Aristotle’s lyceum scheduled to open this summer

For all you lucky people who either live in Greece or will be visiting it this Summer, I have an addition to your itinerary: Aristotle’s Lyceum in Athens is almost ready to open to the public.

The site of the Lyceum in August 2013, with grass, flowers and herbs growing strong
and a row of young pomegranate trees along the footpath on the west side
of the ruins of the gymnasium [Credit: David John/My Favorite Planet]

 

The 'Lyceum' was a gymnasium and before that a public meeting place in a grove of trees in Classical Athens. It was named in honour of Apollo Lyceus. Though best known for its connection with Aristotle, the Lyceum was in existence long before his founding the school there in 334 / 335 BCE, providing a teaching ground for long list of philosophers and sophists, including Prodicus of Ceos, Protagoras, Isocrates, Plato, and Socrates. The remains of the Lyceum were discovered in modern Athens in 1996 in a park behind the Hellenic Parliament, and is now nearly ready to open to the public, reports the Greek Reporter.

 

The archaeologists of the Third Ephorate of Classical Antiquities, which is responsible for the site, want it to become a part of Athenians’ everyday life, a place where visitors can take a walk, rest or read. Eleni Banou, the head of the Third Ephorate of Classical Antiquity stated: "Our reasoning is that we don’t want people to be afraid of interacting with the site."

 

When, exactly, the grounds will be opened is unclear, but the expectations are before the end of Summer.