The Life and Achievements of Aristotle

Aristotle was born in 384 BC. In Stagira, a small town northern Greece. He had one older brother and one sister. His father, Nicomachus, was a doctor. His mother, Phaestis, came from the island of Euboea. She was wealthy. Owning a house which later remained in the family after she married Nicomachus.

There are hardly any personal details of Aristotle because he lived so long ago. The little details we know are mostly from a Greek Historian named Diogenes Laertius. In his book he said that Aristotle had a lisp when he spoke and had small eyes. His attire, rings, and haircut were easily noticeable. Education in Greece was boys usually went to private schools when they were around six years old. They were taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. The ypracticed writing by scrathing letters with a pointed stick on a wax coated wooden block. Whenever they made a mistake they could just easily scrape it off. When the wax wore down they would simply apply a new coat. Arithmetic was taught using pebbles and an abacus. Older boys would have music and poetry added to their teaching. In music they learned to play the lyre, which is a small harp, and the flute. Homer’s poems were used as texts. The would have to memorize passages from his long poems. As the boys got older they would then learn sports and dancing. The most popular sport was wrestling. They would also then study geometry, literature, and rhetoric, which is the art of giving speeches.

Aristotle may have learned to read and write along with other children but his father was a doctor so he would watch as he perform examinations on patients. Aristotle was interested in his fathers practice with medicines. Aristotles education of a future doctor began early of human anatomy. Nico...

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...rmer student Alexander, was changing the map of the world. By the time he was thirty-years old, Alexander was Emperor of Greece, King of Persia, Pharaoh of Egypt, and Ruler of Asia. Some knew him as a God as well.

Aristotle later became a target of Athens due to his poem written from Hermias death. Aristotle fled from Athens because he did not want to wait for trial. Theophrastus took over as director of the Lyceum. Aristotle gave him all of his books and research materials. Not long after reaching Chalcis, Aristotle died of a fever the following year in 322 B.C. He was sixty-two.

Aristotle’s writings live on. Aristotle’s search for knowledge was based on careful observation and good record keeping. Having written 156 titles. Many people looked upon him as the greatest scientist in ancient Greece. Aristotle is one of the most significant minds in all of history.