The Joke of Xenophanes

Abstract

Xenophanes of Colophon (ca 570–470 BC) is the first to mention Pythagoras and the Pythagorean doctrine of the transmigration of the soul, or metempsychosis. In one of his elegies, Xenophanes tells an anecdote about a puppy, in which Pythagoras supposedly recognized the soul of the familiar person (21 B 7 DK = D.L. VIII, 36). It is generally accepted that these verses contain criticism and a mockery of the Pythagorean doctrine. However, the exact meaning of the joke remains not entirely clear. Although this question has occupied researchers for a long time, a satisfactory  answer has not yet been found. The article attempts to explain the intent of Xenophanesʼ joke and the object of its mockery. According to the author, the anecdote depicts Pythagoras as a deceiver and a charlatan, who, taking advantage of the opportunity, tries to teach the puppy offender the basic ideas of his doctrine and thereby attract a new student to his school. But Pythagoras does not notice himself getting into a mess. In doing so, he unwittingly admits that his followers will deserve a bad lot in the next life.