The Establishment of the First University
In 387 B.C., the first university was established in the city of Athens. This university, named the Academy, was formed by Plato, a prized-pupil of the great Socrates, and was devoted to the education of Athenian youth. The Academy was free to its students, depending entirely upon donations for its revenue. The student body was made up of both men and women, who learned mathematics, astronomy, law, and philosophy. For nearly a millennium, the Academy educated the youth of Athens until it was closed by the Byzantine emperor, Justinian in 529 A.D.
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