Tonight, we’ll read from Pythagoras and the Delphic Mysteries, written by Édouard Schuré and published in English in 1909.

This work is part of Schuré’s larger cycle The Great Initiates, which presents the lives and teachings of spiritual figures like Krishna, Hermes, Orpheus, Plato, and Jesus through a blend of historical research and philosophical interpretation. In this volume, Schuré attempts to reconstruct the hidden life of Pythagoras—not only as a mathematician but as a mystic, reformer, and initiate into the sacred traditions of ancient Egypt, Greece, and India.

Schuré’s writing reflects the 19th-century fascination with esoteric knowledge and spiritual evolution. While modern scholarship may question some of his interpretations, the result is a richly imaginative account that captures how Pythagoras was viewed not just as a historical figure, but as a symbol of harmony, wisdom, and the mystical power of number.