The life of Pythagoras has long been shrouded in mystery and intrigue.
Did he learn the secrets of wisdom from the ancient Egyptians, or perhaps from the scholars of Babylon?
What profound knowledge did he uncover at the Temple of Delphi, and what is his connection to its priestess?
Some even wonder if Pythagoras encountered extraterrestrial beings or if his teachings were influenced by otherworldly forces.
Were his parents forewarned of his greatness before his birth? Intriguingly, some have noted strange similarities between Pythagoras and Jesus.
Furthermore, was Pythagoras the head of a secretive Masonic lodge, founded to uncover hidden truths? The questions surrounding his life and teachings continue to fascinate and provoke curiosity about the secrets he may have uncovered.
The Wisdom of Delphi: Self-Knowledge and Greek Philosophy
There is no doubt that the ancient Greeks were very wise. Their philosophy contributed greatly to the enrichment of the culture of societies, and ancient Greek quotations still inspire contemporary thinkers and people. For example, names such as Socrates, Thales, Plato, and Aristotle have influenced contemporary scientists as well as thinkers and intellectuals with their great ideas and philosophies.
 |
| Cropped image of Pythagoras from Raphael's School of Athens |
Did Pythagoras learn the secrets of wisdom from the ancient Egyptians?
However, there is a person who is more shrouded in mystery than all of these ancient Greek philosophers, who deserves our attention. In fact, while studying the secrets of the Temple of Delphi, we learn about a mysterious and strange encounter in that temple, this encounter shaped the future of one of the most famous ancient Greek philosophers, Pythagoras (570 BC - 495 BC).
We all know Pythagoras, but I don't think you know some of his secrets. Pythagoras was an ancient Greek philosopher who was known for his outstanding contributions to mathematics. He founded the Pythagorean School in Crotone, which is currently an ancient town in southern Italy. It is said that Pythagoras visited many different countries, and during these travels, it is said that the Egyptians taught him geometry, the Phoenicians taught him arithmetic, and he learned Babylonian astronomy, and from the Magi the principles of religion and the practical principles of behavior.
Why all this mystery surrounding Pythagoras?
Pythagoras must have met wonderful people with a lot of knowledge who left him a solid science and expanded his own wisdom to his philosophical mind. However, his most important encounter was at the Temple of Delphi.
Although we owe almost all of our information about Pythagoras to Plato, we must learn about some of the mysterious and vibrant events in the life of this ancient philosopher. After escaping from the tyrannical rule of Samos, the great Greek philosopher Pythagoras migrated to southern Italy and founded the Pythagorean School of Mathematics in Crotone, which he founded around 500 BC. And Pythagoras had his own group, which was one of the first secret societies in the ancient world.
What secrets did Pythagoras learn from the Temple of Delphi?
It is said that Pythagoras visited the Temple of Delphi at a young age. There he met the Delphic oracle, a woman who was known for her ability to predict the future. The oracle told him that he would become a great philosopher, and that his ideas would influence the world for many years to come.
This encounter was a turning point in Pythagoras' life. It inspired him to study philosophy and search for the truth. It led him to establish the Pythagorean School, which became a center of learning and research in the ancient world.
The phrase "Know thyself, and thou shalt know the universe and the gods" is one of the most important Pythagorean principles. Pythagoras believed that knowing oneself is the key to understanding the world around us. He urged his followers to engage in meditation and self-reflection to better understand themselves.
This phrase remains timeless wisdom to this day. It is a reminder to us that knowing oneself is an endless journey. It is a call to search for inner truth and discover our full potential.
Were his parents preached about him before he was born?
Pythagoras had an amazing history since his childhood, as described by the French writer Edward Schur. His parents, who were from the upper class, received a prophecy from a priestess of Delphi named Pythia before they gave birth to their son.
Pythia told them that their son would be a great historical figure, but she warned them that he must be dedicated to Apollo, the god of wisdom. According to Schur, Pythagoras’ father was a wealthy jeweler, and his mother was a beautiful and educated woman. When Pythagoras was one year old, his mother took him to a Jewish temple in Lebanon, where he received a special blessing from the chief priest.
Is there a similarity between Pythagoras and Jesus?
As mentioned by the mystic Manly Bianchi, there was something mysterious about Pythagoras’ birth, as some ancient scholars claimed that Pythagoras was not human, but a god incarnated to teach humans eternal wisdom. Others said that Pythagoras was the result of a virgin heavenly pregnancy.
In his book Ankalypsis, Geoffrey Higgins drew attention to some common aspects between Pythagoras and Jesus of Nazareth. He said that they were born in the same region approximately, Pythagoras in Sidon, and Jesus in Bethlehem, and both in the Levant. Pythagoras’ and Jesus’ parents were told a similar prophecy about their son, who would be a source of good for humanity and have historical fame.
Among other things that link them, Joseph went to Bethlehem with his pregnant wife, while Pythagoras’ father traveled from Samos, a Greek island where he lived, to Sidon, for commercial reasons. From this, we can see how an unusual encounter in an ancient temple influenced the views and philosophy of one of the smartest minds ever
Pythagoras' Quest for Wisdom at the Temple of Delphi
Pythagoras was fascinated by wisdom since his childhood, and his parents encouraged him to pursue his passion. When he was eighteen years old, he had matured and mastered many skills. The temple of Delphi was an important axis in his life and his influence on his teachings and philosophy.
In the geometry of the temple of Delphi, Pythagoras saw the key to the universe. The base and the columns and the middle column symbolized a three-dimensional triangle that represented nature, humanity, and the universe. At its core, there was the small world and the large universe that contained the gods. Pythagoras visited the temple of Delphi for one purpose only, which is to obtain the unique and eternal knowledge and science.
What is the relationship of the priestess of the Temple of Delphi to spirits that exist outside planet Earth?
He wanted to get a new light in a time when the art of divination and astrology deteriorated. In this great temple, he met Theoclea, the priestess of Apollo, who belonged to a distinguished priestly family and inherited this precious science. This wonderful woman had a deep spirituality.
She heard the voices of the spirits in the daytime, and when she was exposed to the bright sun, she entered a state of ecstasy and vibration and listened to the singing of the heavenly choirs. She always felt attracted to a higher and nobler world than the earth, where she knew its key, and was attracted to the deep knowledge and teachings.
Was there a relationship between Pythagoras and the temple priestess?
In the temple of Delphi, she blessed Pythagoras and taught him. After that, Pythagoras reached the peak of his achievement, and his eloquence was amazing, and his presence was charming, and there was no one who matched him in his intelligence and knowledge. The works of this great sage left an impression in Greece and the world more than any other teacher at that time.
Was Pythagoras the head of a Masonic lodge?
His school was famous for the purity of its philosophy and its amazing depth in meditating on the secrets of the world. Pythagoras and Theoclea worked together for a whole year in Delphi in a quasi-complete spiritual ceremony. Thus, ancient Masonry took this principle and always gave the woman a high place in knowledge and solving all the puzzles.