In 338 B.C., Aristotle went home to Macedonia to start tutoring King Phillip II’s son, a 13-year-old Alexander the Great. Aristotle Returned to Athens after Alexander had succeeded his father as king and conquered Athens. Plato’s Academy, now run by Xenocrates, was still the leading influence on Greek thought. With Alexander’s permission, Aristotle started his own school in Athens, called the Lyceum.
Lyceum members researched subjects ranging from science and math to philosophy and politics, and nearly everything in between. Members of the Lyceum wrote up their findings in manuscripts. In so doing, they built the school’s massive collection of written materials, which is credited as one of the first great libraries.
Lyceum members researched subjects ranging from science and math to philosophy and politics, and nearly everything in between. Members of the Lyceum wrote up their findings in manuscripts. In so doing, they built the school’s massive collection of written materials, which is credited as one of the first great libraries.
- Because Aristotle was known to walk around the school grounds while teaching, his students, forced to follow him, were nicknamed the “Peripatetics,” meaning “people who travel about.”