- This article is about 'Lyceum as school or as
public hall. For other uses, see Lyceum
A
Lyceum can be
The precise usage of the term varies among various countries.
(See also
Lyceum Movement for a
discussion of the lyceum movement and its participants in the
United States.)
Ancient Greek Lyceum (word origins)
"School of Athens" by Raphael
The original Lyceum, to which modern schools and public halls trace
their name, was a gymnasium and public meeting place named after
the god of the grove which housed the Lyceum, Apollo Lyceus. Apollo
was also the Greek “wolf-god.” Though most well known for its
connections with
Aristotle and the
peripatetic school he led there, the Lyceum was in existence long
before Aristotle’s formal founding in 334 or 335 BC and continued
under several heads until the Roman general Sulla’s sacking of
Athens in 86 BCMorison, William. “The Lyceum.” The Internet
Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Internet Encyclopedia of
Philosophy, n.d. Web. 2006. 30 Oct. 2009.
/www.utm.edu/research/iep/ancillaries/small-articles/lyceum.htm>..
The
remains of the Lyceum were discovered in modern Athens
in
1996.
The Lyceum before Aristotle
Speculation suggests that
Pericles or
Pisistratus may have originally opened
the first building of the Lyceum, as a gymnasium, in the fifth or
sixth centuries BC, though the Lyceum grounds would have predated
the gymnasium. In the early years of the Lyceum the head of the
Greek army was said to have had an office there, which would have
made it easy for him to be involved in the military training and
exercises which the grounds were used for. The Lyceum’s use as a
recreational gym and military training base is supported by the
existence of wrestling rings, a racetrack, and seats for
athlothetai, the judges of athletic eventsMorison, William. “The
Lyceum.” The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Internet
Encyclopedia of Philosophy, n.d. Web. 2006. 30 Oct. 2009.
/www.utm.edu/research/iep/ancillaries/small-articles/lyceum.htm>..
A long list of philosophers and sophists gave talks at the Lyceum
prior to Aristotle, including Prodicus of Chios, Protagorus and
RhapsodesMorison, William. “The Lyceum.”
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Internet Encyclopedia
of Philosophy, n.d. Web. 2006. 30 Oct. 2009.
/www.utm.edu/research/iep/ancillaries/small-articles/lyceum.htm>..
The most famous philosophers to have taught there, however, were
Isocrates,
Plato (of
The Academy) and the most well known Athenian teacher,
SocratesStenudd, Stefan. "Aristotle: His Life,
Time, and Work." Stennud. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2009.
/www.stenudd.com/myth/greek/aristotle/aristotle-08-lyceum.htm>.
. In addition to militaristic and educational pursuits, the Lyceum
also housed Athenian Assembly meetings before
Pnyx Hill became the official meeting place in the
fifth century BC. Cult practices of various groups were also held
at the LyceumMorison, William. “The Lyceum.” The Internet
Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Internet Encyclopedia of
Philosophy, n.d. Web. 2006. 30 Oct. 2009.
/www.utm.edu/research/iep/ancillaries/small-articles/lyceum.htm>..
Aristotle's School and Library
In 335 BC, Athens fell under
Macedonian rule
and Aristotle, age 50, returned from Asia. Upon his return to
Athens, Aristotle began teaching regularly in the morning in the
Lyceum and founded an official school, The Lyceum. After his
morning lessons Aristotle would frequently lecture on the grounds
for the public and his lectures were eventually compiled in a book.
The group of scholars who followed the Aristotelian doctrine came
to be known as the peripatetics due to Aristotle’s tendency to walk
as he taught.
Aristotle’s main foci as a teacher were cooperative research, an
idea which he founded through his
natural history work and systematic
collection of philosophical works to contribute to his
library. The school was extremely student research
focused and students were assigned historical or scientific
research projects as part of their studies. The school was also
student run. The students elected a new student administrator to
work with the school leadership every ten days, allowing all the
students to become involved"Aristotle." NC State University College
of Agriculture and Life Sciences. NCSU CALS, n.d. Web. 30 Oct.
2009. /www.cals.ncsu.edu/agexed/aee501/aristotle.html>.. Before
returning to Athens, Aristotle had been the tutor of Alexander of
Macedonia, who became the great conqueror
Alexander the Great.
Throughout his conquests of various regions, Alexander collected
plant and animal specimens for Aristotle’s research, allowing
Aristotle to develop the first zoo and botanical garden in
existence. It is also suspected that Alexander donated what would
be the equivalent of more than 4 million dollars to the
Lyceum"Aristotle." NC State University College of Agriculture and
Life Sciences. NCSU CALS, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2009.
/www.cals.ncsu.edu/agexed/aee501/aristotle.html>.. In 322 BC
Aristotle was forced to flee Athens with his family when the
political leadership changed away from the Macedonians again and
his previously published works supporting Macedonian rule left him
a target. He passed on his Lyceum to
Theophrastus and died later that year in
Chalcis, near his hometown"Aristotle's School." Portland State
University Greek Civilization Home Page. Portland State University,
n.d. Web. 30 Oct.
2009./atschool.eduweb.co.uk/sirrobhitch.suffolk/Portland State
University Greek Civilization Home Page
v2/DOCS/11/arischol.htm>. .
History of Aristotle's Library
Theophrastus placed a provision in his will that left the Lyceum
library, which at this point included both his and Aristotle’s work
as well as student research, philosophical historical texts and
histories of philosophy, to his supposed follower,
Neleus. However, the seniors of the Lyceum
placed Strato as the next leader and upon his retirement from the
school in the mid third century BC, Neleus divorced the Lyceum from
its library and took all of the books with him to Asia Minor’s
Skepsis.
The library then disappeared for several centuries until it appears
to have been bought from Neleus’ heirs in the first century BC and
returned to the school.
However, when Sulla
attacked Athens, the books were shipped to Rome
.
Throughout their travels one fifth of Aristotle’s works were lost
and thus are not a part of the modern Aristotelian collection.
Still, what did remain of Aristotle’s works and the rest of the
library were arranged and edited for school use between 73 and 20
BC, supposedly by
Andronicus of
Rhodes, the Lyceum’s eleventh leaderStenudd, Stefan.
"Aristotle: His Life, Time, and Work." Stennud. N.p., n.d. Web. 30
Oct. 2009.
/www.stenudd.com/myth/greek/aristotle/aristotle-08-lyceum.htm>.
. Since then the remaining works have been translated and widely
distributed, providing much of the modern knowledge of historic
philosophy.
The Lyceum after Aristotle
As head of the Lyceum, Theophrastus continued on Aristotle’s foci
of observation, collaborative research and documentation of
philosophical history, thus making his own contributions to the
library. Though he was not a citizen of Athens (he had met
Aristotle in the 340s BC in his homeland of Lesbos) he managed to
buy land near the main gym of the Lyceum as well as several
buildings for the library and additional workspace in 315 BC.
Theophrastus also continued his own work while teaching and
demonstrated his devotion to learning and education by leaving the
land of the Lyceum to his friends to continue their work in
education in philosophy in the non-private tradition of the school
upon his death.
During the era of Theophrastus and his successor,
Strato, the Lyceum experienced a decline until it
fell with the rest of Athens in 86 BC. There is some thought that
the Lyceum was refounded in the first century AD by Andonicus of
Thodes, and no matter its secondary founder, it once again
flourished as a philosophical school in the second century and
continued until Athens was once again sacked in 267 AD"Aristotle's
School." Portland State University Greek Civilization Home Page.
Portland State University, n.d. Web. 30 Oct.
2009./atschool.eduweb.co.uk/sirrobhitch.suffolk/Portland State
University Greek Civilization Home Page
v2/DOCS/11/arischol.htm>. .
Leaders of the Lyceum
Theophrastus headed the Lyceum for 36 years, between Aristotle’s
flee from Athens in 322 BC until his own death in 286 BC. There is
some speculation that both Aristotle and Theophrastus were buried
in the gardens of the Lyceum, though no positive graves have been
identified. Theophrastus was followed by Strato, who served as head
until 268. Lyco of Stratus, likely
Aristo
of Ceos,
Critolaus,
Diodorus of Tyre and Erymneus were the next
several heads of the school. Additionally, Andronicus of Rhodes
served as the eleventh head.
Members of the Lyceum
At various points in the history of the Lyceum numerous scholars
and students walked its parapetoi, though some of the most notable
include
Eudemus, a mathematical historian,
Aristoxenus, who wrote works on music,
and
Dicaearchus, a prolific writer on
topics including ethics, politics, psychology and geography.
Additionally, medicinal historian
Meno and an
eventual ruler of Athens,
Demetrius of Phaleron spent time at
the school. Demetrius of Phaleron ruled Athens as a proxy leader
for a dynasty from 317-307 BC.
Aristotle's Lyceum Today
During 1996 excavation to clear space for Athens’ new Museum of
Modern Art the remains of Aristotle’s Lyceum were uncovered.
Descriptions from the works of ancient philosophers hint at the
location of the grounds, speculated somewhere just outside the
eastern boundary of ancient Athens, near the rivers Ilissus and
Eridanus and Mount Lykabettos, which is just where the remains were
found. In present day Athens the excavation site is located between
Rigilis and Vasilissis Sofias, 200 yards from the British Embassy
and behind the War Museum. The first excavations revealed a
gymnasium and wrestling area, but further work has uncovered the
majority of what is believed to have withstood the erosion caused
to the region by nearby architecture’s placement and drainage. Upon
realizing the magnitude of the discovery beneath the parking lot to
be transformed into the museum, secondary plans were made for
nearby construction of the art museum so that it could be combined
with a Lyceum outdoor museum and give tourists easy access to both
attractions. There are plans for a large outdoor roof to be placed
over the Lyceum remains and the area was slated to open for the
public in summer 2009.
Lyceums of the Russian Empire
In
Imperial Russia
, a Lyceum
was one of the following higher educational facilities: Demidov Lyceum of Law in Yaroslavl
(1803), Alexander Lyceum in Tsarskoye Selo
(1810), Richelieu
lyceum in Odessa
(1817), and
Imperial Katkov Lyceum in Moscow
(1867).
The
Tsarskoye Selo
Lyceum
was opened on October 19, 1811 in the
neoclassical building designed by
Vasily Stasov and situated next to the
Catherine
Palace
. The first graduates were all brilliant and
included
Aleksandr Pushkin and
Alexander Gorchakov. The opening
date was celebrated each year with carousals and revels, and
Pushkin composed new verses for each of those occasions.
In January
1844 the Lyceum was moved to Saint Petersburg
.
During 33 years of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum's existence, there
were 286 graduates. The most famous of these were
Anton Delwig,
Wilhelm Küchelbecher,
Nicholas de Giers,
Dmitry Tolstoy,
Yakov Karlovich Grot,
Nikolay Yakovlevich
Danilevsky,
Alexei
Lobanov-Rostovsky and
Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin.
Lyceums also emerged in the former Soviet Union countries after
they became independent. One typical example is Uzbekistan, where
all high schools were replaced with lyceums ("litsey" is the
Russian term, derived from French "lycee"), offering three-year
educational program with a certain major in certain direction.
Unlike Turkey, Uzbek lyceums do not hold University entrance
examination, which gives students the right to enter a University,
but they hold a kind of "mock examination" which is designed to
test their eligibility for a certain University.
Lyceums in today's education
The term lyceum is still used in some (mostly European) countries
when referring to a type of school.
Belarus
The
Belarusian Humanities
Lyceum is a private secondary school founded shortly after
Belarus' independence from the USSR
by
intellectuals, such as Vincuk
Viacorka and Uladzimir Kolas, with the stated aims of
preserving and promoting native Belarusian culture, and raising a
new Belarusian elite. It was shut down in 2003 by president
Alexander Lukashenko, but
continues to operate in secret. It is currently the only
educational institution using the
Belarusian language as its medium of
instruction.
Chile
Liceo is the term used for a secondary education public
school, it lasts 4 years. It is mandatory to complete it for every
citizen.
Cyprus
Secondary General Education - Ages: 16 ~18
Lykeio (3 years, upper secondary education)
Czech Republic
The term
lyceum refers to the type of secondary education
consisting of 4 years ended by graduation. It is a type between
grammar school and a technical high school.
France
The
French word for an upper
secondary school,
lycée, derives from Lyceum. (see
Secondary education in
France.)
Finland
The concept and name
lyceum (or
lyseo in Finnish)
entered Finland through Sweden. Traditionally, lycea were schools
to prepare students to enter universities, as opposed to the
typical, more general education. Some old schools continue to use
the name
lyceum, though their operations today vary. For
example, Helsinki Normal Lyceum educates students in grades 7-12,
while Oulu Lyceum enrolls students only in grades 10-12. The more
commonly used term for upper secondary school in Finland is
lukio.
Greece
Secondary Education - Ages: 16 ~ 18
Γενικό
Λύκειο (3 years),
Geniko Lykeio "General Lyceum", (~ 1996,
2006~present)
Ενιαίο
Λύκειο (3 years),
Eniaio Lykeio "Unified Lyceum"
(1997~2006)
Comparable
to the last two or three years of American High School (upper
secondary) classes in Greece
.
Italy
The
Italian word for an upper
secondary school,
liceo, derives from Lyceum (see
Secondary education in Italy).
Among the Italian kinds of
licei are:
liceo classico (specializing in classical
studies, including Latin, Ancient Greek and philosophy),
liceo scientifico (specializing in
scientific studies, and with Latin and English for 5 years),
liceo artistico (specializing in art
subjects, with English for 5 years),
liceo linguistico (specializing in foreign
languages: two foreign languages for 5 years and a third foreign
language for the last 3 years). They last 5 years between 14 and 18
years of age.
Malta
Junior lyceums refer to secondary education state owned
schools.
Philippines
There is a major university in the City of Manila named
Lyceum (complete name:
Lyceum of the Philippines
University). It can also be called on the acronym LPU. Its
branches also bear the name "Lyceum". There are other schools that
are not affiliated with LPU but has the word "Lyceum" in their
names. Thus, it can also be used to name any educational
instititution. However, LPU is the original bearer of the name and
still has the word pertained to it.
Poland
The
liceum is the
Polish
secondary-education
school. Polish liceums
are attended by children aged 16 to 19–21 (see list below). Before
graduating, pupils are subject to a final examination, the
matura.
Polish liceums are of several types:
Portugal
In the
Portuguese
educational
system in the early 1970s, the Lyceum ( ), or National Lyceum (
), was a high school that prepared
students to enter universities or more general
education. On the other hand the Industrial school ( ) was a
technical-oriented school. After several
Education reforms, all these schools merged
into a single system of
Secondary
Schools ( ), offering
grades 7 to
12.
Turkey
The
Turkish word for the latest
part of pre-university education is
lise which is derived
from the French word "lycée" and corresponds to "high school" in
English. It lasts 3 to 5 years with respect to the type of the high
school. At the end of their "lise" education, students take the
ÖSS test (Öğrenci Seçme Sınavı), i.e.
university entrance examination, to get the right to enroll in a
university.
Romania
The Romanian term is
liceu and it represents a
post-secondary, pre-university educational institution. It is more
specialized than secondary school. Certain specialized lyceum
diplomas are enough to find a job.
United States
The Lyceum
is the central building of the University of Mississippi
. It is used as the school symbol on all
official emblems.
The Lyceum
Academy of New Hanover High School was founded in same spirit
of education as Aristole's earliest intellectual and academic
gatherings.
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