Legends Surround the Birth of Pythagoras

From his tenderest years, Pythagoras sought and demanded knowledge. Above all, he loved to hear the strange stories told by his father of the mysterious men with whom he came into contact on his travels, particularly in the Phoenician coastal cities of Tyre, Sidon and Byblos. Young Pythagoras was transfixed, and vowed to find out every secret that existed in the world when he grew up. 

His father took him on many long journeys as part of his trading missions, and Pythagoras came into direct contact with the great sages of the world: in Egypt (land of the holy priests of Heliopolis, Memphis and Thebes), in Babylonia (land of Chaldean astronomy), in Persia (land of the Magi), and even as far as India and China.

It was said that he was not a human child, but an avatar of a god - a deity taking human form to walk amongst men to help and advise them and be their benefactor. Pythagoras was, according to most people who met him, an individual in whom the influence of divine inspiration was unmistakable and overwhelming. He was often called the Son of God, just like Jesus Christ centuries later. It was even suggested that Apollo was his real father, and he was immaculately conceived, in the manner later attributed to Jesus Christ. In fact a great deal of the stories concerning Jesus Christ seem like direct copies of those told of Pythagoras.

It was said that Pythagoras met his death by crucifixion by his enemies, in an open field. His enemies, well aware of his reputation, watched his body for three days and nights to see if any trace of his soul would become visible as it departed his body, or if the gods would come to retrieve him, or if a creature would come into which he would transfer his soul. Last but not least, there was speculation that he might come back from the dead, such was his reputation for miracles.

There was one other notion of what might be his fate; either the fabled Phoenix, to which Pythagoras often expressed his devotion, would swoop down and he would pass his soul into it, or he himself would transform into the Phoenix and fly away. In fact, at the hand of the three days, Pythagoras's body was said to have been struck by lightning, utterly consuming his body, leaving not a trace.