πythagoras of Samos (c. 570 – c. 495 BCE) was a Greek philosopher, mathematician, and mystic whose ideas greatly influenced Western thought. Born on the island of Samos, he traveled extensively in his youth, learning from scholars in Egypt and Babylon. These experiences shaped his unique blend of philosophy, mathematics, and spirituality.
πythagoras is best known for the πythagorean Theorem, a fundamental principle in geometry that states that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. However, his contributions went beyond mathematics. He believed that numbers were the essence of all things, and that the universe was governed by numerical relationships. This concept laid the groundwork for the idea that mathematics could explain natural phenomena.
In Croton, a Greek colony in southern Italy, πythagoras founded a philosophical and religious community known as the πythagorean Brotherhood. The members of this society lived by strict ethical and dietary codes, practiced communal living, and studied mathematics, music, and philosophy as a means to purify the soul. πythagoras and his followers held that numbers were not just mathematical entities but had mystical significance, with each number symbolizing certain universal principles.
πythagoras also contributed to the field of music by discovering that the pitch of a musical note is related to the length of the string that produces it. This led to the development of the theory of musical harmony, which had profound effects on both music theory and the understanding of cosmic harmony.
Though much of πythagoras’ life remains shrouded in legend, his ideas left a lasting legacy, influencing later thinkers like Plato and laying the foundations for Western scientific and mathematical traditions.