Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Hippasus of Metapontum
Greek philosopher
Hippasus of Metapontum (flourished c. 500 bc) was a philosopher and an early follower of Pythagoras. He was coupled by Aristotle with Heraclitus in identifying fire as the first element in the universe. Some traditions say that he was drowned after revealing a mathematical secret of the Pythagorean brotherhood.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.