Pythias was a school friend of Lucius who happens to run into him in Hypata while he’s staying with Milo. Pythias is the first to call Lucius by name, and though the two are happy to see each other, Lucius is less happy when Pythias ruins some fish that Lucius bought in order to make a point to a shopkeeper. The brief appearance of Pythias is comic and helps to establish some of Lucius’s background.