Akademos and the birth of Plato's Academy
Akademos (also known as Hekademos, Akademos, or Hecademus) was a legendary Attic hero or Greek demigod, celebrated in Greek myth for his unique role in a dramatic episode involving Helen and her brothers, the twins Castor and Pollux. According to the legend, the Athenians had kidnapped the young Helen, prompting the Dioscuri, to launch a campaign of devastation across Attica in search of her. It was Akademos who revealed to Castor and Pollux that their sister was being held captive by Theseus in Aphidnae (Afidnes). For this reason the Tyndarids always showed him much gratitude, and whenever the Lacedaemonians invaded Attica, they always spared the land belonging to Akademos which lay on the Kephissós river, near Athens. This piece of land was subsequently adorned with plane and olive plantations, and was called 'Academia' from its original owner.
The ancient wall of Afidnes , and Theseus carrying off young Helena (Pirithous left). Side A of an Attic red-figure amphora, ca. 510 BCE. From Vulci, Italy.
In a more elaborate version of this legend, Akademos played a greater role by recognizing Helen despite her concealed identity, aiding in her release. Upon his death, Akademos was buried on his property just over a kilometer from Athens, beyond the Kerameiko necropolis, at the feet of the acropolis. His tomb was surrounded by a sacred grove that would later come to bear his name, becoming a place of beauty and mysticism that endured in cultural memory.
Relief found in Kerameiko necropolis, Athens.
The sacred grove dedicated to Akademos was renowned for its colorful butterflies. In Greek, the word for "soul" is psyche, which also means "butterfly." This association between butterflies and the soul reflects the Greek philosophical view of the soul as a transformative, regenerative force. In philosophy, the *psyche* encapsulates the unity of emotions, thoughts, and instincts, making each individual’s life unique and timeless. Thus, the grove of Akademos symbolized a place where the soul’s journey and transformation, known as metempsychosis (the transmigration or rebirth of souls), was celebrated. It became a symbolic center of gravity, connecting the mysteries of life’s multifaceted experiences to the journey of the soul.
Plato’s Academy mosaic — from the Villa of T. Siminius Stephanus in Pompeii, Naples, Italy
The legacy of Akademos extended beyond myth into history when, in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE, a gymnasium was constructed near his tomb. Later, around 387 BCE, the philosopher Plato, newly returned from Sicily where he had been enslaved, acquired land near Akademos’s resting place using money raised for his ransom. Here, Plato established the meeting place for his disciples, founding the institution that would famously be known as the Hekademeia (Academy), outside the walls of Athens. This school became the epicenter of philosophical inquiry in the ancient world, fostering the development of ideas and methods that would shape Western thought for centuries. In 529 CE, Emperor Justinian issued an edict that ordered the Academy’s closure, viewing it as a center of pagan thought inconsistent with the Christian empire’s new direction.
The site was sacred to Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and other immortals. By classical times the name of the place had evolved into the Akademeia. Its sacred grove furnished the olive oil that was distributed as prizes in the Panathenaic Games and contained in the finely-decorated Panathenaic amphorae presented to the winners.
Akademeia was the source of the word 'academy'. The expression "the Grove of Academe" refers to the sacred site of Hekademos where the cult had once taken place in an olive grove sacred to Athena.
The name 'Academy' may have been also a simple topographical choice, reflecting the location of Plato’s school near Akademos’s grove. However, some suggest a deeper connection to Akademos's legendary role as a revealer of hidden truth—an ideal that resonates with Plato’s philosophical vision. In this view, the hero Akademos symbolizes the act of unveiling truth, guiding seekers of wisdom toward understanding, much like how Plato encouraged his followers to seek truth through reason and discourse.
Today, the term "academy" refers to institutions of higher learning, such as universities, and scholarly societies devoted to advancing specific fields of study. Yet, "academic" can also carry a more critical connotation, often implying an excessive focus on technical virtuosity or rhetorical skill that lacks practical value. This modern meaning captures an irony: while the Academy originally sought profound truth, some uses of "academic" today can suggest ideas or practices that are lofty but detached from real-world outcomes.
Last update: November 3, 2024
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