Platonic Academy

The Platonic Academy was an ancient school in the northwestern part of Athens, where olive groves, a gymnasium, and several buildings once stood. Today the site shows foundation walls of the Sacred Residence and other structures at the corner of Kratylou and Tripoleos streets in the Sepolia district, surrounded by modern housing.

Plato opened this school in 387 BCE, and it remained active for over nine centuries. Emperor Justinian ordered its closure in 529 CE, ending the last surviving philosophy school of antiquity.

Students and teachers at the Academy engaged in mathematics, dialectics, natural sciences, and political theory through systematic philosophical discussions.

The site sits in a residential neighborhood and can be viewed on foot, with remains spread across a small area. Information boards help with orientation and explain the different visible structures.

Leadership was granted for life, with registered members deciding through majority vote. Some later heads changed the focus considerably, so not all teachings stayed close to what Plato originally taught.

Location: Colonus

Location: Athens Municipality

Inception: 387 BCE

Founders: Plato

GPS coordinates: 37.99137,23.70838

Latest update: December 4, 2025 19:03