![]() ![]() Porphyry in and says that Pythagoras learnt geometry from the Egyptians but it is likely that he was already acquainted with geometry, certainly after teachings from Thales and Anaximander. For example the secrecy of the Egyptian priests, their refusal to eat beans, their refusal to wear even cloths made from animal skins, and their striving for purity were all customs that Pythagoras would later adopt. It is not difficult to relate many of Pythagoras's beliefs, ones he would later impose on the society that he set up in Italy, to the customs that he came across in Egypt. According to Porphyry ( and ) Pythagoras was refused admission to all the temples except the one at Diospolis where he was accepted into the priesthood after completing the rites necessary for admission. The accounts of Pythagoras's time in Egypt suggest that he visited many of the temples and took part in many discussions with the priests. In fact Polycrates had an alliance with Egypt and there were therefore strong links between Samos and Egypt at this time. There is some evidence to suggest that Pythagoras and Polycrates were friendly at first and it is claimed that Pythagoras went to Egypt with a letter of introduction written by Polycrates. This happened a few years after the tyrant Polycrates seized control of the city of Samos. In about 535 BC Pythagoras went to Egypt. Anaximander certainly was interested in geometry and cosmology and many of his ideas would influence Pythagoras's own views. Thales's pupil, Anaximander, lectured on Miletus and Pythagoras attended these lectures. However he did contribute to Pythagoras's interest in mathematics and astronomy, and advised him to travel to Egypt to learn more of these subjects. By this time Thales was an old man and, although he created a strong impression on Pythagoras, he probably did not teach him a great deal. In it is said that Pythagoras visited Thales in Miletus when he was between 18 and 20 years old. ![]() The other two philosophers who were to influence Pythagoras, and to introduce him to mathematical ideas, were Thales and his pupil Anaximander who both lived on Miletus. One of the most important was Pherekydes who many describe as the teacher of Pythagoras. There were, among his teachers, three philosophers who were to influence Pythagoras while he was a young man. Certainly he was well educated, learning to play the lyre, learning poetry and to recite Homer. It is probable that he had two brothers although some sources say that he had three. All accounts of his physical appearance are likely to be fictitious except the description of a striking birthmark which Pythagoras had on his thigh. ![]() Little is known of Pythagoras's childhood. It seems that he also visited Italy with his father. There are accounts of Mnesarchus returning to Tyre with Pythagoras and that he was taught there by the Chaldaeans and the learned men of Syria. As a child Pythagoras spent his early years in Samos but travelled widely with his father. Mnesarchus was a merchant who came from Tyre, and there is a story ( and ) that he brought corn to Samos at a time of famine and was granted citizenship of Samos as a mark of gratitude. Pythagoras's father was Mnesarchus ( and ), while his mother was Pythais and she was a native of Samos. Some historians treat all this information as merely legends but, even if the reader treats it in this way, being such an early record it is of historical importance. There is fairly good agreement on the main events of his life but most of the dates are disputed with different scholars giving dates which differ by 20 years. ![]() What we present below is an attempt to collect together the most reliable sources to reconstruct an account of Pythagoras's life. We do have details of Pythagoras's life from early biographies which use important original sources yet are written by authors who attribute divine powers to him, and whose aim was to present him as a god-like figure. The society which he led, half religious and half scientific, followed a code of secrecy which certainly means that today Pythagoras is a mysterious figure. Unlike many later Greek mathematicians, where at least we have some of the books which they wrote, we have nothing of Pythagoras's writings. He is an extremely important figure in the development of mathematics yet we know relatively little about his mathematical achievements. Biography Pythagoras of Samos is often described as the first pure mathematician. ![]()
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