Scholarch

Academy mosaic from Pompeii

A scholarch (Ancient Greek: σχολάρχης, scholarchēs) was the head of a school in ancient Greece. The term is especially remembered for its use to mean the heads of schools of philosophy, such as the Platonic Academy in ancient Athens. Its first scholarch was Plato himself, the founder and proprietor. He held the position for forty years, appointing his nephew Speusippus as his successor. The members of the Academy elected later scholarchs.

A list of scholarchs of the four main philosophy schools during the Hellenistic period, with the approximate dates they headed the schools, is as follows:

Academy	Lyceum	Stoa	Garden
388–348 Plato 348–339 Speusippus 339–314 Xenocrates 314–270 Polemon 270–265 Crates of Athens 265–241 Arcesilaus 241–225 Lacydes 225–167 Telecles & Euander 167–165 Hegesinus 165–137 Carneades 137–131 Carneades II 131–127 Crates of Tarsus 127–110 Clitomachus 110–84 Philo of Larissa	335–322 Aristotle 322–287 Theophrastus 287–269 Strato 269–225 Lyco 225–??? Aristo   c. 155   Critolaus ???–110 Diodorus of Tyre	300–262 Zeno of Citium 262–230 Cleanthes 230–205 Chrysippus 205–??? Zeno of Tarsus ???–145 Diogenes 145–129 Antipater 129–110 Panaetius	307–271 Epicurus 271–250 Hermarchus 250–215 Polystratus 215–201 Dionysius 201–??? Basilides   c. 175   Thespis ???–100 Apollodorus 100–75 Zeno of Sidon 75–70 Phaedrus 70–??? Patro