Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath! 384-322 BCE. His writings covered a broad range of subjects, spanning the natural sciences, logic, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, rhetoric, psychology, and the arts.

At 18, he moved to Athens from his birthplace in northern Greece, and joined Plato's Academy in Athens, where he stayed until he was 37, when he was asked by Philip of Macedon to go and tutor his son, Alexander the Great. At 50, he returned to Athens and founded the Peripatetic school at the Lyceum. Aristotle's works filtered through into Roman philosophy and beyond. Even into aspects of Islamic philosophical tradition, and into Scholastic philosphy under, for example, Thomas Aquinas.

(note from Elinor: the Lyceum was a temple in Athens dedicate to Apollo Lykaios. The remains of the Lyceum were discovered in 1996 and you can now go and visit the site. It's calm and peaceful, beautifully landscaped. And it's within easy walking distance of the Cycladic Museum!)

Together with his teacher Sokrates and his pupil Aristotle, Plato was one of the great trio of ancient Greek philosophers.

Plato was a mathematician, a writer of philosophical dialogues, and the founder of the Academy in Athens.

Thought to be the son of a stone-mason, this famous Athenian philosopher believed in teaching through encouraging and challenging others to question their beliefs, preconceptions and prejudices.

Sokrates (also Socrates) wrote nothing himself: it is mainly through Plato's early dialogues and Xenophon's memoirs that we know about his teaching methods and personality. He condemned the often glib, ready-made rules for success as offered by the Sophists, and regarded it as his duty to shake people out of ill-founded complacency.

He was condemned to death in Athens in 399BC, aged 70, and forced to drink hemlock.