Archytas of Tarentum 428 BC – 347 BC
Archytas of Tarentum was a Greek philosopher, mathematician, statesman, and friend of Plato, the leading figure of the late Pythagorean tradition. He served as elected general of his city seven times in succession and never lost a battle. His mathematical work included the first solution to the problem of doubling the cube, original contributions to the theory of proportion and to musical theory, and an early account of the science of mechanics. According to Plato's Seventh Letter, Archytas's intervention saved Plato's life during his stormy stay at the court of Dionysius II of Syracuse.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Pre-Socratic, Ancient Greek
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Archytas of Tarentum:
“All things flow into one through proportion.”
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Attributed to Archytas of Tarentum:
“Number is the heart of truth.”
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Attributed to Archytas of Tarentum:
“Reason is the eye of the soul.”
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Attributed to Archytas of Tarentum:
“Friendship is equality, and equality is friendship.”
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Attributed to Archytas of Tarentum:
“Calculation, when it is correctly performed, settles disagreement and brings concord.”