18 Facts About Pythagoreanism

Pythagoreanism originated in the 6th century BC, based on and around the teachings and beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans.

The surviving 5th century BC sources on Pythagoras and early Pythagoreanism are void of supernatural elements, while surviving 4th century BC sources on Pythagoreas' teachings introduced legend and fable.

Pythagoreanism was a philosophic tradition as well as a religious practice.

Early Pythagoreanism was based on research and the accumulation of knowledge from the books written by other philosophers.

Pythagoreanism objectively measured physical quantities, such as the length of a string, and discovered quantitative mathematical relationships of music through arithmetic ratios.

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Pythagoreanism became the quest for establishing the fundamental essences of reality.

Philosopher Philolaus, one of the most prominent figures in Pythagoreanism, was the precursor of Copernicus in moving the earth from the center of the cosmos and making it a planet.

The purpose of vegetarianism in Pythagoreanism was not self-denial; instead, it was regarded as conductive to the best in a human being.

Pythagoreanism's was noted as distinguished philosopher and in the lore that surrounds her, is said to have taken over the leadership of the school after his death.

Pythagoras' teachings and Pythagoreanism influenced Plato's writings on physical cosmology, psychology, ethics and political philosophy in the 5th century BC.

The influence of Pythagoreanism extended throughout and beyond antiquity because the Pythagorean doctrine of reincarnation was recounted in Plato's Gorgias, Phaedo, and Republic, while the Pythagorean cosmology was discussed in Plato's Timaeus.

Pythagoreanism believed that numbers constituted simply a quantitative determinant and had no ontological value.

The revival of Pythagoreanism has been attributed to Publius Nigidius Figulus, Eudorus of Alexandria and Arius Didymus.

Pythagoreanism, as mediated in Plato's Timaeus, spurred increasingly detailed studies of symmetry and harmony.

Writers such as Thierry of Chartres, William of Conches and Alexander Neckham referenced classical writers that had discussed Pythagoreanism, including Cicero, Ovid and Pliny, leading them to believe that mathematics was the key to understanding astronomy and nature.

Psellus thought to reconstruct Iamblichus' 10 book encyclopedia on Pythagoreanism from surviving fragments, leading to the popularisation of Iamblichus' description of Pythagorean physics, ethics and theology at the Byzantine court.

Pythagoreanism argued that the octave was essential in attaining perfect harmony.

Pythagoreanism set out to measure whatever is measurable, and to render everything measurable that is not.