Map of Pythagoras's Life

Pythagoras was born on the island of Samos in around 580 BCE.  He studied with Pherekydes in Syros, the center of Cyclades and later moved with him to Delos, where Pherekydes died.  Pythagoras then moved to Ionia where he studied with Thales and his pupil Anaximander.   After his time with them, Pythagoras travelled to Egypt and Diospolis, where he was admitted by priests and learned of local sacrifices, rituals, and dietary restrictions.  Ca. 525 BCE Pythagoras was imprisoned in Babylon for a short period of time.  He returned to Samos near the end of his life.

Pythagoras's trip to Croton was perhaps his most influential, as that is where his fame spread.  Sybaris, near Croton, was the home of the first Pythagorean school and over 2,000 Pythagorean converts.