Founding of Aristotle's Lyceum: What Happened
In 335 BC, the philosopher Aristotle returned to Athens and founded his own school at the Lyceum, a gymnasium and grove sacred to Apollo Lykeios just outside the city walls. Aristotle had studied for about twenty years at Plato's Academy and had later served as tutor to the young Alexander the Great in Macedon. At the Lyceum, he taught while walking along the covered walkways, which is why his followers became known as the Peripatetics, from the Greek word for walking about. The school gathered a large library and carried out research on an enormous range of subjects, including logic, physics, biology, astronomy, ethics, politics, poetry and rhetoric. Aristotle and his students collected and studied specimens of plants and animals and compiled accounts of the constitutions of 158 Greek states. His works laid the foundations of logic and of many sciences, and they shaped European and Islamic thought for nearly two thousand years. After Alexander's death, anti-Macedonian feeling led Aristotle to leave Athens in 323 BC. His student Theophrastus led the Lyceum after him.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Aristotle found the Lyceum?
Aristotle founded his school at the Lyceum in Athens in 335 BC, after returning from Macedon, where he had been tutor to the young Alexander the Great.
Why were Aristotle's followers called Peripatetics?
Aristotle was said to teach while walking along the covered walkways of the Lyceum. His followers became known as Peripatetics, from the Greek word for walking about.
What was studied at the Lyceum?
The Lyceum studied an enormous range of subjects, including logic, physics, biology, astronomy, ethics, politics, poetry and rhetoric. It also collected a large library and many specimens.
Why did Aristotle leave Athens?
After Alexander's death in 323 BC, anti-Macedonian feeling in Athens put Aristotle in danger because of his Macedonian links. He left the city and died the following year.
Can you visit Aristotle's Lyceum?
Yes. The remains of the Lyceum were discovered in central Athens in 1996, near Rigillis Street and the Byzantine and Christian Museum, and the site is open to visitors.
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