Pythagoras and the Early Pythagoreans

by Leonid Zhmud

In ancient tradition, Pythagoras (c. 570 - c. 495 BC) emerges as a wise teacher, an outstanding mathematician, an influential politician, and as a religious and ethical reformer. Arguably the most influential thinker among the Presocratics, he was thought to have possessed supernatural qualities. This combination of characteristics has led to his portrayal as a controversial and elusive figure. In contrast, his early Pythagorean followers, such as the doctors Democedes and Alcmaeon, the Olympic victors Milon and Iccus, the botanist Menestor, the natural philosopher Hippon, and the mathematicians Hippasus and Theodorus, all appear in our sources as 'rational' as they can possibly be.

This volume offers a comprehensive study of Pythagoras, Pythagoreanism, and the early Pythagoreans through an analysis of the many representations of the individual and his followers, allowing the representations to complement and critique each other. Using sources dating back to before 300 BC, Zhmud portrays a more historical picture of Pythagoras and of the political society founded by him in Croton. With chapters devoted to the sciences, philosophy, and religion cultivated by Pythagoreans, a critical distinction is made between the theories of individual Pythagoreans. They were as 'normal' as any other Presocratic, a 'normality' that ensured the continued existence of Pythagoreanism as a philosophical and scientific school.

Genres: Philosophy

516 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2012

Reviews

[Kamakana · Rating 4 out of 5]

040717: this is an academic text. once again i wonder why i read this: i am reading everything the u library has on Pythagoras, for the 'legend' if not the historical truth of the man, his followers, his thought, his influence on everything historical, in science, numbers, philosophy, is fascinating...

once again scholars must work around the fact much of Pythagoras remains speculative, he wrote nothing, he is known by others, his status and ideas, his political, his philosophical, his eminence is in many ways attributed to him by later thinkers. this book is a series of chapters that cover in detail the ways we know the man and his followers: 1) early tradition 2) biography 3) who were 4) communities 5) mathematici and acusamatici 6) shamanism and metempsychosis 7) mathematics 8) harmonics and acoustics 9) astronomy 10) medicine and life sciences 11) philosophy 12) number doctrine...

if there is a theme to most of these chapters it is that he has been variously misrepresented in both positive and negative ways from his death onward. each era has the Pythagoras it wants. the Greeks and Romans defined him often in more political manner, viewed him often as leader of 'sect', later used caricatures in comedies, then elevated him to thinker with Plato and Aristotle, who implied his prevalence in Greek thought simply by not often naming him but assuming his thought and ways already known. as to 1) and 2) there are only the texts as agree where he came from, less agreement where he studied and traveled 3) and 4) his communities were not limited to only one city but more religious than political 5) is a distinction from after the fact between those followers who quoted his thought in religious manner (ac) and those who felt they were continuing his thought exploration (ma) 6) which is where we do not have a clear category for how he should be thought of 7) technical advances probably current in Greece but not borne of say Egypt or Babylon, though he might have visited he was not there long enough, could not read languages 8) essential art to Greeks but opposition from those who go by ear against those who go by numbers 9) also Greek development rather than older traditions of Egypt or Babylon 10) argument he was before but incorporated, that life was this or that element/semen/moisture consistent presocratic 11) arguments about religious versus philosophy, extent to which philosophical thoughts retrospectively from Aristotle 12) signature concept- where i first heard of him- not well defined as except by say Plato...

so, if you want to know Pythagoras you can check each named chapter. i have not read his sources, i am not academic, but he has extensive notes and sources, he makes good arguments, he tends to agree with other readings, any problems are down to my ignorance and not his text. detailed, exacting, knowledgeable, this is a long book and very good...

[Ixel Balamke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent scholarly book on what is actually known and unknown about Pythagoras. Also has content on who the "actual" Pythagoreans were, and what they taught and practiced. This book dispels many of the erroneous myths on Pythagoras. It's worth the time to read. Unfortunately, the book is around $200.