Pythagoras and Empedocles

[tastyintestines]

In J.N. Williamson's book Death Coach, he tells a modern day story about Pythagoras and Empedocles were they've moved their cult to Thessaly, Indiana. They believed that through a death ritual their souls would inhabit animals before they found a suitable young body to reinarnate into, therefore they could live forever, just shedding the old body while keeping their ancient brains alive in fresh flesh. I know Pythagoras had followers when he was alive, does any have more info and is there a modern day following, can anybody fill me in, please?

 

[tastyintestines]

So

no takers....................?

 

[ruffready]

Heck !

I can't even pronounce it.

 

[Anonymous]

Reminds me of 'Being John Malkovich' (?sp). As for modern day followers; somewhere, probably.

 

[dot23]

You could probably call almost all modern day mathematicians, philosophers and engineers followers of Pythagoras, as his school at krokos, S Italy, was the basis for much of modern arithmatic, and his scientific principles were greatly admired by Plato, one of the greatest of Greek philosophers.

Strangely, he forced his followers to become vegetarians, yet forbade them to eat Beans

 

[monster_magnet]

I suppose he only allowed his followers to count them

(yep, mine will be the one with the mittens through the sleeves)

 

[dot23]

Just 'bean' sadly disabused concerning Pythagoras and his beans - apparently it was a local dialect word mistranslated from later commentaries, and actually meant 'politics' (as white and black beans were used to count votes). Bah, much preferred the original version.

"Who cares if it's true as long as it's beautiful"

 

[Bilderberger]

Strangely, he forced his followers to become vegetarians, yet forbade them to eat Beans

This triggered something in memory from my degree. A little research produced this...........

"Pythagoras had asked his followers to abstain from beans did not literally mean that they had keep away from consumption of beans as they could produce gastric disturbance during the process of digestion, in ones body. But beans, black or white meant to vote in Magna-Graecia. To abstain from beans meant not to vote i.e. avoid politics or try not to express ones opinion. This was because Pythagoras was put into trouble at Samos when he actively participated in politics."

24 hour call-up - Mr P Dant at your service:goof:

Edit - Damn you - you managed to out-pedant myself.

 

[dot23]

Beat ya to it BB