Out of all the Pythagoreans so many have been anonymous and unknown, but of those who are known, these are their names:
[…]
Metapontines: […] Aristeas […]
Akragantine: Empedokles […]
Hyperborean: Abaris […]
Author: Iamblichos of Chalkis
Title of Work: On the Pythagorean Life
Location in Work: 36/267
Date of Work: c. 310 CE
Original Language: Greek (Attic)
Original Text:
τῶν δὲ συμπάντων Πυθαγορείων τοὺς μὲν ἀγνῶτάς τε καὶ ἀνωνύμους τινὰς πολλοὺς εἰκὸς γεγονέναι, τῶν δὲ γνωριζομένων ἐστὶ τάδε τὰ ὀνόματα·
[...]
Μεταποντῖνοι [...] Ἀριστέας [...]
Ακραγαντῖνος Ἐμπεδοκλῆς [...]
Ὑπερβόρειος Ἄβαρις [...]
Reference Edition: Klein and Deubner, De Vita Pythagorica
Source of Date of Work: Dillon and Hershbell, Pythagorean Way, 20-23
Commentary:
Since Aristeas’ life was usually set earlier than Pythagoras, the inclusion of Aristeas could have been meant to suggest that Aristeas became a disciple after, as told by Herodotos, he visited Metapontion 240 years after the Arimaspeia. Or, Aristeas’ inclusion among Pythagoreans might be meant to suggest that Aristeas learned from one of Pythagoras’ earlier incarnations mentioned by Diogenes Laertios (8.1.5), which if so would presumably be Hermotimos, also known for extracorporeal flight. Or it might just reflect that Aristeas was venerated by Pythagoreans and so considered one of them.
Abaris was a legendary figure associated with Hyperborea, Apollo and cult practices in Athens, who was also incorporated into Pythagorean legends. He was mentioned together with Aristeas in an excerpt from this book by Iamblichos, and by Celsus and Origen, Apollonios the paradoxographer and Clement of Alexandria. In another excerpt from the same book, Iamblichos tells how Abaris flew on the arrow and then became Pythagoras’ disciple.
Empedokles was a mid-5th century philosopher from the Greek colony of Akragas in Sicily. He was also mentioned together with Aristeas in an excerpt from this book by Iamblichos and by Gregory of Nazianzos, Clement of Alexandria and Tzetzes. For late legends of his life see Diogenes Laertios (8.2). On his philosophy, Kingsley and Parry, Empedocles. For testimonies and fragments of texts attributed to him, DK Empedokles (31).