Aristotle

During his stay in Asia Minor, Aristotle married Pythias, who is said to be the niece or adoptive daughter of Hermias. A daughter was born to the couple whom they named Pythias.

After the death of his wife Pythias, he tied the knot again with Herpyllis of Stageira who bore him a son, whom he named after his father, Nicomachus.

According to the Suda (a 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world), Aristotle had an erotic relationship with Palaephatus.

Aristotle was born in Stagira, Chalcidice, which is approximately 55km east of Thessaloniki, in 384 B.C. His father Nicomachus named him Aristole, which means “the best purpose”. His father served as a personal physician to King Amyntas of Macedon.

Though not much information is available about his childhood, sources throw light on the fact that he spent time in the Macedonian palace and from here he connected with the Macedonian monarchy.

Being a physician’s son, he was inspired to his father’s scientific work but didn’t show much interest in medicine.

When he turned 18, he shifted to Athens to pursue his education at Plato’s Academy. He left Athens somewhere in 348-347 B.C, spending almost 20 years in the city.

The traditional stories say that he left Athens as he was displeased with the Academy’s direction when Plato's nephew Speusippus took over the control of the academy after Plato’s death but it is also said that he feared anti-Macedonian sentiments and must have left before the death of Plato.

Aristole became the head of royal academy of Marcedon. Here he became a tutor not only to Alexander but gave lessons to two other future kings - Cassander and Ptolemy - as well. In his role as tutor to Alexander, he encouraged him to conquer east.

In 335 B.C he returned to Athens where he established his own school named Lyceum. For next twelve years he taught various courses at his school.

There came a time when the relationship of Alexander and Aristotle became estranged. This was probably due to Alexander’s relationship with Persia. Though there is little evidence, yet many believed that Aristotle played a role in Alexander’s death.

After Alexander’s death, anti-Macedonian sentiment in Athens flared. In 322 B.C Eurymedon the Hierophant castigated him for not holding the gods in honor and Aristotle fled to Chalcis, his mother’s family estate.

Aristotle is believed to have put together his thoughts during 335-323 B.C. He wrote a number of dialogues in this period but unfortunately only fragments of these pieces have survived which are in the form of treatise. These were not intended for wide publication and were rather meant to be used for lectures to students. Poetics, Metaphysics, Politics, Physics, De Anima and Nicomachean Ethics are considered to be his most important treatise.

He not only studied almost every subject but also made noteworthy contributions to many of them. Under physical science, Aristotle studied and wrote on astronomy, anatomy, embryology, geology, geography, meteorology, zoology and physics while in philosophy, he wrote on ethics, aesthetics government, politics, metaphysics, economics, rhetoric, psychology and theology. In addition to all the above, he also studied literature, poetry and customs of various countries.

Aristotle studied and wrote on numerous subjects and topics but unfortunately only one third of his original writings survived. The lost writings include poetry, letters, dialogues and essays all written in Platonic manner. Most of his literary works are known to the world by the writing of Diogenes Laertius and others.

He has been given credit for being the earliest one to study formal logic.