Pythagoras

Pythagoras lived a very long time ago in ancient Greece. He was born on a small island called Samos about 2,500 years ago. He loved to study numbers, stars, and music. People say he was one of the first great math teachers in the world. Many kids today still learn a rule that has his name on it.

Who Was Pythagoras?

Pythagoras was born around the year 570 BC. When he grew up, he moved to a town called Croton in Italy. There, he started a school. His students learned math, music, and how to live a good life. They called themselves Pythagoreans. They thought numbers were magical and could help explain the whole world.

The Famous Triangle Rule

Pythagoras is most famous for a rule about right triangles. A right triangle has one corner shaped like the letter L. His rule tells us how the three sides fit together. If you know two sides, you can find the third. Builders, artists, and space scientists still use this rule every day. It is called the Pythagorean theorem.

Fun Facts

• Pythagoras and his students would not eat beans because they thought beans were special.
• He believed that music and math were closely linked, and he studied the sounds of plucked strings.
• Some people say Pythagoras was the first person to call himself a philosopher, which means a lover of wisdom.

Did You Know?

Pythagoras did not write any books himself! Everything we know about him comes from stories his students told long after he was gone.