Editing Pythagoras (section)

{{Short description|Greek philosopher (c. 570 – c. 495 BC)}}
{{redirect|Pythagoras of Samos|the Samian statuary|Pythagoras (sculptor)}}
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{{Infobox philosopher
| name             = Pythagoras
| image            = Pythagoras in the Roman Forum, Colosseum.jpg
| alt              = Marble bust of a man with a long, pointed beard, wearing a tainia, a kind of ancient Greek headcovering in this case resembling a turban. The face is somewhat gaunt and has prominent, but thin, eyebrows, which seem halfway fixed into a scowl. The ends of his mustache are long a trail halfway down the length of his beard to about where the bottom of his chin would be if we could see it. None of the hair on his head is visible, since it is completely covered by the tainia.
| caption          = Bust of Pythagoras of Samos in the<br />[[Capitoline Museums]], [[Rome]]{{sfnp|Joost-Gaugier|2006|page=143}}
| birth_date       = {{circa|570|lk=no}}&nbsp;BC
| birth_place      = [[Samos]]
| death_date       = {{circa|495|lk=no}}&nbsp;BC (aged around 75)<!--PLEASE SEE TALK BEFORE CHANGING DATE-->
| death_place      = either [[Crotone|Croton]] or [[Metapontum]]
| era              = [[Pre-Socratic philosophy]]
| region           = [[Western philosophy]]
| school_tradition = [[Pythagoreanism]]
| main_interests   = {{hlist |[[Ethics]] |[[Mathematics]] |[[Metaphysics]] |[[Music theory]] |[[Mysticism]] |[[Politics]] |[[Religion]]}}
| notable_ideas    = {{ublist |[[Intentional community|Communalism]] |[[Metempsychosis]]| ''[[Musica universalis]]''}}<br />Attributed ideas: {{ublist |[[Geographical zone|Five climatic zones]] |[[Platonic solids|Five regular solids]] |[[Proportionality (mathematics)|Proportions]] |[[Pythagorean theorem]] |[[Pythagorean tuning]] |[[Spherical Earth|Sphericity of the Earth]] |[[Vegetarianism]]}}
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'''Pythagoras of Samos'''{{efn|name=spelling}} ({{langx|grc|Πυθαγόρας}}; {{circa|570|495|lk=yes}}&nbsp;BC){{efn|name=date}} was an ancient [[Ionians|Ionian]] [[Ancient Greek philosophy|Greek philosopher]], [[polymath]], and the eponymous founder of [[Pythagoreanism]].<!-- Please do NOT add "mathematician". Despite the famous theorem that now bears his name, scholars dispute whether the historical Pythagoras was involved in mathematics at all. Please read the rest of the lead and the "Attributed discoveries" section for further information. Thank you. --> His political and religious teachings were well known in [[Magna Graecia]] and influenced the philosophies of [[Plato]], [[Aristotle]], and, through them, [[Western philosophy]]. Modern scholars disagree regarding Pythagoras's education and influences, but most agree that he travelled to [[Crotone|Croton]] in southern Italy around 530 BC, where he founded a school in which initiates were allegedly sworn to secrecy and lived a communal, [[asceticism|ascetic]] lifestyle.

In antiquity, Pythagoras was credited with [[Greek mathematics|mathematical]] and scientific discoveries, such as the [[Pythagorean theorem]], [[Pythagorean tuning]], the [[Platonic solids|five regular solids]], the [[Proportionality (mathematics)|theory of proportions]], the [[Spherical Earth|sphericity of the Earth]], the identity of the [[Phosphorus (morning star)|morning]] and [[Hesperus|evening stars]] as the planet [[Venus]], and the division of the globe into [[Geographical zone|five climatic zones]]. He was reputedly the first man to call himself a philosopher ("lover of wisdom").{{efn|name=philosopher}} Historians debate whether Pythagoras made these discoveries and pronouncements, as some of the accomplishments credited to him likely originated earlier or were made by his colleagues or successors, such as [[Hippasus]] and [[Philolaus]].

The teaching most securely identified with Pythagoras is the "transmigration of souls" or ''[[metempsychosis]]'', which holds that every [[soul]] is [[immortality|immortal]] and, upon death, [[reincarnation|enters into a new body]]. He may have also devised the doctrine of ''[[musica universalis]]'', which holds that the [[Classical planet|planets]] move according to [[mathematics|mathematical]] ratios and thus resonate to produce an inaudible symphony of music. Following Croton's decisive victory over [[Sybaris]] in around 510 BC, Pythagoras's followers came into conflict with supporters of [[Greek democracy|democracy]], and their meeting houses were burned. Pythagoras may have been killed during this persecution, or he may have escaped to [[Metapontum]] and died there.

Pythagoras influenced Plato whose [[Socratic dialogue|dialogues]] (especially ''[[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]]'') exhibit Pythagorean ideas. A major revival of his teachings occurred in the first century BC among [[Middle Platonism|Middle Platonists]], coinciding with the rise of [[Neopythagoreanism]]. Pythagoras continued to be regarded as a great philosopher throughout the [[Middle Ages]] and Pythagoreanism had an influence on scientists such as [[Nicolaus Copernicus]], [[Johannes Kepler]], and [[Isaac Newton]]. Pythagorean symbolism was also used throughout early modern [[Western esotericism|European esotericism]], and his teachings as portrayed in [[Ovid]]'s ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' would later influence the modern vegetarian movement.