Pythagoras
Pythagoras was the son of Mnesarchus and Pythais. He was born in Somas around 569 B.C. Pythagoras was a Greek philosopher who made important developments in mathematics. Pythagoras had two brothers but he did not have any sisters. He was well educated. His high level of education can be seen by the fact that he knew how to play the lyre, which is a very difficult instrument to play. Pythagoras also knew how to read, and he also learned poetry. Among his teachers, there were three philosophers who influenced Pythagoras as a child. One of the most important was Pherekydes. Pherekydes is considered to be the biggest influence, and the real teacher of Pythagoras.
Around 518 B.C. Pythagoras moved to Italy. Pythagoras founded a philosophical and religious school in Croton, Italy. The society had many followers. Pythagoras was the head of the society with an inner circle of followers known as mathematikoi. In this society the followers were vegetarians. Members were required to live ethically, love one another, share political beliefs, practice pacifism, and devote themselves to the mathematics of nature. There were equal rights between men and women.
Pythagoras went back to Somas and founded a school and taught his followers. He taught them math and philosophy. It was based upon Pythagoras’ religious teachings and was very secretive because they did not want outsiders to steal their ideas that were dicussed in school.
Pythagoras moved to Metapontun around 510 B.C. and he died in Metapontum at around the age of 90.
Pythagoras today is mainly known for the Pythagorean Theorem. The Pythagorean Theorem describes the relation among the three sides of a right triangle. The theorem states: in any right triangle, the area of the square whose side is the hypotnuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares whose sides are the two legs (the two sides that meet at a right angle). The...