ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY

Was Pythagoras Vegetarian?

Pythagoras is famous for a theorem. He is also famous for banning beans. But did he also ban meat? The answer is yes. He was a vegetarian. Pythagoras believed in reincarnation. He thought that human souls could be reborn in animals. Eating an animal was therefore a form of cannibalism. You might be eating your grandmother. For centuries, vegetarianism was called 'the Pythagorean diet.' Pythagoras was the most famous vegetarian of the ancient world. His reasons were spiritual, not health related. He did not want to eat his relatives.

The short answer

Yes, Pythagoras was a vegetarian. He and his followers abstained from eating meat because they believed in metempsychosis (the transmigration of souls). They thought that human souls could be reborn in animals. Eating meat was therefore akin to cannibalism. The Pythagorean diet became synonymous with vegetarianism for centuries. The term 'Pythagorean' was used to describe meatless eating long before the word 'vegetarian' was invented.

Key Takeaway

Pythagoras did not avoid meat for health reasons. He avoided it for spiritual reasons. He did not want to eat his ancestors.

Fast Facts

Vegetarian

Yes

Reason

Reincarnation (souls in animals)

Also Avoided

Beans, some fish, wool

Term

Pythagorean diet

Influenced

Plato, later vegetarians

Quick Facts

Pythagoras believed that human souls could be reborn in animals.

Eating meat was therefore a form of cannibalism.

He also banned beans, which he believed contained human souls.

The term 'Pythagorean diet' was used for vegetarianism for centuries.

The word 'vegetarian' was not coined until the 19th century.

Visual answer

The Pythagorean Diet

What Pythagoras ate and what he avoided.

Allowed

Bread, fruits, vegetables, honey, milk, cheese.

Forbidden: Meat

All animal flesh. Reason: souls of the dead might be inside.

Forbidden: Beans

No beans. Reason: they contain human souls. Also cause flatulence.

Forbidden: Some Fish

Certain fish were banned. Others were allowed. The rules were complicated.

Forbidden: Animal Products

Wool was banned. Pythagoreans wore linen.

Diagram showing Pythagorean diet rules: allowed and forbidden foods

Story in brief

Story in Brief

c. 6th century BCE

Pythagoras teaches that souls are immortal and can be reborn in animals.

This leads to the prohibition on eating meat.

c. 4th century BCE

Plato adopts Pythagorean vegetarianism. He writes that eating meat is 'polluting.'

Pythagorean ideas enter the mainstream of Greek philosophy.

Later centuries

Vegetarianism becomes known as 'the Pythagorean diet.' Roman writers use the term.

Pythagoras becomes synonymous with meatless eating.

19th century

The word 'vegetarian' is coined. The term 'Pythagorean diet' falls out of use.

Pythagoras is still remembered as the original vegetarian.

The Story

Why Pythagoras Refused to Eat Meat

Pythagoras believed in reincarnation. He thought that when a person died, their soul could be reborn in another body. That body could be human. It could also be an animal. It could even be a bean.

If souls can be reborn in animals, then eating an animal is potentially eating a relative. You might be eating your grandmother. You might be eating your child. You cannot know. The only safe option is to avoid meat entirely.

This is why Pythagoras was a vegetarian. He did not avoid meat for health reasons. The ancient Greeks did not know about cholesterol. He avoided meat for spiritual reasons. He did not want to commit accidental cannibalism.

For centuries, vegetarianism was called 'the Pythagorean diet.' The word 'vegetarian' was not invented until the 19th century. Before that, people who avoided meat were called Pythagoreans. That is how closely Pythagoras was associated with meatless eating.

From Ovid

"Alas, what wickedness to swallow flesh into our own flesh, to fatten our greedy bodies by cramming in other bodies."

— Ovid, Metamorphoses

Ovid was a Roman poet influenced by Pythagorean ideas. He wrote this passage as if Pythagoras himself were speaking.

Evidence

Was He Really a Vegetarian?

Ancient sources report that Pythagoras abstained from meat.

Strong

For/Historical Record

His belief in reincarnation logically leads to vegetarianism.

Strong

For/Logical Analysis

Plato, influenced by Pythagoras, was also a vegetarian.

Strong

For/Historical Record

The term 'Pythagorean diet' was used for vegetarianism.

Strong

For/Linguistic History

Key Points

Key Points So Far

Pythagoras was a vegetarian. He believed in reincarnation and did not want to eat animal souls.
He also banned beans, which he believed contained human souls.
For centuries, vegetarianism was called 'the Pythagorean diet.'
His reasons were spiritual, not health related.

Analogy

Like a Modern Vegan Who Refuses Meat for Moral Reasons

The familiar part

Modern vegans refuse to eat meat because they believe it is wrong to kill animals. They are motivated by ethics, not health.

→

How it applies

Pythagoras was a vegan for similar reasons. He believed it was wrong to kill animals because they might contain human souls. The reasoning is different. The result is the same.

Where the analogy breaks

Modern vegans do not usually believe that beans contain souls. Pythagoras did.

Curiosity Notes

Details Most People Miss

Why this still matters

Why This Still Matters

Pythagoras is still relevant to vegetarians because he was the first famous one. He gave vegetarianism a philosophical foundation. He argued that eating meat was morally wrong. That argument is still made today. The reasons have changed. The conclusion is the same. Pythagoras would fit right in at a modern vegan potluck. He might even bring a bean-free salad.

Key Takeaways

01Pythagoras was a vegetarian. He believed in reincarnation and did not want to eat animal souls.
02He also banned beans, which he believed contained human souls.
03For centuries, vegetarianism was called 'the Pythagorean diet.'
04His reasons were spiritual, not health related.
05He influenced Plato and later vegetarians.

Final Insight

A Last Thought

Pythagoras was a vegetarian because he thought animals might contain the souls of his relatives. He did not want to eat his grandmother. That is a strange reason by modern standards. But the conclusion is familiar. Avoid meat. It is better for the soul. It is better for the planet. It is better for the animals. Pythagoras did not know about factory farming. He did not know about climate change. But he knew one thing: you should not eat something that might be your cousin. That is a good enough reason to start.

Quick answers

Common questions

Did Pythagoras eat fish?

The sources are unclear. Some say he banned all meat, including fish. Others say he allowed some fish but banned others. The rules were complicated.

Why did Pythagoras ban beans but not other plants?

He believed beans were special. They resembled testicles. They caused flatulence. They contained souls. Beans were uniquely problematic. Other plants were fine.

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Was Pythagoras Vegetarian?

Quick Facts

The Pythagorean Diet

Allowed

Forbidden: Meat

Forbidden: Beans

Forbidden: Some Fish

Forbidden: Animal Products

Story in Brief

Why Pythagoras Refused to Eat Meat

Was He Really a Vegetarian?

Key Points So Far

Like a Modern Vegan Who Refuses Meat for Moral Reasons

Details Most People Miss

Why This Still Matters

A Last Thought

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