Pythagoras of Samos

Biography

Born on the Greek island of Samos around 570 BC. He travelled extensively in his youth — according to traditional sources, visited Egypt, Babylon, Phoenicia, perhaps India — absorbing wisdom of all the great traditions of the ancient world. Around 530 BC emigrated to Crotona (Magna Graecia, southern Italy) where he founded his philosophical-religious school. His personal teaching was strictly oral; he wrote nothing down. Pythagoras's personal life is shrouded in legend (some traditional sources attribute him miraculous deeds, perfect memory of past lives, prophetic gifts) — separating historical reality from later mythology is difficult.

The Pythagorean school was much more than philosophical academy: it was mystical-religious community with: 1) Rules of life (vegetarian diet, intentional poverty, communal life, periods of silence in initiation, taboos on certain foods like beans). 2) Sustained study of mathematics, astronomy, music, philosophy. 3) Doctrine of soul immortality and reincarnation, with conscious moral path through multiple lives towards spiritual liberation. 4) Sustained political activity — Pythagoreans played important political roles in Magna Graecia. After several decades, ranging political conflicts ended in violent attacks on the schools; many Pythagoreans were killed. Pythagoras himself died (around 495 BC) probably violent, although versions vary.

Mathematical and mystical contributions

Mathematical contributions: 1) Pythagorean theorem (a² + b² = c² for right-angled triangles — already known empirically by Babylonians and Egyptians, but Pythagoreans gave it general theoretical demonstration). 2) Discovery of irrational numbers — the Pythagorean Hippasus discovered that the diagonal of a square of side 1 (= √2) is irrational, that is, cannot be expressed as exact ratio of integers. According to legend, the discovery was so disturbing for Pythagorean theology (which sustained that the entire universe could be expressed in ratios of integers) that they tried to keep it secret. 3) Mathematical theory of music — discovered that musical intervals correspond to numerical proportions (octave 2:1, fifth 3:2, fourth 4:3); the famous "music of the spheres" — celestial bodies generate inaudible cosmic music in mathematical proportions.

Mystical contributions: 1) Soul immortality and reincarnation — through multiple lives, the soul progresses or regresses according to its actions; the goal is liberation from the cyclical chain of incarnations through philosophical-spiritual purification. 2) Sacred numerology — basis of subsequent Pythagorean numerology; numbers as fundamental sacred reality of the cosmos. 3) Sacred geometry — geometric figures as expressions of divine order. 4) Pure contemplative life as mystical-philosophical path. 5) Ethics of conscious life with food rules and personal discipline.

Lasting influence

Pythagoras's influence is enormous: his school directly influenced Plato (whose philosophy is impossible to understand without recognising its Pythagorean roots) and through Plato all subsequent Western philosophy. His sacred numerology continues alive in the modern Pythagorean numerology. His mystical-mathematical view (the universe as ordered by mathematical proportions accessible to human reason) is foundation of modern science (paradoxically: today scientific Pythagorean rationalism leaves out the mystical-religious component, although thinkers like Kepler, Newton and even Einstein have recognised in their work a vein of "Pythagorean" wonder before mathematical structures of the universe).