Theano biography mathematician
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However, whether she was his wife, student, or simply an associate remains a subject of debate among historians. 111. Pythagoras himself is best known for the Pythagorean theorem, but his philosophical teachings extended far beyond mathematics, incorporating ethical and metaphysical ideas that influenced later thinkers such as Plato.
The Pythagorean community was unique in that it allowed both men and women to participate in its philosophical and religious practices.
The couple had five children. Some sources even claim that after Pythagoras’ death, Theano took over leadership of the Pythagorean school, although this is widely dismissed by modern scholars due to the lack of evidence supporting such a claim.
The historical confusion about Theano’s identity reflects the broader uncertainties surrounding the Pythagorean tradition itself, which was shrouded in mysticism and secrecy.
Pythagoreanism emphasized the importance of harmony, order, and number as the underlying principles of the cosmos. By this corollary, punishment for souls of immoral and evil people occurs naturally, as a balancing act, she explained.
Various historians including prominent chronicler, Diogenes Laertius who penned the epic ‘Lives and Thoughts of Ancient Philosophers’ claim that Theano was born in 546BC in Crotona, now a part of Italy.
Whether or not she directly contributed to these ideas, her name has become linked with them in popular accounts of ancient philosophy. She was the daughter of Brontinus, a reputed local physician popular with the Greek rulers of the region and an aficionado of dogmas, mysteries, and philosophical principles set forth in the poems ascribed to Orpheus, the mythical Greek character known for his music and odes.
This affiliation to Orphic practice brought her father Brontinus close to several Greek rulers and thinkers who would pass through Crotona during their journeys.
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Figueiras, Lourdes, María Molero, et al. Género y Matemáticas. He was invited to a discourse and debate by Theano’s father, Brontinus. The surviving fragment of On Piety concerns a Pythagorean analogy between numbers and objects; the various surviving letters deal with domestic concerns: how a woman should bring up children, how she should treat servants, and how she should behave virtuously towards her husband.
According to Mary Ritter Beard, Theano told Hippodamus of Thurium (may be Hippodamus of Miletus, who according to Aristotle planned the city of Thurium in 440 BC), the treatise On Virtue contains the doctrine of the Golden Mean.
According to Thesleff, Stobaeus, and Heeren, Theano wrote in On Piety: "I have learned that many of the Greeks believe Pythagoras said all things are generated from number.
Theano
Today, the first known woman mathematician and something more. The two would spend several hours together, debating various theories related to life, universe, mystic sciences and mathematics. Attempts have been made to assign some of these fragments and letters to the original Theano (Theano I) and some to a later Theano (Theano II), but it is likely that they are all pseudonymous fictions of later writers, which attempt to apply Pythagorean philosophy to a woman's life.
Young Theano would often listen to these erudite debates by eminent thinkers from Athens or elsewhere, hosted by her father at their family residence and attended by prominent citizens of the city.
Theano, it is believed, was privileged to superior education- a common tradition among the rich and famous of the era.
However, as with much of her life, the specifics of these contributions are difficult to verify due to the lack of reliable primary sources.
Several writings were attributed to Theano in antiquity, although none have survived intact. As a result, separating historical facts from legend is a challenge, and Theano’s life is a prime example of this ambiguity.
The Pythagorean school, founded by Pythagoras in the 6th century BC, was one of the most influential philosophical movements of the ancient world.
However, some confusion over the original author of these letters persists: Another Pythagorean follower bearing the same name- Theano but called Theano-II for disambiguation- who flourished much later, could have been the writer of these letters, according to some historians. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, she remains an important figure in the history of philosophy, particularly as one of the earliest women associated with a major philosophical school.
Some sources suggest that she made significant contributions to the development of Pythagorean philosophy, particularly in the areas of ethics and mathematics.
Image: Bust of Pythagoras at the Capitoline Museums in Rome.
Although the writings attributed to Theano are considered spurious, there are claims that she contributed to the development of key Pythagorean ideas, particularly in the realms of ethics and mathematics. Her place of birth and the identity of her father are just as uncertain, leading some authors to suggest that there was more than one person whose details have become merged (these are sometimes referred to as Theano I and Theano II).
A few fragments and letters ascribed to her have survived which are of uncertain authorship.
Theano not only worked in the areas of physics, medicine and child psychology, but was an astronomer/mathematician in her own right. Madrid: Editorial Síntesis, 1998.