The Bio of Aristotle

The Great Greek Philosopher

During the fourth and fifth centuries BC, a period in time commonly known in philosophy as the Athenian Period during the Greek era, a new age of philosophy began to surface out of the shadow of the Pre-Socratic philosophers of an earlier era. This new philosophy was calle d Socratic philosophy and it became relatively apparent very early that this would start a significant transition to modern philosophical thinking. Socratic philosophy ushered in brand new explanations of reality and establishing completely new ways of th inking from most philosophies prior to it. This new philosophy was founded and developed by some of the greatest philosophers of ancient time. Among them was the Greek philosopher named Aristotle.

Aristotle lived in the Fourth Century from 384 to 322 BC. He was born is Stagira, a Greek colony and seaport on the coast of Thrace, what is modern day Persia. Aristotle' s mother was named Phaestis. She was known to have come from Chalcis in Euboea where her family owned property. Aristotle' s father, named Nicoma chus, was a person physician to King Amyntas III of Macedonia. Aristotle himself was slated to become a doctor, presumably because of influences stemming from his father. Sadly, however, both Aristotle' s parents would die early in his life, relinquishing any chance at a normal childhood. Aristotle was later taken in by Proxenus of Atarneus, known to be an uncle or family friend of Aristotle' s father. Proxenus began teaching Aristotle Greek rhetoric and poetry throughout his early days as an orphan child. Aristotle learned well and grew an incessant passion for Greek prose, starting his intellectual climb to greatness.

In 342 BC, Aristotle left his home in Atarneus to attend Plato' s academy in Athens at the age of seventeen. Aristotle would remain at the academy for twenty years learning and teaching the wisdom of philosophy. After Plato' s death in 347 BC, Aristotle left the academy for personal reasons that are unknown. He traveled to Assos a city on the Greek colonial coast, which faces the island of Les bos. Aristotle arrived in Assos with vindication from the ruler Hermias. Aristotle later married Pythias, the niece and adopted daughter of Hermias and had one daughter also named Pythias. Life for Aristotle at this point seemed to be filled with comfort and at it's peak.

Aristotle became the head of a group of philosophers, which Hermias had brought together. Aristotle' s time in Assos would be short lived in the years to follow his settlement in the town. In around 653 BC, Persians from the north attacked Assos sacking the town in matter of weeks. King Hermias was captured and executed by the Persians. But Aristotle managed to alluded capture and flee the town to Lesbos on his way back to Macedonia. Aristotle would spend the next seven years of his life in Macedonia. Aft er the death of Speusippus, the then head of the Academy in Athens, Aristotle was once again a nominee to inherit the Academy. But once again, Aristotle was bypassed as the succeeding head for the Academy.

King Phillip had passed on as the leader of the Greek Empire and son succeeded him acquiring his power. Alexander , a former student of Aristotle, was now the king of Greece. Alexander sent Aristotle back to Athens to finally establish his own Academy. In 335 BC Aristotle founded the Academy of Lyceum in Athens with his circle of philosophers and scientists to staff the new school. It was here that Aristotle began to formulate his systems for logic and science and his philosophical studies that forever change contemporary thinking.

Aristotle' s legacy ended after 62 years in the year 322 BC when he died in a house once owned b y his mother in Chalcis. What he left in his wake was his influence in systematizing deductive logic, several contributions to mathematical methods, extensive research on physical subjects, the development of all knowledge, and the esteemed reputation as the greatest philosopher who ever lived.

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