The Views of Greek Philosopher Pythagoras on Reincarnation

Pythagoras, the ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, often connects with the concept of reincarnation, along with many other spiritual and metaphysical beliefs. Since Pythagoras did not leave any written records himself, much of the information about him comes from later sources, which scholars interpret in various ways. He and his followers attribute several key ideas related to reincarnation and the soul, focusing on the soul’s immortality and its cyclical journey through different forms of life.

The body as the sepulcher of the soul

Most ancient writers agree that Pythagoras was the son of Mnesarchus. Mnesarchus arrived in Samos for trade during a time of wheat shortages. After he offered wheat for sale the state honored him and granted him citizenship in Samos. Because Pythagoras displayed an aptitude for all kinds of study from a young age, Mnesarchus took him to Tyre and initiated him into the teachings of the Chaldeans.

Afterward, Pythagoras returned to Ionia. He first associated with Pherecydes of Syros and later with Hermodamates, a Creophylean from Samos. Pherecydes, a significant influence on Pythagoras, was one of the first philosophers to teach that the soul is immortal. Inspired by these teachings, along with Orphic traditions, Pythagoras claimed that the soul was divine and immortal. He believed that the body trapped the soul, likening the body to a sepulcher.

Reincarnation of the soul according to Pythagoras

Pythagoras believed in the transmigration of the soul, also known as metempsychosis or reincarnation. It’s the idea that the soul is immortal and, upon death, is reborn into a new body. This cycle of birth, death, and rebirth continues until the soul achieves purification and enlightenment.

According to Diogenes Laertius, Pythagoras taught that the soul consisted of both mortal and immortal parts, and that its aerial vehicle survived and moved from one body to another. In Pythagorean thought, the soul’s moral and spiritual development is related to reincarnation. The soul purifies itself by journeying through different lives, learning, improving, and growing spiritually through various forms and experiences.

Pythagoras and his followers emphasized virtue, ethics, and living a harmonious life. They believed that an individual’s actions and behavior in one life influenced the nature of their future lives. By living ethically, practicing self-discipline, and pursuing wisdom, individuals could elevate their souls to higher states of existence. That way they would eventually break free from the cycle of rebirth.

Reincarnation as a cause for vegetarianism and respect for life

Pythagoras taught his students to abstain from eating meat, although accounts differ regarding this subject. According to Diogenes Laertius, one argument Pythagoras used against consuming animals was that they could be their human relatives or friends whose souls reincarnated into animal bodies.

He believed that all living beings—not just humans—were part of the same cycle of reincarnation. This belief led to his strong advocacy for vegetarianism, as he saw animals as possessing souls capable of undergoing rebirth. Consequently, harming animals or consuming their flesh was considered morally wrong.

The soul and the celestial realm

Pythagoras viewed the soul as connected to the celestial realm. The stars, being divine and eternal, are kindred to the soul. The soul’s ultimate goal is to return to this celestial harmony after purification. He saw the universe as a unified, living system where the soul and the stars are deeply interconnected. The stars represent the divine order of the cosmos, while the soul is a microcosmic reflection of this order. By living a virtuous life and contemplating the mathematical and harmonious nature of the universe, one can elevate the soul and achieve union with the divine.

The soul, like the stars, is part of the divine order of the universe. Pythagoras believed that by understanding the harmony of the cosmos, one can align their soul with this universal order. He connected the abodes of the Homeric afterlife with the heavens. To answer the question, “What are the islands of the blessed?” (i.e., what would be our posthumous destination if we had lived a good life?), he replied: “The sun and the moon.” Moreover, from the quote “The planets are the dogs of Persephone,” it follows that the planets serve as instruments of vengeance for the injustices committed by the soul.

Pythagorean myths and eschatology

These sayings, along with the phrase “Souls cannot ascend without music,” highlight an important aspect of Pythagorean eschatology: the soul of those who observe the moral precepts of the brotherhood ascends above the sky and settles in the sun and the moon.

Other Pythagorean myths describe the following: thunder threatens those in Tartarus, intimidating them; earthquakes result from the gatherings of the dead; the Muses play the lyre of the Pleiades; Saturn sheds tears that form the sea; Rhea holds the Great Bear and the Little Bear. Pythagoras also identified the Land of Dreams with the Milky Way.

Pythagoras remembered his past lives

According to legend, Pythagoras had a unique ability to recall his past lives. This belief was rooted in his spiritual practices and his purported connection to divine knowledge.

Pythagoras claimed that he had lived as Euphorbus, a warrior who fought in the Trojan War. According to Greek mythology, Euphorbus was the son of Panthous and a notable figure in Homer’s Iliad. Pythagoras also claimed that his soul had undergone multiple reincarnations and that he could recall not only his life as Euphorbus but also other forms he had taken.

He described journeys through the underworld, where souls reside between lives, and recounted gaining wisdom from these experiences.

As Diogenes Laertius states:

”Heraclides Ponticus and others relate that Pythagoras was the son of Mnesarchus and that he was first called Aethalides. It was believed that he was Hermes’ son and that Hermes told him he might choose any gift except immortality. Pythagoras chose to retain both in life and death the memory of what happened to him. Consequently, in his lifetime, he remembered everything, and when he died, he retained the same memory.”

“Later, he was reborn as Euphorbus and was wounded by Menelaus. Euphorbus claimed he had once been Aethalides and had received as a gift from Hermes the memory of his soul’s transmigrations, detailing all forms it had passed through, both plants and animals, and what his soul had endured in Hades, and what sufferings others undergo there.”

“After Euphorbus’s death, his soul entered Hermotimus, who, wishing to provide proof, went to Branchidae, entered the temple of Apollo, and identified the shield of Euphorbos that Menelaus had looted and then offered to Apollo. After Hermotimus’s death, he was reborn as Pyrrhus, a fisherman from Delos. Finally, after Pyrrhus’s death, he became Pythagoras, retaining the memory of all these events.”