Linked to the name of Pythagoras and the Pythagorean tradition, the Golden Verses stand out between history and myths, between oral tradition and written documents, as the essence of the teachings of the ancient sage, as the instructions "to navigators" that will lead to a virtuous, measured life and elevate a person to their divine nature.

We are unable to determine when they first appeared, although in their current form they are confirmed after the 5th century AD. At that time, they were recorded by Hierocles, an Alexandrian and Neoplatonic philosopher, a student of Plutarch.

The Golden Verses became very popular and continued to be copied up to the 15th century, and even later. There are manuscripts created in Southern Italy, where Greek dialects were spoken, and monks copied various documents, not exclusively religious.

However, despite the number of copies mentioned in various sources –some of which claim that there are up to 230– very rarely does a manuscript appear in relevant auctions.

It is known that during the Renaissance, the Pythagorean tradition flourished, and the Golden Verses were one of the ancient Greek texts that were frequently read and printed for educational purposes.

During the Ottoman period, the Golden Verses were taught in schools, thanks to their advisory and exhortative nature, as informed by the math books – the books where the teachers of each school recorded the teaching material.