Pythagoras of Samos was an ancient Ionian Greek philosopher and the eponymous founder of Pythagoreanism. His political and religious teachings were well known in Magna Graecia and influenced the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and, through them, Western philosophy.
(source, Wikipedia)
PYTHAGORAS AND THE MYSTERY OF NUMBERS (by Kate Hobgood http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/EMAT6680Fa06 ... goras.html)
Pythagoras was the first of the great teachers of ancient Greece. Born in 580 B.C., Pythagoras became one of the most well known philosopher and mathematician in history. Creating the Pythagorean Brotherhood, his teachings greatly influenced Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Pythagoras is considered as the first pure mathematician; he also founded a community/society based on religion and science. He is most widely known as the author of the Pythagorean Theorem. Some even venture to believe that the word “philosophy” was invented by Pythagoras. He claimed to be a lover of wisdom, for which the Greek word philo means love and Sophia means wisdom.
The Teachings of Pythagoras revolved around the idea that when considering the deepest level, reality is essentially mathematical in nature. Pytahgoreans believed there was a system of principles existed behind numbers. The principles form a foundation for many concepts of traditional Western thought. One of his most basic notions revolves around the symbolism and beauty associated with the Divine Proportion.
Pythagoras expressed his thoughts and ideas by using words and symbols rather than numbers as we know them today. Instead, his ideas were based on many thoughts that we associate with numbers today. For instance, a point is the essence of a circle. A series of symbolic forms were constructed to mirror the concepts of the universe. Using a compass, straightedge, and writing utensil, mathematical philosophers created these symbolic representations.