Pythagoras

STATUE OF PYTHAGORAS

Handmade of alabaster,and painted in museum patina.

Pythagoras (l.c. 571- c. 497 BCE) was a Greek philosopher whose teachings emphasized the immortality and transmigration of the soul (reincarnation), virtuous, humane behavior toward all living things, and the concept of “number” as truth in that mathematics not only cleared the mind but allowed for an objective comprehension of reality.

HIS THEOREM

He is best known in the modern day for the Pythagorean Theorem.  A mathematical formula which states that the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides. This formula has been applied to measuring distance and space as.  For example, in planning and executing the construction of a building. Although attributed to Pythagoras by ancient writers, modern scholars cite evidence from Babylonian texts, written some time before Pythagoras, which discuss the same formula or, at least, one very similar.

Almost nothing is known of Pythagoras’ life even though later writers . Diogenes Laertius attempted to put together biographies based on stories and fragments from earlier works. Laertius’ biography of Pythagoras is the most complete but, unfortunately, the author never cites the sources he drew from and so it is impossible to corroborate many of his claims.

HIS INFLUENCE

Pythagoras’ influence on later philosophers, and the development of Greek philosophy generally, was enormous. Plato (l. c. 428/427-348/347 BCE) references Pythagoras in a number of his works and Pythagorean thought, as understood and relayed by other ancient writers, is the underlying form of Plato’s philosophy. Plato’s famous student Aristotle (l. 384-322 BCE) also incorporated Pythagorean teachings into his own thought . Aristotle’s works would influence philosophers, poets, and theologians (among many others) from his time through the Middle Ages (c. 476-1500 CE) and into the modern day. Pythagoras remains a mysterious figure in antiquity. SO he stands as one of the most significant in the development of philosophical and religious thought.