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# Pythagoras advised the athlete Eurymenes of Samos to eat meat instead of figs
- URL: https://theparnassian.com/en/interesno-chto-mudrost-pifagora-kotoroi-on-pomog-maloperspektivnomu-atletu-evrimenu-kak-i-v-ego-vremia-tak-i-v-nashe-vyzvala-by-nemalo-sporov/
- Published: 2020-10-10T11:55:25.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-02T18:59:40.000Z
- Author: Alexandr Radayev
- Tags: Observations, Mores

It is worth noting that the wisdom with which Pythagoras helped the unpromising athlete Eurymenes would have provoked no small controversy, in his day and in ours alike. Eurymenes of Samos was short of stature, yet at the Olympic Games he overcame many a tall and mighty rival. Pythagoras had spotted the weak point in athletic preparation: by ancient custom, the diet of athletes consisted of cheese and figs. So Pythagoras advised his protégé to eat meat instead of figs, and the man gathered strength and began to win. But later Pythagoras added a further recommendation to his advice: to compete, but not to win, so as not to draw needless envy upon himself.