One of the rules by which the followers of Pythagoras lived was "do not break bread". See for example, the list of rules at
http://lachlan.bluehaze.com.au/books...hilosophy.html
I know what breaking bread with somone means, but I suspect that here the meaning may be more literal. How would you understand the expression, given that other rules include things like "don't eat from a whole loaf" and "don't eat beans".