Deadline for submission: 31 January 2026
Dates of the conference: 23–25 April 2026

Organizers: Municipality of Santa Caterina dello Ionio (Italy) in partnership with Magna Graecia Academy

We are happy to announce CFP for the International Conference of the Pythagorean heritage. The legendary and mystical figure of Pythagoras has attracted and fascinated philosophers for centuries. While little is known about Pythagoras himself, nevertheless there are fragments of the Pythagoreans as well as testimonials that serve as a basis for ancient and contemporary studies. The aim of the conference is to bring international scholars working on the Pythagorean legacy and summarize the previous research as well as present the new findings. The conference will be held near the Ancient Port of Caulonia, where, according to Dicaearchus, Pythagoras fled after the fire was set to the house of Pythagoreans in Crotone. The conference aims at discussing all aspects of the Pythagorean legacy: testimonials, fragments, influences, and contemporary research.
The conference will be held at the Municipality of Santa Caterina dello Ionio, CZ (Italy).

Keynote speakers:

Catherine Rowett is Professor emerita of Ancient Philosophy at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. In the field of Presocratic philosophy her books include Rethinking Early Greek Philosophy (1987), and Presocratic Philosophy, a very short introduction (2004), and major influential articles include ‘Empedocles Recycled’ (1987), ‘Was verse the default form for Presocratic philosophy?' (1998), 'Was there an Eleatic Revolution in philosophy?' (2006), 'On calling the gods by the right name' (2013), 'Philosophy's numerical turn: why the Pythagoreans' interest in numbers is truly awesome.' (2013), and 'The Pythagorean Society and Politics' (2014). She is currently working mostly on Plato and at the interface of ancient philosophy with critique of contemporary politics and political values.

Topic:
'Pythagorean opposites and the metaphysics of creation in Plato’s Timaeus'

Dominic J. O'Meara is Professor emeritus of philosophy, Université de Fribourg (Switzerland). He studied at Cambridge University and in Paris with Pierre Hadot. He has written about the history of Pythagoreanism and Platonism in Antiquity and in Byzantium. His books include: Cosmology and Politics and Plato's Later Writings (Cambridge 2017); Pythagoras Revived: Mathematics and Philosophy in Late Antiquity (Oxford 1989); Plotinus. An Introduction to the Enneads (Oxford 1995); Platonopolis. Platonic Political Philosophy in Late Antiquity (Oxford 2003); The Ladder of the Sciences in Late Antique Platonism (Cambridge 2026).

Topic:
'Pythagoras in Byzantium'
Proposal guidelines


We suggest topics in the following areas of research:

Social, political, and ethical aspects of Pythagorean philosophy;
Religion and mysticism: Orphism, cult of Apollo; metempsychosis;
Mathematics: geometry, arithmetic, tetraktys, Pythagorean theorem;
Music: theory of harmony, ratios, consonances, Pythagorean tuning;
Cosmology: heliocentrism, the universe, music of the spheres.
Historical influence and contemporary research.

How to submit a proposal
Abstracts up to 350 words and Curriculum Vitae should be sent to: info@magnagraecia.net by 31 January 2026.
Presentations can be submitted by individuals or groups. If you have a group presentation, please submit only one abstract.
The abstract should include the title, author(s) affiliation, email, clear thesis, discussion, and conclusion.
Abstracts should be written and presented in English.

Acceptance notice
Applicants will be informed of their acceptance by email by 9 February 2026.
Accepted presenters are asked to confirm their participation and pay registration fee.

Fee
Registration Deadline: 2 March 2026 (225 EUR)
The fee includes a Conference Package, a Reception Dinner on Thursday evening, and Coffee Breaks.