74

130

information. Now Iamblichus says that
Pythagoras remained away for 12 years.
When he got back to Samos he found that
Polycrates had seized the government of
the island. Now we otherwise know that
such an event did take place about that
time but the exact date of it is unsettled.
There is some testimony that Pythagoras had
been well-acquainted with Polycrates if
not a friend of his. The testimony is of the
very worst character possible. Namely,
it is in the form of an ancient letter
supposed to have been written by Pythagoras
to Polycrates. I ought to explain why such
testimony is so very bad, and why, at the