Pythagoras grew up at the dawn of the golden age of ancient Greek culture. The Greeks had influenced Black Sea and even southern part of Italy known as Magna-Graecia. Huge temples were being built in Athens. Philosophers like Thales and Anaximander had begun to gather in Miletus. The Greeks had progressed well in the field of philosophy, astronomy and mathematics. The contributions of Thales, Anaximander and Pherekydes in philosophy, mathematics and astronomy respectively, are worth noting.

Thales initiated the western philosophy. He came up with the idea that the entire world had originated from a single substance – water. Anaximander, the second Milesian philosopher, gave a rational and scientific explanation about the origin of the world. He was the first to draw a map of the heavens and claimed that the earth’s surface was curved. The study of the sun, led Anaximander to invent the Sundial. Chronos (time) considered as divine and infinite, could be measured with an instrument. Anaximander was the first to calculate and show that the Sun was 28 times larger than the earth. He did all this with naked eyes and mental arithmetic and with no other sophisticated scientific instrument. He believed that the world consisted of one fundamental substance, which is infinite, timeless and indestructible. 

Pherekydes, a philosopher and a fiction writer, was the teacher of Pythagoras. Pythagoras too was a mathematician as his mentor. He (Pherekydes), put forward the doctrine of transmigration of souls and cycle of birth liberation of human being from this life cycle which was proffessed by his student, Pythagoras. This theory is analogous to the doctrine of poorva janma (Past Life), punar janma (Re-birth) and moksha (Salvation), of the Hindu philosophy.

Polycrates, the ruler of Samos was greedy, cruel and over-ambitious. He started gathering wealth from the people of Samos, in every manner possible. Hence, he was known as ‘Tyrant Polycrates’. Under his power, nautical trading of Samos became more lucrative than ever before. The wealth of Samos attracted neighboring states like Sparta, Athens and others. Polycrates, now desired of being regarded as a man of culture. Therefore, he invited intellectuals and artists of the surrounding areas to his court. Pythagoras being a man of exceptional caliber, was also invited and became adviser to Polycrates. The ruler was friendly with Pythagoras as he found him to be very reliable. It is believed that he had given a letter of introduction to Pythagoras when he visited Egypt. At that time, relations between Samos and Egypt were also warm and friendly. Polycrates had allied with Egypt to save himself from the then expanding Persian Empire.

Around 535 B.C., Pythagoras visited Egypt, which was prospering under the most conducive environment. Egypt being the center for learning in subjects like mathematics, astronomy and philosophy, was also rich in culture, tradition and social customs. Pythagoras being a studious and observant person understood and absorbed all that he came across. With priests, he had religious discourses and learnt about the Egyptian customs and traditions of swearing by the oath of secrecy. He learnt about their day-to-day life and their emphasis on purity of all religious customs and traditions. It is understood that when he found his religion, he based its tenets upon all that had learnt and absorbed during his stay in Egypt.