ABSTRACT
In late antiquity, separated by eight centuries from the great teachers Plato and Aristotle, the city of Athens continued to enthral young men who were drawn by the call of philosophy. Deeply rooted in their minds was the belief that the classical polis was the epitome of paideia, the characteristically Greek way of learning. One of these expectant students was Proclus, born in Constantinople to a family of high social status, who was going to become head of the venerable Academy. Education and learning are at the forefront of debates across the globe, from governments’ considerations of how to prepare states for future challenges to non-governmental organisations disseminating their ideas on building inclusive societies by widening access and participation in learning. In order to briefly illustrate the interconnections between educational theory and practice, and the ancient polis it is worth looking at some examples that dominate the modern imagination of Greek learning.
