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Wellsprings
Mind-Benders of Greek & Roman History

Pythagoras and Confucius were contemporaries

Pythagoras in the Greek world and Confucius in China were alive at the same time for roughly half a century — with no record that either ever knew the other existed. Two of history's most influential teachers, on opposite ends of Eurasia, belonged to the very same generation.

How we know

Pythagoras c. 570–495 BCE; Confucius 551–479 BCE. Their lives overlap 551–495 BCE = 56 years.

One of many fact-checked wonders across eight traditions at The Spring of Wisdom.