Pythagoras
Who was Pythagoras?
Greek philosopher and mathematician (c. 570 – c. 495 BC)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Pythagoras (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Pythagoras of Samos was an ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, and religious teacher who lived from roughly 570 to 495 BC. He was born on the island of Samos in the eastern Aegean Sea and became highly influential in early Western thought. Around 530 BC, he moved to Croton in southern Italy, where he started a religious and philosophical community that greatly affected intellectual growth in the ancient world.
The Pythagorean school that Pythagoras set up in Croton was different from other philosophical groups of its time. Members, known as mathematikoi, took vows of secrecy and lived by strict community and ascetic rules. The group mixed religious rituals with mathematical and philosophical studies, believing that numbers were key to understanding the universe. This blend of mysticism and math was a key feature of Pythagorean ideas.
Pythagoras is best known for the mathematical theorem named after him, although modern scholars question whether he discovered it himself or learned it from earlier Babylonian and Egyptian sources. Besides geometry, he contributed significantly to music theory by uncovering the mathematical relationships in musical harmony. He is credited with finding the numerical ratios that create consonant intervals, setting the stage for the scientific study of acoustics. His work also touched on astronomy, where he might have been among the first to suggest that Earth is spherical and to note that the morning and evening star is actually Venus.
The religious and philosophical parts of Pythagoras's teachings were just as impactful. He promoted the idea of metempsychosis, or the transmigration of souls, which said that the soul is immortal and reincarnates in different forms after death. This belief led to specific dietary and ethical rules for his followers. Pythagoras might have been the first to call himself a 'philosopher,' meaning 'lover of wisdom,' instead of claiming to be wise. His political work in Croton eventually led to conflicts with democratic groups, resulting in the persecution of his followers around 510 BC. Pythagoras either died in this persecution or escaped to Metapontum, where he lived his last years.
Before Fame
Not much is known for sure about Pythagoras's early life on Samos. Ancient sources suggest he had a broad education and traveled to Egypt and maybe Babylon. During the 6th century BC, the Greek world was experiencing an intellectual awakening, with thinkers looking for rational explanations for natural events rather than just relying on myths.
The political situation under the tyrant Polycrates in Samos might have pushed Pythagoras to leave his homeland. When he traveled to Croton in Magna Graecia, he found himself in a place where Greek settlers were building new communities and trying out different forms of government and social setups, creating a perfect environment for his new philosophical and religious community.
Key Achievements
- Developed or systematized the Pythagorean theorem relating to right triangles
- Discovered mathematical ratios underlying musical harmony and consonance
- Founded an influential philosophical and religious school in Croton
- Advanced early astronomical theories including Earth's sphericity
- Established the doctrine of metempsychosis in Greek philosophical thought
Did You Know?
- 01.Pythagoras reportedly had a golden thigh, which he occasionally displayed to prove his divine nature
- 02.He forbade his followers from eating beans, possibly believing they contained human souls or interfered with divination
- 03.Ancient sources claim he could communicate with animals and was once seen in two different cities on the same day
- 04.His followers were divided into two groups: the mathematikoi who lived in the community, and the akousmatikoi who lived in their own houses and only attended daytime lectures
- 05.He allegedly remembered his previous incarnations and could recall being a warrior in the Trojan War