Pythagoras of Samos
An ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, credited with the Pythagorean theorem and the founding of the Pythagorean school.
Most quoted
"Do not allow sleep to close your eyelids, before you have reviewed all your actions of the day. How have I erred? What have I done? What have I left undone? Begin from the first and go through to the last; and then, for the evil acts, chide yourself, and for the good rejoice."
— from The Golden Verses of Pythagoras
"Do not allow sleep to close your eyelids, before you have reviewed all your actions of the day. How have I erred? What have I done? What have I left undone? Begin from the first and go through to the last; and then, for the bad, be vexed, and for the good, be glad."
— from The Golden Verses of Pythagoras
"As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love."
— from Attributed by Ovid, -500
All quotes by Pythagoras of Samos (260)
The wise man should be prepared for everything that does not lie within his control.
Man is the measure of all things.
Know thyself.
Evolution is the law of life, number is the law of the universe, unity is the law of God.
The most beautiful of all figures is the sphere, and the most beautiful of all solids is the pyramid.
The soul of man is divided into three parts: intelligence, reason, and passion. Intelligence and reason are divine, passion is mortal.
Abstain from beans.
Do not stir the fire with a sword.
Do not step over the beam of a balance.
Do not eat the heart.
Do not sit upon a choenix.
Do not break the bread.
Do not wear a ring.
Do not look in a mirror beside a lamp.
Do not leave the imprint of a pot in the ashes.
Do not receive a swallow into your house.
Do not walk in the public ways.
Do not wear a tight ring.
Do not speak of Pythagorean matters to those who are not Pythagoreans.
The square on the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares on the two other sides.
Contemporaries of Pythagoras of Samos
Other Mathematicss born within 50 years of Pythagoras of Samos (-570–-495).