Hippasus of Metapontum c. 530 BC – c. 450 BC
Hippasus of Metapontum (c. 530 BC – c. 450 BC) was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era, associated with Pre-Socratic and Ancient Greek Philosophy.
Hippasus of Metapontum was a Greek pre-Socratic philosopher and Pythagorean of the early fifth century BC, traditionally credited or, in the less friendly versions of the story, blamed for the discovery that the diagonal of the unit square is incommensurable with its side. According to the legend that grew up around him, the Pythagorean brotherhood, scandalized by a result that broke their doctrine that all things are number understood as ratios of whole numbers, drowned him at sea, or saw him drowned by divine displeasure. His mathematical and acoustical investigations, including experiments with the ratios of musical intervals, mark an early step toward the rigorous investigation of nature by number.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Pre-Socratic, Ancient Greek Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Hippasus of Metapontum:
“The diagonal of the square is not commensurable with its side.”
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Attributed to Hippasus of Metapontum:
“All things are number, but not all numbers are whole.”
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Attributed to Hippasus of Metapontum:
“Music is the audible image of number.”
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Attributed to Hippasus of Metapontum:
“What cannot be expressed by ratios still belongs to nature.”
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Attributed to Hippasus of Metapontum:
“The cosmos hides depths that even mathematicians fear to face.”
Hippasus of Metapontum by topic
Frequently asked about Hippasus of Metapontum
- When did Hippasus of Metapontum live?
- Hippasus of Metapontum was born in c. 530 BC and died in c. 450 BC.
- Where was Hippasus of Metapontum from?
- Hippasus of Metapontum was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.
- What philosophical movements is Hippasus of Metapontum associated with?
- Hippasus of Metapontum was associated with Pre-Socratic and Ancient Greek Philosophy.
- What was Hippasus of Metapontum known for?
- Hippasus of Metapontum was a Greek pre-Socratic philosopher and Pythagorean of the early fifth century BC, traditionally credited or, in the less friendly versions of the story, blamed for the discovery that the diagonal of the unit square is incommensurable with its side.
- How many quotes are attributed to Hippasus of Metapontum?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Hippasus of Metapontum in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.