he
object of his expedition by visiting Iarchas, Chief of the Brachmans,
from whom he is said to have learned many valuable theurgic
secrets.[290]

On his return to Asia Minor, after an absence of about five years, he
stationed himself for a time in Ionia; where the fame of his travels and
his austere mode of life gained for him much attention to his
philosophical harangues. The cities sent embassies to him, decreeing him
public honours; while the oracles pronounced him more than mortal, and
referred the sick to him for relief.[291]

From Ionia he passed over to Greece, and made his first tour through its
principal cities;[292] visiting the temples and oracles, reforming the
divine rites, and sometimes exercising his theurgic skill. Except at
Sparta, however, he seems to have attracted little attention. At Eleusis
his application for admittance to the Mysteries was unsuccessful; as was
a similar attempt at the Cave of Trophonius at a later date.[293] In
both places his reputation for magical powers was the cause of his
exclusion.

2.

Hitherto our memoir has only set before us the life of an ordinary
Pythagorean, which may be comprehended in three words, mysticism,
travel, and disputation. From the date, however, of his journey to Rome,
which succeeded his Grecian tour, it is in some degree connected with
the history of the times; and, though for much of what is told us of him
we have no better authority than the word of Philostratus himself, still
there is neither reason nor necessity for supposing the narrative to be
in substance untrue.

Nero had at this time prohibited the study of philosophy, alleging that
it was made the pretence for magical practices;[294]--and the report of
his tyrannical excesses so alarmed the followers of Apollonius as they
approached Rome, that out of thirty-four who had accompanied him thus
far, eight only could be prevailed on to proceed. On his arrival, his
religious pretensions were the occasion of his being brought
successively before the consul Telesinus and Tigellinus the Minister of
Nero.[295] Both of them, however, dismissed him after an examination;
the former from a secret leaning towards philosophy, the latter from
fear (as we are told) of his extraordinary powers. He was in consequence
allowed to go about at his pleasure from temple to temple, haranguing
the people, and, as in Asia, prosecuting his reforms in the worship paid
to the gods. This, however, can hardly have