Pythagoras in Southern Italy

Pythagoras is most associated with croton, a city in southern italy. Ancient authors like to give him credit for founding a distinctive philosophical tradition. He would have lived there in the sixth century b c, about two centuries after settlement of croton. But getting really clear about his dates is no easy matter. The ancient authors who talk about early pythagoreanism build up a probably fictitious contrast between two types of followers of the divine pythagoras.