There are certain facets of Aristotle's life that might be
helpful to keep in mind in examining and assessing his work. For
example, when reading what he says about governments and
political systems in general, and about the Athenian ones in
particular, one should be aware that Aristotle was not a citizen
of Athens, spent much of his life in places where he was not a
citizen(1), and had to leave Athens at least once and probably
twice when sentiment turned against his patron country of
Macedon and Aristotle had no legal protection from persecution
in Athens. 384 BCE - Aristotle was born in Stagira, Thrace, in
the northern part of what is now called the Greek peninsula. His
father Nicomachus was personal physician to the court of
Macedon, and his mother Phaestis was also from a medical family.
Both parents seem to have died before Aristotle was 17.
Aristotle apparently received some medical training in his
teens. 367 - At 17, Aristotle went to Athens to study at Plato's
Academy. It is not clear how he got the