Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Aristotle's School for Alexander Unearthed in Greece

Archaeologists in northern Greece have uncovered ornate halls at the ancient royal gymnasium of Mieza, believed to be the school where Aristotle taught a teenage Alexander the Great.

Excavations at the 30-acre Mieza complex revealed the Didaskaleion, or "place of teaching," with stone desks. This adds to previous findings of athletic facilities.

Ancient writer Plutarch noted Philip II commissioned a school for Alexander and nobles in Mieza. The gymnasium's design combined athletic and instructional spaces.

Adjacent banquet halls with mosaic floors suggest social education was key. These rooms were similar to those in Philip II's palace.

Earlier finds include pottery, coins, and four bronze writing styluses. Fragments of containers for sacred olive oil were also found.

While not definitively proven, evidence suggests this was the institution Philip II provided for Aristotle. Further excavations aim to illuminate elite Macedonian education.

These findings offer insights into the daily lives of prominent ancient Macedonians and how Alexander became a renowned king.

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