Plato, who was originally called Aristocles and was born into one aristocratic family in Athens. His father’s surname was Ariston, while his mother was Perictione. Plato’s view of life was influenced by his aristocratic family and the historical period. Plato was also born in this illustrious place and lived during the Golden Age of Athens. Athens at this time had better architecture and drama, as well a fluorescence Athenian political, intellectual, or cultural life. Athens & Sparta decided to join forces with their allies in Peloponnesian Conflict before Plato was born.

Plato, at twenty-three, entered the final stage of this war. These were the formative years for Plato. Plato witnessed many instances of cruelty and betrayal by unscrupulous Greeks who tried to make the most of their situation at the expense and violation of the values Plato believed sacred. After the war ended and Sparta lost the Peloponnesian Wars to Sparta, there was a small group in power. Plate was able to choose to be a part of their power in Athens, but he declined it. The “Thirty Tyrants”, later known as those in control, soon became ruthless rulers. Socrates disapproved of it, as did the Plato. Old democracy was restored after a while, but Socrates was still in prison and sentenced to death. Plato was finally able to breathe. Although he understood the importance and necessity of political power, he was convinced that it was not for him. Instead, he focused his efforts on the education and instruction of all wise men until they became rulers. Plato is rightly called the father Western philosophy. He was well-versed in ethics, politics and epistemology. He also had a deep understanding of religion, metaphysics and mathematics. “Plato seemed more beloved than Pythagoras. And more revered as Socrates. It was because he stood between them softening and philanthropy the greater severity of one, and raising irony and jocularity from the other; and this he accomplished especially hereby. (E. Moore (2007). Plato. p. 10).

Plato received his education in Athens as part of the typical Athens youth education. Plato details the typical education of a Greek youth in the Republic. Around 640 to 550 BC, Athens was the first city to offer education. Solon’s decree that all boys must read and swim in schools and palestras. Athenian citizens have the ability to read, write, count, sing or play a lyre. Athens schools are not state-owned, but private businesses that receive tuition payments. Athens schools are not open to everyone. Between the ages 8 and 16, Athenian boys went to a variety of public schools. Athens was known for its well-rounded education. They were able to learn liberally and have a general understanding of the social and political life. Athenian women had a higher education than men. They were more skilled in domestic chores and received more training. They were educated at home. In this time, only a handful of schools were available. Sappho, a school in Lesbos that gave instruction about singing, dance, and music, was one of them. Plato’s education philosophy was especially strong because many believed that education was an art. One of the most significant facts about Plato is his suggestion for equal education systems for men, women, and children. Actually, this idea was influenced in part by the education system in Sparta, south Greece.

The Emergence Of Ancient Greek Education Systems

The educational system in ancient Greece was created and information can be found using archaeological data, ancient writers, and vases paintings. In ancient Greek society the Hellenistic Period was when education was institutionalized. If the family wants to be a valued citizen of society, it sends their child to a private education institution. This includes writing, reading, and training in sports. It was a priority for the Greek male child to be educated in society. It is rare for girls to be trained and given the opportunity to attain a high social status. The Greek society had freeborn boys who could go to school regardless of the income of their parents. The “Schule” provided training for the children.

Payedagogos, where a slave takes care of the child at home and goes to school. Greek Classical Period school, which is still not considered an official institution, has not been made available to families. Social pressure means that all wealthy families are concerned about their children’s education because they want them to be elite citizens. They wanted to ensure their children had access to society’s best practices.

The structure of ancient Greek educational institutions is similar in all Greek cities-states (polises). It is common to say that children learn how to read and write, and also how to communicate orally what was learned in elementary school. Fine art education is mainly focused on music. This is where the children’s “gymnasium”, (fitness and training) are located. The “dramatises” are teachers of literacy and “kitharistes” music. But, in the second school, the “gymnasium” training (fitness, training) is provided for children’s physical activity. Usually, this is the son of aristocratic families. The children learn the profession of their fathers and develop professionally during schooling (Blanck 1999,s.165-166). Academy was founded in philosophy school and has been an institution that offers not only mathematics, geometry, or astronomy courses. It is the basis of today’s university.

The Academy which was first founded.

Site at Akademeia. It used to be a school before Cimon made it a city. (PlutarchLife of Cimon:7). There was also a sacred grove containing olive trees. It was situated outside of Athens’ city walls. Athena, along with other immortals, considered the academy sacred. It has been home to a religious community since the Bronze Age. The hero Akademos who was associated with this site was said to have revealed to the Divine Twins how Helen had been hidden by Theseus. It was not destroyed by the Spartans when they invaded Attica, out of respect for the Dioskouri’s association (Plutarch Life of Theseusxxxii). A piety not shared with the Roman Sulla. The Spartans also did not destroy the “groves of Academe” that were originally there. To build siege engines. The Akademeia hosted a torchlit race at night from the altars of Athens to the Promemeikos shrine in the Akademeia. In the same area, funeral games were held as well as a Dionysiac parade from Athens back to the Hekademeia. i. 29.2, 30.2; Plut. Vit. Sol. i. 7).

The Athenians’ gravestones lined the road to Akademeia. According to Athenian legends, the olive trees of Akademeia were grown from layers from the Erechtheum’s sacred olive. The oil was then given to the Panathenean winners. Plato’s AcademyIn the Akademeia enclosure, Plato had a small garden where he established a school that would allow him to give instruction. Plato’s disciples are frequently called Academia. The Platonic Academy often is contrasted to Aristotle’s Lyceum. Arcesilaus and Speusippus were among the notable philosophers who ran the Academy. Sextus Empiricus outlined five divisions among the Plato followers. Plato was the founder the first Academy. Cicero recognized just two Academies. He began with Democritus. Arcesilaus was the New. The Old Academy’s founders were listed in the order of Democritus (Anaxagoras), Empedocles and Parmenides. The New, or “Younger”,

He included Evander (Acad. Quaest. iv. 5).

Diogenes said that the Old Academy contained those who taught Plato doctrine without corruption. The Middle included those who made innovations in the Platonic systems. The New Academy began by those who renounced Arcesilaus’s more controversial propositions. The New Academy started with Carneades. This academy was skeptical and denied the possibility that absolute truth could be achieved or that any definite criterion would define truth. This period saw philosophy becoming more a tool for rhetoric and dialectic than a serious pursuit to truth. After a brief lapse under the Roman occupation, the Academy was rebuilt (Cameron 1965). It was established by some exceptional Platonists of the late antiquity, who claimed to be “successors” (diadochoi but of Plato) and presented themselves a continuous tradition that reaches back to Plato. The new organization (Bechtle) cannot have had any continuity at all with the old academy on a geographical, institutional or personal level.

The six century-old “Greek”, last remaining philosophers of this academy were drawn from different parts in the Hellenistic world. This suggests the broad syncretism that was evident in the common culture. Agathias the historian is the sole witness. Agathias says that the academy members sought protection at the Sassanid ruler Khosrau II of Persia’s capital, Ctesiphon. There they carried precious scrolls and books of philosophy and science. The 532 Persian-Byzantine peace treaty guaranteed their security. A document that is a landmark in the history and freedom of religion, some members sought refuge at Harran, near Edessa. Simplicius, who was a Damascius pupil and was the last head the Athenian school, was one of these leaders. The academy in exile was an important Neoplatonic school, which survived at most until the tenth centuries. The seventh-century Academy of Gundishapur, Sassanid Persia’s first easterly academy was established. Raphael famously painted “The School of Athens”, a fresco that depicts the school in sixteenth-century Italy. It was discovered again in the 20th century. Much excavations have been done. It can be found in Athens’ modern Akadimia Platonos. It is located in the south corner of the academy. The discovery of a boundary marker dated to 500 B.C.E., at Athens, has confirmed that it was there.