Pythagoras’s students formed a society with many rules and beliefs.  One of their main beliefs was in the transmigration of souls – metempsychosis. The members of the society were vegetarians for this reason. They were also reported to take a 5 year vow of silence and to not keep written records (which is, of course, why it is so difficult to find much information on them). Although the society was strict, it was very liberal and open to all, including to women. The members were also very humble and didn’t take individual credit for their discoveries.

The Pythagoreans also practiced intense number worship. The believed the numbers were mystical and had a power outside humans. They held the number one to very high regard  because it was a “triangular number” when arranged with pebbles. Each number represent something:

1. Creator of all numbers
2. Opinion (all even numbers are female)
3. Harmony  (all odd numbers are male)
4. Justice (squaring of accounts – because it is the first square)
5. Marriage (addition of first odd and even numbers)
6. Creation
7. The seven planets

Triangular numbers