Plato's Academy in Operation Today

What if Plato's Academy hadn't been closed by Justinian in 529 AD, and had instead operated continually to the present day?
 

Thande

Donor
I think to the present day, uninterrupted, is a bit ambitious.

It would probably eventually reform itself into a modern university and claim to be the oldest in the world, like that one in Morocco and those ones in China.
 
What if Plato's Academy hadn't been closed by Justinian in 529 AD, and had instead operated continually to the present day?

They´d be arrogant pricks:cool:

One thing, they need to disassociate themselves with paganism. Even if Justinian decided to leave them alone, the next emperor might be less tolerant and shut them down.

So basically, make them avid supporters of the empire and adapt to the times in terms of philosophy.

Then they might last under the Byzantines, but if the Ottomans take over as OTL, I suppose they must then move on with the times as well. Although the Ottomans were fairly secular.

If they were still running they´d influence Greece a lot. And affect classicism in Europe, Romanticism, renaissance, etc.
 
I think to the present day, uninterrupted, is a bit ambitious.

Yes, but think of the possibilities! What if the Western world gets a few more great philosophical minds out of the Academy? Who knows what could come out of there...proto-communism? Byzantine fascism (quite a stretch, and definite analogue-wank, but you get the idea)? An earlier popularized Theory of Evolution?

It would probably eventually reform itself into a modern university and claim to be the oldest in the world, like that one in Morocco and those ones in China.

Yes, that's the boring, likely way of things. :p
 
They´d be arrogant pricks:cool:

Yes indeed...Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard...take a seat!

One thing, they need to disassociate themselves with paganism. Even if Justinian decided to leave them alone, the next emperor might be less tolerant and shut them down.

I agree. Get some Christians in there.
So basically, make them avid supporters of the empire and adapt to the times in terms of philosophy.

Exactly. But that doesn't mean a couple of "heretics" won't come up with something new that gets accepted or, in a more likely manner, gets tossed out for a couple hundred years, then rediscovered and implemented.

Then they might last under the Byzantines, but if the Ottomans take over as OTL, I suppose they must then move on with the times as well. Although the Ottomans were fairly secular.

I think the Byzantines is the storm that must be weathered, in this case.

If they were still running they´d influence Greece a lot. And affect classicism in Europe, Romanticism, renaissance, etc.

Yup. What possible ideas could they have come up with?
 

MrP

Banned
Yes, but think of the possibilities! What if the Western world gets a few more great philosophical minds out of the Academy? Who knows what could come out of there...proto-communism? Byzantine fascism (quite a stretch, and definite analogue-wank, but you get the idea)? An earlier popularized Theory of Evolution?

Already done by Plato! :p
 
I'm afraid it's quite unlikely to produce much of interest, sadly. The Academicians of late antiquity were Neoplationists and generally more interested in metaphysical speculation than any applicable or relevant thought. Given the competition from the Constantinopolitan schools, they wouldn't stand much of a chance of branching out into that field, either. With the suspicion of paganism or heresy hanging over their heads, they'd have to be very orthodox, too. At the end of the day we'd most likely be looking at an assemblage of theological philosophers quietly pursuing intellectual mysticism. THey'll fit right in.
 
Maybe if the persons in question are dedicated enough to leave Justinians empire and go to .... Rome? or even armenia?
 
Maybe if the persons in question are dedicated enough to leave Justinians empire and go to .... Rome? or even armenia?
A fair number fled to Persia if that is what you are wondering. Could it have held together under the Caliphate?
 
Maybe if the persons in question are dedicated enough to leave Justinians empire and go to .... Rome? or even armenia?

In OTL, it appears the last of them fled to Persia, and then were given asylum in one of the last pagan outposts of Syria, before they melted away into obscurity...
 
Could maybe have led to the preservation of a few more texts we don't currently have. That's always a nice thought. It would certainly be a receptacle for knowledge that was not prone to the same abuses as the monasteries; scraping old scrolls clean for re-use for example.
If it does last, you get one of the only institutions through the middle ages not overtly related to the church. That's probably going to cause a stir. Perhaps some monastic order looks to them as a model. Certainly it would have been in contrast to the earliest universities in that questions of Christian theology would not be the basis for its existence. Maybe this helps universities vault out of that model earlier, or maybe it just creates two competing schools of learning- theological vs secular.
I'm a little unclear on the history after the 4th Crusade; who actually takes Athens? Is it the Venetians? If so, would they try to move the Academy to Venice? That would be quite a PR coup for them, and they did so love the pillaging.
 
I'm a little unclear on the history after the 4th Crusade; who actually takes Athens? Is it the Venetians? If so, would they try to move the Academy to Venice? That would be quite a PR coup for them, and they did so love the pillaging.

I think for the POD to work you really require a more moderate and open-minded Justinian as he really didn’t like to do anything halfway including persecuting minorities. From that alone I believe it’s safe to say that the First let alone the Fourth Crusade if they do happen would likely resemble the ones we know very little. Hell it’s even remotely possible that with a less zealous Justinian that some compromise could be worked out with the Monophysites that ends up resulting in the Levant and Egypt remaining Christian if the Arabs ever come knocking in this TL. More realistically it may mean less of a church building spree which leaves more money in coffers for the troops so maybe no revolt of the Africa garrison and possibly a faster conquest of Italy which likely would mean huge butterflies.
 
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