Pythagoras was born c. 570 BC on the island of Samos and died c. 490 BC in Metapontum Village, Italy. Pythagoras was an ancient Greek philosopher, who founded Pythagoreanism and influenced the likes of Plato, Aristotle, and Western philosophy. His life is veiled in legend, but he hailed from Samos and established a secretive school in Croton, Italy around 530 BC. The school promoted communal living and asceticism, including dietary restrictions like vegetarianism (though some modern scholars question this). He also is responsible for the famous Pythagorean theorem.