SOURCE: Richard D. McKirahan, Jr., "Pythagoras of Samos and the Pythagoreans," in Philosophy before Socrates: An Introduction with Texts and Commentary, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 79-115.

In the following essay, McKirahan presents an overview of Pythagorean thought on issues of religion, mathematics, number theory, and cosmology, citing contemporaneous sources as evidence for his statements.

Pythagoras' Life and the Pythagorean Movement

Although details of Pythagoras' life and work are unclear, even mysterious, the following brief account is widely accepted. Born on the island of Samos c. 570, he left c. 530 on account of disagreement with the policies of the tyrant¹ Polycrates. At this time or before, he visited Egypt and Babylonia. He settled in Croton, a Greek city in southern Italy, where political life was based on associations or clubs. A Pythagorean association soon came to prominence, bringing Croton to increased military and economic importance. This association was characterized...