The Gospel of Apollonius of Tyana

    Apollonius was born in Tyana, a Hellenic city of the Cappadocians in Asia Minor. His family was noble and, as wealth went in Tyana, of extraordinary wealth. There are legends of supernatural experiences said to have happened to his mother when she conceived and bore him.

    Even during the years of his early education he showed much power of memory and strength of thought; he spoke pure Attic, and was noteworthy for his beauty. When fourteen years of age his father took him to Tarsus in Cilicia, where he took instruction from the Phoenician Euthydemus. But he was not satisfied there, because the people were given up to luxury, and he retired with his teacher to the neighbouring city of Ægae, where was a temple of Æsculapius, and where he came in contact with teachers of various philosophical systems.

    The man who taught him the Pythagorean doctrines, which he professed in after life, was no exalted moral example. His name was Euxenus, and he knew the doctrines of Pythagorean as birds (parrots) know the speech of man. Nevertheless Apollonius studied under him for two years at the end of which time he forsook Euxenus, not unkindly indeed, but firmly. He besought his father for the gift of a small property just outside the city, full of gardens and rivulets and presented it to his former teacher with these words: "Live thou here according to thy manner of life--I propose to live according to the morals of Pythagorus.

    Apollonius was born in Tyana, a Hellenic city of the Cappadocians in Asia Minor. His family was noble and, as wealth went in Tyana, of extraordinary wealth. There are legends of supernatural experiences said to have happened to his mother when she conceived and bore him.

    Even during the years of his early education he showed much power of memory and strength of thought; he spoke pure Attic, and was noteworthy for his beauty. When fourteen years of age his father took him to Tarsus in Cilicia, where he took instruction from the Phoenician Euthydemus. But he was not satisfied there, because the people were given up to luxury, and he retired with his teacher to the neighbouring city of Ægae, where was a temple of Æsculapius, and where he came in contact with teachers of various philosophical systems.

    The man who taught him the Pythagorean doctrines, which he professed in after life, was no exalted moral example. His name was Euxenus, and he knew the doctrines of Pythagorean as birds (parrots) know the speech of man. Nevertheless Apollonius studied under him for two years at the end of which time he forsook Euxenus, not unkindly indeed, but firmly. He besought his father for the gift of a small property just outside the city, full of gardens and rivulets and presented it to his former teacher with these words: "Live thou here according to thy manner of life--I propose to live according to the morals of Pythagorus."