Theano (mathematician)
Encyclopedia
Theano is the name given to perhaps two Pythagorean
philosophers. She has been called the pupil, daughter and wife of Pythagoras
, although others made her the wife of Brontinus
. Her place of birth and the identity of her father are just as uncertain, leading some authors to suggest that there was more than one person whose details have become merged (these are sometimes referred to as Theano and Theano II). A few fragments and letters ascribed to her have survived which are of uncertain authorship. She may also have been a teacher in the Pythagorean school, which had 28 female Pythagoreans participating in it.
and was the daughter of Pythonax, but others said she came from Croton
and was the daughter of Brontinus
. She was said by many to have been the wife of Pythagoras
, although another tradition made her the wife of Brontinus. Iamblichus refers to Deino as the wife of Brontinus.
The children ascribed to Pythagoras and Theano included three daughters, Damo, Myia
, and Arignote
, and a son, Telauges
.
ous fictions of later writers, which attempt to apply Pythagorean philosophy to a woman's life. The surviving fragment of On Piety concerns a Pythagorean analogy between numbers and objects; the various surviving letters deal with domestic concerns: how a woman should bring up child
ren, how she should treat servants, and how she should behave virtuously towards her husband
.
Mary Ritter Beard
claimed that the treatise On Virtue contained the doctrine of the golden mean
.
Pythagoreanism
Pythagoreanism was the system of esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were considerably influenced by mathematics. Pythagoreanism originated in the 5th century BCE and greatly influenced Platonism...
philosophers. She has been called the pupil, daughter and wife of Pythagoras
Pythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos was an Ionian Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. Most of the information about Pythagoras was written down centuries after he lived, so very little reliable information is known about him...
, although others made her the wife of Brontinus
Brontinus
Brontinus or Brotinus of Metapontum, was a Pythagorean philosopher, and a friend and disciple of Pythagoras himself. Alcmaeon dedicated his works to Brontinus as well as to Leon and Bathyllus. Accounts vary as to whether he was the father or the husband of Theano.Some Orphic poems were ascribed...
. Her place of birth and the identity of her father are just as uncertain, leading some authors to suggest that there was more than one person whose details have become merged (these are sometimes referred to as Theano and Theano II). A few fragments and letters ascribed to her have survived which are of uncertain authorship. She may also have been a teacher in the Pythagorean school, which had 28 female Pythagoreans participating in it.
Life
Little is known about the life of Theano, and the ancient sources are confused. According to one tradition, she came from CreteCrete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
and was the daughter of Pythonax, but others said she came from Croton
Croton
-In plants:* Croton , a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae* Crotoneae, a tribe of the subfamily Crotonoideae* Codiaeum variegatum, a plant commonly called a "Croton"...
and was the daughter of Brontinus
Brontinus
Brontinus or Brotinus of Metapontum, was a Pythagorean philosopher, and a friend and disciple of Pythagoras himself. Alcmaeon dedicated his works to Brontinus as well as to Leon and Bathyllus. Accounts vary as to whether he was the father or the husband of Theano.Some Orphic poems were ascribed...
. She was said by many to have been the wife of Pythagoras
Pythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos was an Ionian Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. Most of the information about Pythagoras was written down centuries after he lived, so very little reliable information is known about him...
, although another tradition made her the wife of Brontinus. Iamblichus refers to Deino as the wife of Brontinus.
The children ascribed to Pythagoras and Theano included three daughters, Damo, Myia
Myia
Myia was a Pythagorean philosopher and, according to later tradition, one of the daughters of Theano and Pythagoras. She was married to Milo of Croton, the famous athlete. She was a choir leader as a girl, and as a woman, she was noted for her exemplary religious behaviour...
, and Arignote
Arignote
Arignote was a Pythagorean philosopher, a student of Pythagoras and Theano, and, according to some traditions, their daughter as well.According to the Suda, she wrote a Bacchica concerning the mysteries of Demeter, which was also entitled the Sacred Narrative. The Suda mentions a separate work...
, and a son, Telauges
Telauges
Telauges was a Pythagorean philosopher and, according to tradition, the son of Pythagoras and Theano.Little is known about the life of Telauges. According to tradition, he was the son of Pythagoras and Theano. Iamblichus claims that Pythagoras died when Telauges was very young, and that Telauges...
.
Writings
The writings attributed to Theano were: Pythagorean Apophthegms, Female Advice, On Virtue, On Piety, On Pythagoras, Philosophical Commentaries, and Letters. None of these writing have survived except a few fragments and letters of uncertain authorship. Attempts have been made to assign some of these fragments and letters to the original Theano (Theano I) and some to a later Theano (Theano II), but it is likely that they are all pseudonymPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
ous fictions of later writers, which attempt to apply Pythagorean philosophy to a woman's life. The surviving fragment of On Piety concerns a Pythagorean analogy between numbers and objects; the various surviving letters deal with domestic concerns: how a woman should bring up child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren, how she should treat servants, and how she should behave virtuously towards her husband
Husband
A husband is a male participant in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the husband regarding his spouse and others, and his status in the community and in law, vary between cultures and has varied over time...
.
Mary Ritter Beard
Mary Ritter Beard
Mary Ritter Beard was an American historian and archivist, who played an important role in the women's suffrage movement and was a lifelong advocate of social justice through educational and activist roles in both the labor and woman's rights movements...
claimed that the treatise On Virtue contained the doctrine of the golden mean
Golden mean (philosophy)
In philosophy, especially that of Aristotle, the golden mean is the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. For example courage, a virtue, if taken to excess would manifest as recklessness and if deficient as cowardice....
.
Edition
For a complete edition of Theano's texts and of the testimonies see Kai Brodersen, Theano, Reclams Universal-Bibliothek 18787, Stuttgart 2010. ISBN 978-3-15-018787-6External links
- "Theano", Biographies of Women Mathematicians, Agnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....