A sufficient mass of evidence supports the supposition that Plato found a prohibition against suicide in Orphic mythology. Thus, he need not be taken as referring to any Pythagorean theory at Phaedo 62b. Yet this passage was read by subsequent authors as reporting a Pythagorean belief. The author believes that this situation may have arisen because of Plato’s earlier reference (Phaedo 61a) to Philolaus who had forbidden suicide.