C.D. Warner, et al., comp.
The Library of the World’s Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes. 1917.

Pythagoras (c. 582–c. 500 B.C.)

Pythagoras (pi-thag’ō-ras). A celebrated Greek philosopher; born at Samos, about 582 B.C.; died about 500. His history is involved in obscurity; but he is believed to have visited Egypt and been inducted into the mysteries and sciences of the priests in the temples there. He founded a society and school, or an exoteric and esoteric community of disciples, at Crotona in Magna Græcia. The societaires took control of the political State of Crotona, and governed it more or less in accordance with the principles of the master’s philosophy; but the democracy rose against them, and after an existence of 100 years, or probably much less, the organization was broken up and the Pythagoreans dispersed. No authentic writing of Pythagoras exists. He seems to have materially developed mathematical science; he certainly did much to develop the science of government and of conduct.

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