The Pythagorean Cult

About the lecture

In this course, we learn about the Pythagoreans, a religious cult following the teachings and beliefs of Pythagoras, a man who we do not know much about. In particular, we consider: (i) Pythagoras — who he is and how there is very little evidence of his existence; (ii) how Pythagoras was more of legendary figure who possibly lived on a Greek island around 550 BC and was part of a cult, orphic religion known as the Pythagoreans; (iii) how although the Pythagorean cult-like community disappeared around 480-460 BC, its ideas continued to be talked about; (iv) some Pythagorean beliefs, including those involving religion (single, regenerating divinity plus other divinities that run the world), the solar system, and the spiritual power of numbers; and (v) their ideas of numerology, where they associated order, coherence, and the male to the number one, and associated disorder, confusion, and the female to the number two, while the number three represented justice and reproduction.

About the lecturer

Piers Bursill-Hall is a Lecturer in the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics (DPMMS) at the University of Cambridge. He has taught undergraduate courses in history of mathematics and most aspects of history of science at Cambridge and elsewhere, including for the Mercantile Library of Cincinnati. His research and teaching has concentrated on history of Ancient, Renaissance, and Enlightenment science, mathematics and mathematical arts, the history of medicine, and more recently on early Islamic mathematics and science.