The Pythagorean Cult

"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.
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