QUICK TAKES - May 1, 2009
The remains of the ancient school where philosopher Aristotle taught his pupils nearly 2,500 years ago are to be turned into an outdoor museum thanks to a donation from a betting company, Greece’s Culture Ministry says.
The project in central Athens is slated for completion next year at a cost of $5.9 million. But it will not use funds from the government, which has promised spending cuts amid the global financial crisis.
Aristotle, who lived from 384 to 322 BC, studied under Plato and tutored Alexander the Great. Later, in Athens, he taught on the grounds of the Lyceum, a public sports complex frequented by the city’s young men.
The outdoor museum will involve building a translucent roof over the site, Culture Minister Antonis Samaras said.
The scant remains are mostly foundations and lower courses of walls from a wrestling hall, as well as parts of Roman-era baths used by the athletes after workouts. They were discovered in 1996 during construction of a modern art museum, plans for which were later abandoned.
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Associated Press
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