Knowra Neopythagoreanism Neopythagoreanism Neopythagoreanism was a philosophical and religious movement of the late Hellenistic and Roman periods that revived Pythagorean teachings on number, ethics, and the soul.
Pythagoreanism : An ancient Greek tradition linking mathematics, philosophy, religious practice, and communal life to Pythagoras. Neopythagoreanism presents itself as a revival of this earlier tradition.
Number in Pythagoreanism : The Pythagorean view that number reveals the structure and ordering principles of reality. Neopythagorean authors treated numerical principles as a path to understanding cosmic order.
Apollonius of Tyana : A first-century CE Greek philosopher and religious teacher portrayed in ancient sources as a Pythagorean sage. His ascetic life became a celebrated model of the Pythagorean holy man.
Life of Pythagoras : A biographical work by Porphyry presenting Pythagoras as a philosopher, religious teacher, and model of virtue. It records later traditions that made Pythagoras a template for Neopythagorean sages.
Middle Platonism : A diverse form of Platonism that developed between the first century BCE and the third century CE. It shared metaphysical interests with Neopythagoreanism but claimed Platonic rather than Pythagorean lineage.
Pythagoras : An ancient Greek philosopher associated with teachings on number, harmony, the soul, and a disciplined way of life. His authority grounded claims that later teachings preserved ancient wisdom.
Pythagorean ethics : A way of life emphasizing self-discipline, communal obligations, and care for the soul. Ethical discipline was presented as practical preparation for the soul's purification.
Moderatus of Gades : A first-century CE philosopher from Gades associated with Neopythagorean interpretations of Pythagorean doctrine. His reported teachings show how Neopythagoreans explained the tradition's numerical principles.
Life of Apollonius of Tyana : A third-century biography by Philostratus portraying Apollonius as a philosopher and wonder-working holy man. Its portrayal shaped the image of Apollonius as a Roman-era Pythagorean sage.
Neoplatonism : A philosophical tradition beginning in the third century CE that explains reality through a hierarchy deriving from the One. Neoplatonism absorbed Pythagorean themes while developing a distinct systematic metaphysics.
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