Pythagoras: His Life and Teaching, a Compendium of Classical Sources by James Wasserman, Thomas Stanley, Henry L. Drake, J Daniel Gunther Page A

may adore his rising, and not to wear a ring lest they might chance to have it on at a funeral or carry it into any unclean place. Likewise, not to do anything without premeditation, nor anything whereof they could not give a good account; but that in the morning they should consider what they were to do, and at night they should make a recollection thereof, as well to ponder the things themselves as to exercise the memory. Likewise, if anyone of that community had appointed to meet another in any place, he should stay there day and night until the other came. The Pythagoreans likewise accustomed themselves to be mindful of what is said, and to speak nothing rashly. But above all things, as an inviolable precept to be kept even until death, he advised them not to reproach, but always to use good words as at sacrifices.
    These things much displeased all in general, as I said, forasmuch as they admitted men to be educated in this singularity amongst them. But in that the Pythagoreans reached forth the hands to fellow members only, and not to any of their own family except their parents; likewise, in that they had their estates in common, wholly alienated from their own domestics; hereat their allies were much displeased. And they, beginning the dissension, the rest readily joined themselves and engaged in it.
    And at the same time, Hippasus, Diodorus, and Theages said that it was fit everyone should partake of the public government andconvention; and that the magistrates, being chosen by lot, ought to give account. But on the other side, the Pythagoreans Alcimachus, Dimachus, Meto, and Democedes opposed it, and forbid that the government of the country should be abrogated. These taking the part of the commons, got the better. But afterwards, many of the common people understood that there was a division in the public convention. The orators Cylo and Nino framed an accusation against the Pythagoreans: the first was one of the best quality; the other of the vulgar sort. To this effect, a long discourse being made by Cylo, the other continued it, pretending that he had found out the greatest secrets of the Pythagoreans. But indeed having forged and wrote such things as thereby he might chiefly traduce them; and having delivered the book to a notary, had him read it. The title was The Sacred Discourse. The sum whereof was this: That friends ought to be reverenced as the gods themselves, but all other men tyrannized over like beasts. That the same sentence of Pythagoras himself reduced to verse, was thus rehearsed by his disciples:
    Friends equal with the gods he did respect,
    All others (as of no account) neglect.
    And that Pythagoras chiefly praised Homer for saving(“the shepherd of the people”†), he tacitly implied that the rest of mankind were but beasts. That he affected oligarchy, and was an enemy to unmarried persons, as those who had been chief in election of magistrates by lot. That he affected tyranny, inasmuch as he says, “It is better to be a bull though but one day, than an ox all our lifetime.” That he praised the laws and customs of other people, and commanded that whatsoever was decreed by them should be used.
    In fine, Nino declared that their philosophy was a conspiracy against the people, and advised them that they should not hearken to the voice of their consultations—but rather think of forbidding them to meet in counsel at all, if they alleged that they had a settled assembly consisting of a thousand voices. Wherefore it was not fit that they should, as far as in them lay, give ear to prohibited persons and permit them to speak; but to esteem their right hand, which they held from them hostile, when they should offer to put in a stone forvoting. He conceived it an unworthy thing that 300,000 men who all lived about the river Tetrais, should be oppressed by seditions and overcome by the thousand part of them in that city. This calumny so much exasperated the hearers, that some few days after, as the