THE BOOK OF NUMBER

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The Book of Number: ISBN: 978-0-9756994-4-7

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There is no one in history who, by their own brilliance, changed the world as much as Pythagoras

The Man who Changed the World

A Brief History of Pythagoras

Pythagoras, the son of Mnesarchus and Pythais, was born on the island of Samos, off the coast of Asia Minor (what is now mostly Turkey), about 569 BC. Pythais was a native of Samos. Mnesarchus was a merchant from Tyre. An apocryphal story says that he brought grain to Samos during a famine and was granted citizenship of Samos out of gratitude.

Pythagoras probably had at least two brothers, perhaps three. Little is known about his childhood. He apparently grew up on Samos, but traveled with his father. It has been said he and his father returned to Tyre on at least one occasion and also traveled to Italy.

He was well educated, learning to read and play the lyre. It is said that while in Tyre, he studied with the Chaldaeans and the learned men of Syria. At home, he was influenced by his teacher, the philosopher, Pherekydes. Another apocryphal tale has him visiting Miletus in his late teenage years to study with Thales. By this time, Thales was a very old man, who probably did not teach Pythagoras a lot, but may have greatly influenced him. Thales's student, Anaximander was giving lectures on Miletus and quite possibly, Pythagoras attended these lectures. Anaximander had great interest in geometry and cosmology, subjects which would strongly influence Pythagoras's own views.

Odyssey to Egypt

While in Egypt, Pythagoras visited, or at least tried to visit, many of the temples and spoke with a large number of priests and scholars. There are some accounts that indicate he was denied access to all but a few temples. One, however, which he apparently entered, was Diospolis, where he was accepted into the priesthood after completing the rites necessary for admission. While in Egypt, Pythagoras continued his education, especially in mathematics and geometry.

From Egypt in Chains

Ten years after Pythagoras arrived in Egypt, relations between that country and Samos fell apart. Polycrates sent 40 ships to help Cambyses II, the king of Persia, invade Egypt. During this war, Egypt lost and Pythagoras was taken prisoner to Babylon.

Pythagoras wasn't treated as a prisoner of war as we would consider today. He continued his education in mathematics and music and delved into the teachings of the priests, learning their sacred rites. He became extremely proficient in his studies of mathematics and sciences as taught by the Babylonians.

A Return Home - and Departure

Perhaps this, coupled with the deaths of Polycrates and Cambyses, is what allowed him to depart Babylon just five years later. He returned to Samos, which was now under the rule of Darius of Persia. Soon afterwards, he made a brief trip to Crete to study their legal system before returning to Samos to found his own school. It was called the Semicircle, and is still known by that name even today.

The Samians were not very receptive to his teaching method. According to Iamblichus's book, Life of Pythagoras, "He tried to use his symbolic method of teaching which was similar in all respects to the lessons he had learnt in Egypt. The Samians were not very keen on this method and treated him in a rude and improper manner." So, in about 518 BC he departed Samos once again and went to southern Italy.

The next phase of Pythagoras's life is a bit confusing. Some say he fled Samos for Egypt to escape the tyranny of Polycrates, who has seized control of Samos some years before. There is some evidence, however that there was a friendship between the two men and Pythagoras actually traveled to Egypt with a letter of introduction from Polycrates around 535 BC. There were, at the time, good relations between the two countries. This was to change.

There, he founded another school in Croton (now known as Crotone, on the east of the heel of southern Italy). It was a philosophical and religious school with many followers. Like a pyramid, with Pythagoras at the head, the society had an inner circle of followers known as mathematikoi (priests of mathematics). These mathematikoi lived permanently with the Society, were allowed no personal possessions and were vegetarians. They received training only from by Pythagoras, following very strict rules.

The next layer of the society was called the akousmatics. They were further away from Pythagoras in many ways. They lived in their own houses, and only came to the Society during the day. Pythagoras and his inner circle believed that souls migrated after death into the bodies of other beings, believing it possible an animal could contain a human soul. They saw eating animals as cannibalism. The outer circle was not confined to a vegetarian diet. The society contained both men and women.

Contributions

None of Pythagoras's work survives today. That is partially due to the secret nature of his school. We know they didn't study mathematics as we do today. For Pythagoras, numbers had a spiritual meaning. He believed that all things are numbers. There are a number of theorems attributed to Pythagoras, or at least to his society, but the most famous one, bearing his name was not invented by him at all. The Babylonians had realized the relationships between the sides of a right triangle over 1000 years before. However, it seems Pythagoras was the first to have been able to prove it in simple terms.

Besides his contributions to mathematics, Pythagoras was essential to the early field of astronomy. As Plato later would believe, Pythagoras felt the sphere was the perfect shape. This may have lead to his assertion that the Earth was a sphere. He realized the orbit of the Moon was inclined to the equator of the Earth. He also figured out that the evening star (Venus) was the same as the morning star.

To Flee Again

Around 508 BC Cylon, a Croton noble, attacked the Pythagorean Society. Although he was wealthy and powerful, Cylon is also said to have been violent and corrupt. He jealously wanted to be included in the Pythagorean Society and approached the leader, himself. But because of Cylon's faults, he was turned away. In a rage, Cylon vowed to destroy the society and with his followers persecuted the group, causing Pythagoras to flee to Metapontium, where many say he died. Some claim suicide.

Others do not share this belief. Iamblichus says the attack was a minor affair and Pythagoras returned a short time later. We do know the society was not wiped out and continued for many more years. Stories that claim that Pythagoras taught Empedokles would indicate he lived at least beyond 480 BC, while others are quoted as claiming he lived to the age of 100.

Unfortunately, the actual date or place of Pythagoras's death has been lost to history. However, his impact on that history still resonates today.

From: http://space.about.com/od/astronomerbiographies/a/pythagorasbio_2.htm

PYTHAGORAS: Chosen by Delphi