Secular pilgrimages

The Academy, Lyceum, and Stoa Poikile

Sharing olives, bread, and wine by the site of the Stoa Poikile, photo by the Author.

Back in 2019 I spent a few days in Athens, on the occasion of the annual Stoicon event (then held in person, it permanently moved online during the covid pandemic). There I conducted a workshop on practical exercises in Stoicism. While in the ancient Greek capital, my wife and I did what can only be described as the secular equivalent (neither of us is religious) of a pilgrimage. Three of them, in fact. I think it may be worthwhile to reflect on why we did it, and more in general on the meaning that these sorts of things add to our lives.

The three “Meccas” in question were the place were Plato established his Academy; the one were Aristotle, a bit later on, founded his Lyceum; and the location of the Stoa Poikile, or Painted Porch, the open space to the margin of the Agora, where the Stoics used to preach their philosophy to whoever would listen.

Together with a friend, Jennifer and I first went to the Stoa Poikile, simply because of its proximity to the Agora, which we visited on that afternoon. A stoa is a columnated porch, a standard feature of pretty much any ancient Greek city. It was a multi-purpose structure, where people would gather to buy merchandise or just to hang around friends and acquaintances, discoursing of this and that. The term “poikile” means painted, because this particular stoa in Athens was graced with a number of hanging paintings depicting, among other things, the taking of Troy and the battle of Marathon.

It was here, around 300 BCE, that the Phoenician merchant-turned-philosopher Zeno of Citium (modern day Cyprus) began to teach a new philosophy of life. It was originally referred to as Zenonianism, but mercifully eventually people came to call it Stoicism, from the place, rather than the man.

The remains of the Stoa Poikile are not much too look at (see photo), though excavations are (slowly) proceeding. It’s situated in the middle of a restaurant district, populated by tourists strolling off the Agora or just looking for a watering hole. We found a bar with outdoor seating and direct view on the Stoa, and settled down to sip wine and eat olives and bread while occasionally glancing at it and talking about Stoicism.

The Stoa Poikile, photo by the Author.

The following day, despite forecasted rain (which, thank Zeus, never materialized), we headed for the Lyceum, only a few hundred yards from the hotel where we were staying. The site is, again, rather unimpressive (see photo), but better curated than the Stoa. It’s open to the public and there are a number of explanatory plaques to give you a minimum background to understand what it is that you are looking at.

Aristotle established the Lyceum on the location of a gymnasium, which was typical for ancient schools of philosophy. Mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body), as the Romans later said. Today the very word “lyceum” stands for a particular kind of high school that is preparatory to college, either in humanistic or scientific disciplines (e.g., in both France and Italy).

Aristotle used to teach advanced subject matters in the morning and do lectures for the general public in the evening. The advanced lectures were delivered while walking around the perimeter of the school, which is why the Aristotelians were known as peripatetics (“those who walk around”). Needless to say, I took a picture of my friend and I walking along the paths of the Lyceum, Aristotle style. The name, Lyceum, by the way, means “wolf-god,” because the place was dedicated to the version of Apollo with that attribute. And while the Lyceum is famous as the location of Aristotle’s school, Socrates also wandered there at times, and Chrysippus (the third head of the Stoa) guest lectured on location.

Aristotle’s Lyceum, photo by the Author.

We then took a taxi to head to Plato’s Academy, which is situated further out from the town’s center. The Academy also was housed at the site of a gymnasium, the name referring to the legendary Greek hero Akademos, and today, of course, indicating the very concept of a university.

It wasn’t easy to find the exact spot, as it isn’t protected, and anyone can wonder into it (and, once more, it isn’t much to look at — see photo). However, there is a cute little interactive museum, aimed at elementary and middle school children, which features a surprisingly well done series of exhibits on Plato’s life and philosophy.