I would like to see if I can get any comments on this story of a Pythagorean I came across. It is supposedly from the 4th century AD. by one of the Pythagorean disciples.
While travelling near Crotona, a Pythagorean came to an inn, where he fell ill from the rigors of his trip. The inn-keeper, being of a benevolent disposition, cared for the Pythagorean, supplying his needs as best he could until he finally died. But before the Pythagorean died, he wrote what the author call "a certain symbol" on a stone tablet, and instructed the inn-keeper to display the tablet outside the inn, near the road in plane site, and to observe if any passer's-by stopped to notice it. The inn-keeper buried the man decently, and out of curiosity more so than expectation did as the deceased man had asked with the tablet. After a "long" time had passed, a passing Pythagorean spotted the symbol and stopping to inquire, learned about what had transpired, whereupon he repaid the inn-keeper all the expenses he had generously provided to his long-dead brother, together with a large additional sum out of gratitude.
While travelling near Crotona, a Pythagorean came to an inn, where he fell ill from the rigors of his trip. The inn-keeper, being of a benevolent disposition, cared for the Pythagorean, supplying his needs as best he could until he finally died. But before the Pythagorean died, he wrote what the author call "a certain symbol" on a stone tablet, and instructed the inn-keeper to display the tablet outside the inn, near the road in plane site, and to observe if any passer's-by stopped to notice it. The inn-keeper buried the man decently, and out of curiosity more so than expectation did as the deceased man had asked with the tablet. After a "long" time had passed, a passing Pythagorean spotted the symbol and stopping to inquire, learned about what had transpired, whereupon he repaid the inn-keeper all the expenses he had generously provided to his long-dead brother, together with a large additional sum out of gratitude.
This is a little known story, and the author does not say what the symbol of recognition was. It could have been a diagram of Pythagoras' Theorem, many believe since probably only another Pythagorean at that point in history would have known what it was. It could have been very easily some other symbol. The Pythagorean school or brotherhood had other symbols like the five-pointed star which is familiar in Freemasonry.
