Pythagoras of Samos was a famous Greek mathematician who lived somewhere between 570 BC and 490 BC. Often epitomized
as a pure mathematician he was born in Samos to Mnesarchus and Pythais. Not much is known about his childhood he most likely had 2 brothers and was well educated. Among his educators there was 3 philosophers Pherekydes, Thales, and Anaximader who greatly influenced Pythagoras and introduced him to mathematics, geometry, cosmology, and astronomy. In 535 under the advice of Thales he travelled to Egypt. There he visit many temples and engaged in a multitude of discussions with the priests, eventually coming to be inducted into a priesthood at a temple in Diospolis. Many of the beliefs that the Pythagoras's followers later shared can be attributed to the time he spent in Egypt.
Around 518 BC Pythagoras founded a philosophical and religious school in Croton, Italy. The Society had many followers, both men and women. There was also an inner circle of which Pythagoras was teacher called the Mathematikoi who lived by strict code where they had no possessions and were strict vegetarians living permanently in The Society. There was and outer circle called Akousmatics who lived in there own homes and were permitted to live in there own houses and visited The Society during the day.
The Society practised both secrecy and a form of communism. This made has made it impossible to distinguish the contributions Pythagoras has made to the mathematical world from those of his Society, although the contributions both are numerous and relevant today.
