Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Pythagoras
Introduction & Top Questions References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Engraving of Pythagoras drawing a right triangle in the sand with a stick, surrounded by students and geometric objects, illustrating his mathematical theorem. Marble bust of Pythagoras, the ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher, showing a bearded man with a head covering and calm expression. Map of the Greco-Roman world highlighting the birthplaces of notable ancient mathematicians, marked with the pi symbol and labeled with their names. Cities such as Athens, Alexandria, Syracuse, and Miletus are shown around the Mediterranean, with modern country boundaries outlined. An inset provides detail for the region of Greece and western Anatolia.
Quizzes
Equations written on blackboard
Numbers and Mathematics
Marble bust of Alexander the Great, in the British Museum, London, England. Hellenistic Greek, 2nd-1st century BC. Said to be from Alexandria, Egypt. Height: 37 cm.
Ancient Greece
Agathon (centre) greeting guests in "Plato's Symposium" oil on canvas by Anselm Feuerbach, 1869; in the Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Philosophy 101
Related Questions

Pythagoras: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

Other Contributors

  • jared russell

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Invalidated site: The Basics of Philosophy - Biography of Pythagoras. Aug 24, 2026
Add new Web site: Heritage History - Before the Time of Christ. Jun 06, 2026
Add new Web site: ABC listen - You're Dead to Me - Pythagoras. Sep 12, 2025
Add new Web site: Academia - Pythagoras: Mathematician or Mystic (PDF). Jun 21, 2025
Add new Web site: CORE - What is Pythagorean in the Pseudo-Pythagorean Literature? (PDF). Mar 26, 2025
Questions and answers added. Jan 31, 2025
Add new Web site: Academia - Pythagoras: Mathematician or Mystic (PDF). Jan 13, 2025
Add new Web site: Linda Hall Library - Scientist of the Day - Pythagoras of Samos. Oct 24, 2024
Add new Web site: Ancient Origins - Pythagoras: A Life Beyond Math and Science. Sep 12, 2024
First paragraph modernization. Apr 03, 2024
Add new Web site: The Basics of Philosophy - Biography of Pythagoras. Mar 29, 2024
Add new Web site: Florida State College at Jacksonville Pressbooks - Philosophy in the Humanities - Introducing the Philosophers. Dec 04, 2023
Add new Web site: LiveScience - Pythagoras: Life, work and achievements. Oct 09, 2023
Add new Web site: Humanities LibreTexts - Pythagoras. Aug 15, 2023
Add new Web site: Washington State University - Pythagoras. Apr 29, 2023
Add new Web site: Story of Mathematics - Biography of Pythagoras of Samos. Jan 05, 2023
Add new Web site: Famous Mathematicians - Pythagoras. Feb 19, 2021
Added material about Pythagoras's life and his lack of writings. Dec 17, 2020
Corrected display issue. Dec 15, 2017
Add new Web site: The Famous People - Biography of Pythagoras. Mar 31, 2016
The words "see Pythagoreanism" were changed to "For a fuller treatment of Pythagoras and Pythagorean thought, see Pythagoreanism." Jul 22, 2015
Add new Web site: Age of the Sage - Transmitting the Wisdoms of the Ages - Biography of Pythagoras of Samos. Apr 28, 2014
Add new Web site: World History Encyclopedia - Pythagoras. Apr 28, 2014
Add new Web site: In2Greece - Biography of Pythagoras. Apr 28, 2014
Add new Web site: Maths Is Fun - Pythagoras Theorem. Apr 15, 2013
Add new Web site: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Biography of Pythagoras. Apr 12, 2013
Clarified years of Pythagoras's birth and death. Dec 29, 2011
Add new Web site: Pegasos - Biography of Pythagoras. Dec 27, 2010
Add new Web site: Iloveindia.com - Festivals - Biography of Pythagoras. Dec 27, 2010
Add new Web site: Wolfram Research - Eric Weisstein's World of Scientific Biography - Biography of Pythagoras of Samos. Dec 27, 2010
Add new Web site: ThinkQuest - Biography of Pythagoras. Dec 27, 2010
Add new Web site: Kidipede History for Kids - Biography of Pythagoras. Jul 29, 2010
Added new Web site: Window To The Universe - Biography of Pythagoras. Apr 29, 2009
Updated to include current location of Croton. Feb 26, 2009
Media added. Feb 26, 2009
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - History - Biography of Pythagoras. Nov 12, 2008
Added new Web site: AnimalRightsHistory.Org - Pythagoras. Apr 28, 2008
Added new Web site: The Catholic Encyclopedia - Pythagoras and Pythagoreanism. Apr 28, 2008
Added new Web site: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Pythagoras. Apr 28, 2008
Added new Web site: British Broadcasting Corporation - Biography of Pythagoras.
  • Gaurav Shukla
 May 01, 2007
Added new Web site: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive - Biography of Pythagoras of Samos.
  • Gaurav Shukla
 Nov 29, 2006
Added new Web site: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Biography of Pythagoras. Jun 14, 2006
Added new Web site: Harmony and Proportions - Pythagoras: Music and Space. May 31, 2006
Added new Web site: Harmony and Proportions - Pythagoras: Music and Space. May 31, 2006
Article revised. Feb 16, 2006
Article added to new online database. May 04, 1999
View Changes:
Article History
Revised:
By: