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Aristotle

Aristotle was born in Stageira in 384BC. His father was Nicomachus, personal physician to king Amyntas II of Macedon. His mother was Phaestis. His parents died when Aristotle was very young and Proxenos, a relative living in Atarnea, a city in Mysia, took him in his custody. When Aristotle turned 18, he left Stageira for Athens, where he studied in Plato’s Academy for 20 years, until, that is, the death of Plato in 347BC. Just prior to this Aristotle had founded a school at Assos in Troas, as a chapter of the Academy. It was then that he married Pythias from Atarneas. He stayed in Troas for three years and then crossed to the island of Lesvos, where he befriended Theophrastus, whom he later left as successor at the school of Athena. He stayed in Lesvos for two more years, namely until 343BC, when he was invited to Pella by king Philip II, to become the tutor to the king’s son, Alexander. Alexander’s education lasted for three years, until 340BC. Aristotle then retired to Stageira, where he married again, this time to Herpyllis, also from Stageira. He returned to Athens in 335BC and founded his own school, the Lyceum, later renamed to Peripatos. He directed this school for 12 years and it is in this interval that he composed all of his marvelous works. After the death of Alexander the Great, he was accused by his enemies for “irreverence” and took refuge in Halkida, where he had an estate, inheritance from his mother. It was in Halkida and at the age of 63 that he died, in 322BC. He was survived by his two children, Pythiada and Nicomachus. According to a posterior written tradition, a year after Aristotle’s death in Halkida, the people of Stageira officially moved and buried his remains in their city. It is reported that a majestic ceremony took place and a great shrine was founded at the philosopher’s tomb, while an annual festival, “Aristoteleia”, was established to honor the great man. There are present-day efforts for a revival of this great festival and the first artistic happenings took place in the summer of 1996 and were considered a great success.

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