PHILOLAUS

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Philosopher of the Pythagorean School. Philolaos was born either in Tarantas or, according to the historian of the 3rd AD. century Diogenes Laertius, in Croton in southern Italy. When after the death of Pythagoras there was discord between the Italian cities, Philolaus, according to some sources, escaped first to Lefkania and then to Thebes. He later returned to Italy, where he probably taught the later philosopher Archytas.

Philolaus was taught the famous number theory of Pythagoras and emphasized the importance of numerical sets. He was particularly interested in the properties of ten, which is the sum of the first four numbers. Speusippus, Plato's successor in the Academy, is said to have reproduced the doctrine of the first four numbers from a book by Philolaus.

Of the works of Philolaus, however, only fragments have survived as well as the view that Philolaus was the first to systematize Pythagoreanism.

Quotes

1. EVERYTHING IS DONE OUT OF NEED AND HARMONY
2. NATURE WAS COMPOSED IN THE UNIVERSE FROM INFINITES AND FINITES AS WELL AS THE WHOLE UNIVERSE AND ALL THAT EXISTS IN IT