Damo (philosopher)

Damo is mentioned in ancient sources as the daughter of the philosopher Pythagoras of Samos and his wife Theano. Accordingly, should their lifetime the late 6th and the 5th century BC fall. However, there are serious doubts as to its existence.

The oldest source that mentions Damo's name, the " Lysisbrief ", one of pseudepigraphical ( false authors attributed ) alleged Pythagoreerbriefe, which were common in the Roman imperial period. In the fictional letter complained of the alleged author of the Pythagorean Lysis, the publication of philosophical doctrines that should be treated according to his conviction as confidential. He claims that Pythagoras had confided his records of his daughter Damo and placed their order, make available the content only family members. Damo had kept it, even though you would have earned a lot of money a disclosure; later, they have in turn left the writings of her daughter Bistala with the same order. This is in contradiction to another tradition that Pythagoras wrote no journals. Probably the Lysisbrief was specially invented for the purpose of a forged under Pythagoras ' name factory to gain credibility.

On the Lysisbrief the Doxograph Diogenes Laertius, who quotes the passage with the mention of Damo convenes. Even the neo-Platonists and Neo-Pythagoreans Iamblichus of Chalcis based on the hazards arising from the Lysisbrief tradition; he offers a slightly extended version of the report.

A historic core of the legendary tradition should consist in the fact that apparently played a for that time relatively prominent role in the Pythagoreans women and emerged as philosophers.