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Pythagoras: Egypt
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Pythagoras was born on the island of Samos, off the coast of Asia Minor. He was born to Pythais (a native of Samos) and Mnesarchus (a merchant from Tyre). As a young man he left his native city for Crotona in Southern Italy, to escape the tyrannical government of Polycrates. Many writers credit him with visits to the sages of Egypt and Babylon before going west; but such visits feature stereotypically in the biographies of many Greek wise men, and are likely more legend than fact.
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While Pythagoras, in accordance with others of his day, practiced divination (possibly arithmomancy), there is no accurate information concerning the methods which he used. He is believed to have had a remarkable wheel by means of which he could predict future events, and to have learned hydromancy from the Egyptians. He believed that brass had oracular powers, because even when everything was perfectly still there was always a rumbling sound in brass bowls. He once addressed a prayer to the spirit of a river and out of the water arose a voice, "Pythagoras, I greet thee." It is claimed for him that he was able to cause dæmons to enter into water and disturb its surface, and by means of the agitations certain things were predicted.
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The next phase of Pythagoras's life is a bit confusing. Some say he fled Samos for Egypt to escape the tyranny of Polycrates, who has seized control of Samos some years before. There is some evidence... that there was a friendship between the two men and Pythagoras actually traveled to Egypt with a letter of introduction from Polycrates around 535 BC. There were, at the time, good relations between the two countries. This was to change.
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Pythagoras was born on the island of Samos, Greece in 569 BC, and died about 500 BC in Metapontum, Lucania. He traveled extensively in Egypt, learning math, astronomy and music. Pythagoras was ... a healer, a wrestler, and was politically active.
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From childhood Pythagoras displayed interest and abilities to philosophy and other sciences. He studied medicine, biology, astronomy, mathematics, learning from the famous scholars of that time; he learned ... music and painting. Then He continued religious education in Egypt, where He was initiated in priesthood. Then He went to Persia where He continued studying the mystical knowledge.
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Pythagoras ... went to Sidon, where he was initiated into the Mysteries of Tyre and Byblos. Then he proceeded to Egypt. There he put himself under the instruction of the teachers of Thales. He spent the next twenty-two years perfecting himself in mathematics, astronomy and music, and was finally initiated into the Egyptian Mysteries.
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