Most people have heard of the famous Pythagorean Theorem, which allows for the calculation of the lengths of the sides of certain triangles.
The Life of Pythagoras
The discoverer of this useful and fundamental theory is the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras. His life is filled with many interesting truths that few people know.
The School as a Cult
Pythagoras and his students.
Pythagoras was born around 580 to 572 BC and died around 500 to 490 BC. He was a Greek philosopher who founded a belief movement known as Pythagoreanism. He is often recognized as a great scientist and mathematician.
He established the famous School of Number Theory to spread his teachings, but not all lessons were about the applications of theories or fundamental mathematical principles.
Students were also taught many esoteric lessons, such as that numbers are divine, controlling and judging the entire universe. Pythagoras taught the proper way to worship this divinity. Certain numbers, such as seven, eight, and especially ten, were considered objects of special reverence.
Self-Identification as a Deity
Not only did Pythagoras worship numbers in his school, but he also encouraged his students to see him as a demigod, as “the divine Pythagoras.” When he approached, they would sing hymns in his honor.
If anyone on the street asked who he was as he passed by, they would be told that Pythagoras was the son of the god Apollo, and sometimes Hermes.
His talents were considered legendary; he could write on the moon and talk to animals, but most importantly, he had a golden thigh.
When someone doubted his divinity, Pythagoras would show them his shimmering thigh and attract a new convert. According to one legend, he showed a young monk his thigh as a reward, helping him fly over mountains, ward off disease, and calm storms.
Reincarnation
In addition to worshipping numbers and self-identifying as divine, Pythagoras claimed that upon his death, he would be reborn as another version of himself, allowing him to live forever. He could remember his past lives when he fought at Troy, when he was a fisherman, or even when he was a beautiful courtesan.
Moreover, Pythagoras claimed he could sense old souls within new bodies. Legend has it that he once saw a dog being beaten in the street and ran out to stop the blows. “Stop! Don’t hit it!” Pythagoras shouted, “That’s the soul of a friend.” He recognized that person’s voice in the dog’s bark.
Vegetarian Rules
Pythagoras was one of the first in Western history to abstain from eating meat for ethical reasons. He taught his followers that eating the flesh of dead creatures would pollute the body, thus they should never kill a living being.
However, those who switched to vegetarianism sometimes broke the rules. It could be difficult to give up meat, and it seems this was the case for Pythagoras. Beef still appeared on his dining table because cattle were used for sacrifices. When beef was unavailable, chicken and pork were acceptable, as well as goat meat. However, lamb was not allowed.
Silence for Five Years
Pythagoras is famous for the Pythagorean Theorem.
Pythagoras believed that silence was very important. Maintaining silence was a way to learn self-control; thus, newcomers wishing to join Pythagoras’s group were not allowed to speak for five years to preserve their purity while absorbing his philosophical wisdom. However, there are many reasons to believe that this was more about ensuring they could keep secrets.
Murder Over Irrational Numbers
Pythagoras revered numbers and taught that they were truly sacred objects. One of Pythagoras’s most famous disciples was Hippasus, who is believed to be the first to prove the existence of an irrational number.
Hippasus demonstrated that the square root of two is an irrational, infinite number. This was not only an important discovery but also a public “rebellion.” Pythagoras taught that all numbers could be expressed as ratios of integers, and Hippasus proved that his extraordinary teacher was wrong.
According to legend, Hippasus showed Pythagoras his proof while they were on a boat. In response, Pythagoras seized Hippasus, threw him overboard, and held his head underwater until he stopped moving. Afterward, Pythagoras discarded the lifeless body into the sea, turning to the others on the boat and warning them never to tell anyone what had happened.
Death for Plant Protection
Another rule of Pythagoras was to avoid eating fava beans. This was because they caused flatulence that produced a smell similar to that of a dead person, leading those who were gassy to lose part of their soul with the escaping gas.
Over the years, “not eating beans” became “beans are sacred,” and the Pythagorean school began to revere plant life. However, this peculiar belief ultimately led to Pythagoras’s death.
It is said that guests visiting the great philosopher became enraged when he refused to step out from behind a curtain to speak with them. They set fire to the curtain, and the flames quickly spread to the house. Pythagoras fled out the back door but paused before a field of beans. He declared that he would rather die than step on a single bean plant, accepting his fate and allowing himself to be killed rather than harm the beans.
