We are pleased to introduce a new addition to the Faces of History collection: Pythagoras of Samos, one of the most influential mathematicians and philosophers of the ancient world. Best known for the Pythagorean theorem, his ideas helped shape the foundations of mathematics, philosophy, and scientific thought for centuries.
Our newest portrait honors the thinker who founded a philosophical school devoted to the study of numbers, harmony, and the structure of the cosmos. Pythagoras and his followers believed that mathematical relationships governed both music and the universe itself—an idea that would influence generations of scholars and scientists.
This new portrait of Pythagoras is now available in the Faces of History store.
Biography of Pythagoras of Samos
Pythagoras of Samos (c. 570 – c. 495 BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician, philosopher, and teacher whose ideas profoundly shaped the development of mathematics, philosophy, and scientific thought in the Western world. Although much of his life is surrounded by legend, his influence on intellectual history is undeniable.
Pythagoras was born on the island of Samos in the Aegean Sea, likely around 570 BC. As a young man he developed a strong interest in learning and is believed to have traveled widely in search of knowledge. Ancient sources suggest that he visited Egypt, where he studied mathematics, geometry, and religious traditions with Egyptian priests. Some accounts also claim that he later traveled to Babylon, where he encountered advanced mathematical and astronomical ideas. These journeys exposed him to a variety of philosophical and scientific traditions that would later shape his own teachings.
Eventually Pythagoras settled in Croton, a Greek colony in southern Italy. There he founded a philosophical and religious community that became known as the Pythagorean Brotherhood. This group combined mathematical study with a disciplined way of life. Members followed strict ethical rules, practiced communal living, and believed that intellectual study was a path toward spiritual purification.
The Pythagoreans believed that numbers were the fundamental principle of reality. According to their philosophy, numerical relationships governed the structure of the universe, from geometry and astronomy to music and harmony. One of their most remarkable discoveries involved the mathematical relationships between musical notes. They found that harmonious sounds corresponded to simple numerical ratios between the lengths of vibrating strings. This insight reinforced their belief that mathematics revealed the hidden order of nature.
Pythagoras is most famously associated with the Pythagorean Theorem, a fundamental rule of geometry stating that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Although the principle may have been known in earlier civilizations, the Pythagorean school was the first to provide a systematic mathematical proof and incorporate it into a broader mathematical framework. The theorem remains one of the most widely taught and applied concepts in mathematics today.
Beyond mathematics, Pythagoras taught ideas about the immortality and transmigration of the soul, believing that the soul could be reborn in different forms after death. His followers practiced vegetarianism and emphasized moral discipline, harmony, and balance in daily life.
The Pythagorean community grew influential in southern Italy, but its political involvement eventually led to conflict. According to historical accounts, opposition to the group resulted in attacks on their meeting places and the dispersal of the brotherhood. Pythagoras himself is believed to have died around 495 BC, possibly in exile.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding many details of his life, Pythagoras’ legacy endured through his students and later philosophers. His ideas influenced Plato, the development of Greek philosophy, and the foundations of Western scientific thought. Today, more than two millennia after his lifetime, the name of Pythagoras remains synonymous with the power of mathematics to reveal the hidden order of the universe.