Pythagoras lived from 590 to 500 B.C. Not much of his early life is known because of the lack of written records from this time period. He was born off the Anatolian coast on the island Samos. He lived in a seaport town and thus saw many exciting visitors that stimulated his interest in learning. He began his learning of math early as he traveled to Babylon and Egypt and discussed mathematics with priests there. His most profound teachers were Creophilus, Pherecydes, and Thales. In Babylon, he probably learned about reciprocals and square roots, both of which would become integral to his theorems.