29 May 2025

The Athens Institute organized for the first time a “Walking Tour of Philosophical Athens” on Monday, 26 May 2025, from 17:30 to 20:00. The event was specially organized this year due to the significance of 2025: the Athens Institute is celebrating its 30^th anniversary, the Philosophy Unit hosted its 20^th Annual Conference (www.atiner.gr/2025phi-pro), and most importantly, 2025 marks the 2400^th anniversary of Plato’s Republic (Politeia), which, following Vlastos, is believed to have been completed in 375 BCE.

This walk through the intellectual heart of Athens served as a reflective and embodied tribute to Aristotle and the rich philosophical tradition that flourished in the city.

Led by Dr. Oidinposha Pulatovna Imamkhodjaeva (Deputy Head, Philosophy Unit, Athens Institute & Assistant Teaching Professor, Pennsylvania State University, USA) and Dr. Robert Bishop (Head, Philosophy Unit, Athens Institute & Professor, Wheaton Collete, USA), the group began at the conference venue on 9 Chalkokondili Street and proceeded down Panepistimiou Street toward Syntagma Square, with meaningful stops outside the Athenian Trilogy buildings-the National Library, the University of Athens, and the Academy of Athens, where the statue of Plato stands. The tour included a pause at the statues of the three great Greek tragedians, Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides, outside the National Garden, followed by a walk to the historic Kallimarmaro Stadium, site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.

The highlight of the walk was the visit to Aristotle’s Lyceum, where participants engaged in a philosophical discussion on the very site where Aristotle himself once taught.

This event offered participants a unique opportunity to connect physically and intellectually with the philosophical heritage of Athens.