Certainty Quote by Daniel Tammet
“We know next to nothing with any certainty about Pythagoras, except that he was not really called Pythagoras. The name by which he is known to us was probably a nickname bestowed by his followers. According to one source, it meant ‘He who spoke truth like an oracle’. Rather than entrust his mathematical and philosophical ideas to paper, Pythagoras is said to have expounded them before large crowds. The world’s most famous mathematician was also its first rhetorician.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Myth of Pythagoras”, 2019
Pythagoras’s historical identity is uncertain; his name may be a nickname meaning “oracle‑like truth‑speaker”.
In simple terms: We know little about the real Pythagoras.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about historical figures.
Themes
history
philosophy
mathematics
identity
mythmaking
Mood
inquisitive
critical
Type
analytical
reflective
When to use this quote
- academic research
- education curricula
- public lectures
- media documentaries
Key Concepts
naming
oral tradition
public speaking
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence would change your view?
- How does myth affect our perception of ancient thinkers?
A Different Perspective
Historical records are sparse, making definitive claims risky.
![“Kepler followed Proclus and believed that 'the main goal of Euclid was to build a geometric theory of the so-called Platonic solids.' Kepler was fascinated by Proclus and often quotes him calling him a 'Pythagorean'. [History of Mathematics]” quote by C. Smoryński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/68c/c-smory-ski-172317_euclid_kepler-followed-proclus-and-believed-tha_2944745.jpg)
![“[I]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics, in so far as disposed through it we are able to reach certainty in other sciences and truth by the exclusion of error.” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d13/roger-bacon-15067_able_i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-a_24209.jpg)