Pioneers in the World of Weather and Climatology

Pioneers in the World of Weather and Climatology — page 7
CHAPTER 1 ARISTOTLE he ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle one of the greatest thinkers of all time wrote the world s first meteorological trea tise Meteorologica in the 4th century BC Meteorologica remained the standard work on the subject for 2 000 years Born in 384 BC in Stagira on the north west coast of the Aegean Sea Aristotle was the son of the physician who tended to the king of Macedonia As such the boy spent plenty of time at court At 17 Aristotle enrolled at the famous Academy directed by the philosopher Plato Aristotle threw himself wholeheartedly into Plato's pursuit of truth and good ness Plato was soon calling him the mind of the school Aristotle stayed at the Academy for 20 years leaving only when his beloved master died in 347 BC In later years he renounced some of Plato's theo ries and went far beyond him in breadth of knowledge I2