Aristotle’s 2,400th birthday with an appropriate celebration

The news has not been confirmed yet, but Greek archaeologists have strong indications that they have discovered the tomb of Aristotle in his hometown of Stagira. What a birthday present for such a great man, who was born in 384 BC, exactly 2,400 years ago!

[Picture from The Guardian]

After some twenty years of painstaking excavations at Stagira where the philosopher was born, archaeologists are almost certain to have found his tomb in a domed vault near the ancient agora. The vault has a square marble floor dating from Hellenistic times as indicated by coins of Alexander the Great and ceramics that were found inside. Outside the tomb which is situated in an ideal spot with a panoramic view along the road to the agora, archaeologists also found an altar as referred to in ancient texts.

The location of Aristotle’s tomb in Stagira may come as a surprise since he died at Chalcis on the island of Euboea in 322 BC, just one year after the death of his most famous pupil, Alexander the Great. Ancient sources seem to indicate that the ashes of the philosopher were brought back by the people of Stagira to his hometown.

Besides being a philosopher in his own right making large contributions to logic, metaphysics, mathematics, ethics, politics, agriculture, medicine, biology, and botany, Aristotle was himself a pupil of Plato in Athens who in turn was a pupil of Socrates. It was Philip II of Macedonia who invited Aristotle to become a tutor of his son, Alexander.

At this stage, a team of independent archaeologists will examine the site and hopefully confirm that this tomb is indeed Aristotle's last resting place.