Diogenes Laertius — Life of Pythagoras
Diogenes gathers traditions about Samos, Croton, rules of life, pupils and Pythagoras’ death. His narrative preserves valuable information but mixes sources separated by centuries from its subject.
Understanding the text
Book eight of the Lives belongs to biographical and doxographical tradition. Miraculous stories and lists of disciples cannot be accepted uncritically as contemporary archives.
A late ancient biography combining anecdotes, doctrines and disputed attributions.
Key points
- 01
Journey
The move from Samos to southern Italy is an early framework of his biographical tradition.
- 02
Rules
Practices attributed to Pythagoreans connect diet, purification and communal life.
- 03
Transmission
Anecdotes and catalogues cite earlier sources that must be identified before drawing conclusions.
How to read it
Identify sources named by Diogenes and compare divergent accounts of the end of life.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗