Professor Edith Hall

Well, there's a very long story behind that. But yes, he's got Theophrastus to leave everything to. And that must have been a very great comfort. I mean, Theophrastus was... And Nicomachus is still very young. He's got a very adult son who's been his best friend for a very, very long time.

Well, there's a very long story behind that. But yes, he's got Theophrastus to leave everything to. And that must have been a very great comfort. I mean, Theophrastus was... And Nicomachus is still very young. He's got a very adult son who's been his best friend for a very, very long time.

Yeah, because other more new and shiny philosophical schools took over, especially Stoicism and Epicureanism, which the peripatos, the academics at the Lyceum carried on and became one of the most dominant schools of antiquity, but not immediately after.

Yeah, because other more new and shiny philosophical schools took over, especially Stoicism and Epicureanism, which the peripatos, the academics at the Lyceum carried on and became one of the most dominant schools of antiquity, but not immediately after.

Well, Pythagoras himself left so little. We have actually almost everything I've said, 80% of it is out of his own works. Right, so this is solid testimony.

Well, Pythagoras himself left so little. We have actually almost everything I've said, 80% of it is out of his own works. Right, so this is solid testimony.

The one thing that most people have heard about Aristotle was that Monty Python wrote a philosopher's song in which they quoted him. Plato, they say, could stick it away, half a crate of whiskey every day. Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle. Hobbes was fond of his dram. René Descartes was a drunken fart. I drink, therefore I am.

The one thing that most people have heard about Aristotle was that Monty Python wrote a philosopher's song in which they quoted him. Plato, they say, could stick it away, half a crate of whiskey every day. Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle. Hobbes was fond of his dram. René Descartes was a drunken fart. I drink, therefore I am.

That may be the only thing you know about Aristotle, that he was indeed a bugger for the bottle. What I want to tell you, though, is that Monty Python can be completely plagiaristic. The history of Aristotle bottle songs goes all the way back to 1652. I have done this research. And there is a tavern song by one John Hilton that was sung in 1652.

That may be the only thing you know about Aristotle, that he was indeed a bugger for the bottle. What I want to tell you, though, is that Monty Python can be completely plagiaristic. The history of Aristotle bottle songs goes all the way back to 1652. I have done this research. And there is a tavern song by one John Hilton that was sung in 1652.

So actually, it's a really dodgy moment because, you know, Oliver Cromwell's running the place and spoiling fun. But he says, come away, come away to the tavern, I say. Leave your prittle prattle, fill us a bottle. You're not so wise as Aristotle. What you probably don't know either is that Cockney slang for an arse, a back end, is an aris.

So actually, it's a really dodgy moment because, you know, Oliver Cromwell's running the place and spoiling fun. But he says, come away, come away to the tavern, I say. Leave your prittle prattle, fill us a bottle. You're not so wise as Aristotle. What you probably don't know either is that Cockney slang for an arse, a back end, is an aris.

And the reason for this is extremely complicated because originally bottle and glass is the passing for arse. That goes to just bottle is your arse. But because bottle rhymes with Aristotle, Aristotle ends up as arse and it just ends up as aris.

And the reason for this is extremely complicated because originally bottle and glass is the passing for arse. That goes to just bottle is your arse. But because bottle rhymes with Aristotle, Aristotle ends up as arse and it just ends up as aris.

The Iliad is one of the oldest Greek epics. It is probably the oldest, depending on how old Hesiod's are. It's older than the Odyssey slightly. It was probably put together in the form we've got it in the middle of the 8th century BCE. but it had been in development since at least the 14th century. It is over 16,000 lines long, and they're long lines.

The Iliad is one of the oldest Greek epics. It is probably the oldest, depending on how old Hesiod's are. It's older than the Odyssey slightly. It was probably put together in the form we've got it in the middle of the 8th century BCE. but it had been in development since at least the 14th century. It is over 16,000 lines long, and they're long lines.

The Iliad is one of the oldest Greek epics. It is probably the oldest, depending on how old Hesiod's are. It's older than the Odyssey slightly. It was probably put together in the form we've got it in the middle of the 8th century BCE. but it had been in development since at least the 14th century. It is over 16,000 lines long, and they're long lines.

They're a particular metre called the dactylic hexameter, which has six beats and is quite a long line. It's much longer than, say, the iambic pentameter we're used to in Shakespeare. It tells the story of a 40-day period towards the end of the 10-year Trojan War.

They're a particular metre called the dactylic hexameter, which has six beats and is quite a long line. It's much longer than, say, the iambic pentameter we're used to in Shakespeare. It tells the story of a 40-day period towards the end of the 10-year Trojan War.

They're a particular metre called the dactylic hexameter, which has six beats and is quite a long line. It's much longer than, say, the iambic pentameter we're used to in Shakespeare. It tells the story of a 40-day period towards the end of the 10-year Trojan War.