for contemplation, and an anxiety that nothing might escape his observation which deserved to be learned from the secrets or mysteries of the Gods. Having been previously instructed in the mysteries of the Phoenicians—which were derived as a colony and offspring from the sacred rites of Egypt—and hoping that he would find more beautiful, divine, and genuine monuments of learning in Egypt, he joyfully recalled the advice of his teacher Thales. He immediately embarked for Egypt with the help of some Egyptian sailors who had very opportunely landed on the Phoenician coast near Mount Carmel, in whose temple Pythagoras had lived, largely isolated from society. The sailors gladly received him, foreseeing that they would make a great profit by selling him. But during the voyage, when they perceived the self-control and venerable gravity with which he conducted himself, in accordance with the lifestyle he had adopted, they became more kindly disposed...