School tied to Alexander the Great discloses clues about his life before his rise to power
New discoveries at an ancient site in Greece are revealing the remains of a sprawling royal complex where young Macedonians studied and trained — offering new clues about a school tied to one of history’s most legendary rulers.The recent finds were announced by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, part of the Greek government, in early September.The excavation centers on Mieza, an ancient Macedonian city in northern Greece, where archaeologists have been uncovering a sprawling complex known as the Royal Gymnasium.It has long been believed, based on ancient accounts, that a young Alexander the Great was taught by Aristotle at Mieza.The site dates to the reign of Philip II, Alexander the Great’s father, in the fourth century B.C.Archaeologists began excavating the site in 2024, gradually uncovering evidence of an expansive complex where young Macedonians studied, trained and dined.This year’s excavation has focused on the eastern side of the complex, including the palaestra and the “Didaskaleion,” or teaching area, where archaeologists identified lecture rooms with stone benches.One of the most significant discoveries was a three-part complex spanning more than 1,700 square feet within the Didaskaleion, or teaching area, according to the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.The space includes a central entry room and two banquet rooms with surviving mosaic floors and raised platforms that once held dining couches.Though the buildings were destroyed by the Romans after the second Battle of Pydna in 148 B.C., officials noted that “significant architectural remains have survived.”Those remains are now giving researchers a clearer picture of what education may have looked like for young Macedonian elites.Alexandra F.Morris, a lecturer in ancient history at Queen’s University Belfast, told Fox News Digital that ancient texts link Alexander and Aristotle to Mieza, while the archaeological discoveries are providing a physical setting for those accounts.“What we hav...