A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

320 ARISTOTELES. ARISTOTELES.
been preserved to us of certain external regulations founded. Alexander, according to all historical
of his school, e. g., that, after the example of testimony, died a natural death, and no writer
Xenocrates, he created an archon every ten days mentions the name of Aristotle in connexion with
among his scholars, and laid down certain laws of the rumour of the poisoning except Pliny. (H. N.
good breeding for their social meetings (vJo0oL xxx. 53.) Nay, even the passage of Pliny has
to-voroT-rKoL, Diog. Laert. ii. 130; Athen. v. p. 186, been wrongly understood by the biographers of
a. e.). Neither of the two schools of philoso- Aristotle (by Stahr as well, i. p. 139); for, far
phy which flourished at the same time in Athens from regarding Aristotle as guilty of such a crime,
approached, in extent and celebrity, that of Aris- the Roman naturalist, who everywhere shews that
totle, from which proceeded a large number of dis- he cherished the deepest respect for Aristotle, says,
tinguished philosophers, historians, statesmen, and on the contrary, just the reverse,-that the rumour
orators. We mention here, beside Callisthenes of had been " magna cum infamia Aristotelis excoOlynthus, who has been already spoken of, only gitatum."
the names of Theophrastus, and his countryman The movements which commenced in Greece
Phanias, of Eresus, the former of whom suc- against Macedonia after Alexander's death, B. c.
ceeded Aristotle in the Lyceum as president of the 323, endangered also the peace and security of
school; Aristoxenus the Tarentine, surnamed Aristotle, who was regarded as a friend of Macetovuocos; the brothers Eudemus and Pasicrates of donia. To bring a political accusation against him
Rhodes; Eudemus of Cyprus; Clearchus of Soli; was not easy, for Aristotle was so spotless in this
Theodectes of Phaselis; the historians Dicaear- respect, that not even his name is mentioned by
chus and Satyrus; the celebrated statesman, orator, Demosthenes, or any other contemporary orator, as
and writer, Demetrius Phalereus; the philosopher implicated in those relations. He was accordingly
Ariston of Cos; Philon; Neleus of Scepsis, and accused of impiety (do-eELas) by the hierophant
many others, of whom an account was given by Eurymedon, whose accusation was supported by an
the Alexandrine grammarian Nicander in his lost Athenian of some note, named Demophilus. Such
work, ITepl 7IT 'ApiTrroT'Aou'r oaO7rTWv. accusations, as the rabulist Euthyphron in Plato
During the thirteen years which Aristotle spent remarks, seldom missed their object with the mulat Athens in active exertions amongst such a circle titude. (Plato, EuthJyph1. p. 3, B., EltdcOoAa rd,
of disciples, he was at the same time occupied with rotava r rpOs 'rov's VoAAo.) The charge was
the composition of the greater part of his works. In grounded on his having addressed a hymn to
these labours, as has already been observed, he was his friend Hermias as to a god, and paid him
assisted by the truly kingly liberality of his former divine honours in other respects. (Diog. Laert.
pupil, who not only presented him with 800 v. 5; Ilgen, Disquisit. de Scol. Poesi, p. 69;
talents, an immense sum even for our times, but and the 'AnrohoyTa do-estas attributed to Arisalso, through his vicegerents in the conquered pro- totle, but the authenticity of which was doubted
vinces, caused large collections of natural curiosities even by the ancients, in Athen. xv. 16, p. 696.)
to be made for him, to which posterity is in- Certain dogmas of the philosopher were also
debted for one of his most excellent works, the used for the same object. (Origen. c. Gels. i.
" History of Animals." (Plin. H. N. viii. 17.) p. 51, ed. Hoeschel.) Aristotle, however, knew
Meanwhile various causes contributed to throw his danger sufficiently well to withdraw from
a cloud over the latter years of the philosopher's Athens before his trial. He escaped in the belife. In the first place, he felt deeply the death of ginning of B. c. 322 to Chalcis in Euboea, where he
his wife Pythias, who left behind her a daughter had relations on his mother's side, and where the
of the same name: he lived subsequently with a Macedonian influence, which was there predominant,
friend of his wife's, the slave Herpyllis, who bore afforded him protection and security. In his will
him a son, Nicomachus, and of whose faithfulness also mention is made of some property which he
and attachment he makes a grateful and substan- had in Chalcis. (Diog. La&rt. v. 14.) Certain actial acknowledgement in his will. (Diog. Lafrt. v. counts (Strabo, x. p. 448; Diog. LaUrt. x. 1) even
I; v. 13.) But a source of still greater grief render it exceedingly probable that Aristotle had
was an interruption of the friendly relation in left Athens and removed to Chalcis before the
which he had hitherto stood to his royal pupil. death of Alexander. A fragment of a letter
The occasion of this originated in the opposition written by the philosopher to his friend Antipater
raised by the philosopher Callisthenes against the has been preserved to us, in which he states his
changes in the conduct and policy of Alexander. reasons for the above-mentioned change of resiAristotle, who had in vain advised Callisthenes not dence, and at the same time, with reference to the
to lose sight of prudence in his behaviour towards unjust execution of Socrates, adds, that he wished
the king, disapproved of his conduct altogether, to deprive the Athenians of the opportunity of
and foresaw its unhappy issue. [CALLISTHENES.] sinning a second time against philosophy. (Comp.
Still Alexander refrained from any expression of Eustath. ad Horn. Od. vii. 120. p. 1573, 12. ed.
hostility towards his former instructor (a story of Rom. 275, 20, Bas.; Aelian, V. H. iii. 36.)
this kind in Diog. Lairt. v. 10, has been corrected From Chalcis he may have sent forth a defence
by Stahr, Aristotelia, p. 133); and although, as against the accusation of his enemies. At least
Plutarch expressly informs us, their former cordial antiquity possessed a defence of that kind under
connexion no longer subsisted undisturbed, yet, as his name, the authenticity of which, however, was
is proved by a remarkable expression (Topicor. iii. already doubted by Athenaeus. (Comp. Phavorin.
1, 7, ed.Buhle; comp. Albert Heydemann's German ap. Diog. La'rt. 1. c., who calls it a Aoyos Sicavrtranslation and explanation of the categories of us.) However, on his refusing to answer the
Aristotle, p. 32, Berlin, 1835), Aristotle never lost summons of the Areiopagus, he was deprived of all
his trust in his royal friend. The story, that Aris- the rights and honours which had been previously
totle, irritated by the above-mentioned occurrence, bestowed upon him (Aelian, V. H. xiv. 1), and
took part in poisoning the king, is altogether un- condemned to death in his absence. Meantime