Erasmus 2017-2018 Inventors and innovators
Pythagoras Pythagoras was born c. 570 BCE in Samos and died c. 500–490 BCE in Italy. He was a Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the Pythagorean brotherhood that, although religious in nature, formulated principles that influenced the thought of Plato and Aristotle and contributed to the development of mathematics and Western rational philosophy. Pythagoras wrote nothing, nor were there any detailed accounts of his thought written by contemporaries. Most of the information available today has been recorded a few centuries after his death and as a result, many of the available accounts contradict each other. However, this much is certain that he was born to a merchant from Tyre and had studied under various teachers since his early childhood.
 Pythagorean school When he was around forty years old, he left Samos. Some say he went to Egypt to study under the temple priests and returned after fifteen years while others say that he went straight to Croton(southern Italy) to open a school (the Pythagorean school). Nonetheless, it is certain that his main place of activity was Croton and there he set up a brotherhood and made substantial contribution to mathematics, philosophy and music. In Croton he first started teaching in full scale, quickly gathering a band of followers. His brotherhood was open to both men and women. It developed into a religious cum, philosophical school with considerable political clout. The Pythagoreans, as the followers of Pythagoras were called, could be divided into two sects; a) Mathematikoi or Learners, who lived and worked at the school and b) Akousmaticoi or Listeners, who lived outside the school. The Mathematikoi or Learners had to lead their life according to rules, which defined what they ate, wore or even spoke. They had no personal possession and followed strict vegetarianism. Contrarily, the Akousmatics or Listners were allowed to own personal properties and eat non-vegetarian food. They attended the school only during the day time. The Pythagoreans had to be silent and obedient, dress simply, eat very little not meat and not beans, which they thought were relatives to the humans, and subject themselves to self-examination. Also, they were not allowed to wear rings, stir fire with iron or speak of Pyhagorean matters in the dark. When rising from their beds