About this sheet
Original antique engraved plan of Plato’s Academy and its surroundings in ancient Athens, engraved by Ambroise Tardieu for the atlas accompanying Jean-Jacques Barthélemy’s celebrated Voyage du jeune Anacharsis en Grèce.
Titled “Plan de l’Académie et de ses Environs,” the map provides a fascinating reconstruction of one of the most important intellectual sites of the ancient world. The Academy of Athens was famously associated with the philosopher Plato, who founded his philosophical school there in the 4th century BC.
The large Jardin de l’Académie occupies the centre-left of the map and is represented with an intricate network of paths and planted areas. Nearby the map specifically identifies the “Maison et Jardin de Platon” – the House and Garden of Plato.
Other features include the exterior Kerameikos or Ceramicus, ancient tombs, the Cephissus River, Colonus, roads leading towards Athens and numerous monuments and sacred sites. The lower right shows the approach to the ancient city of Athens and the Dipylon Gate.
A particularly interesting map for collectors of classical Greece, philosophy and the history of Athens, with a strong connection to Plato and the origins of the Western philosophical tradition.
Creator / Engraver: Ambroise Tardieu
Title: Plan de l’Académie et de ses Environs
Publication: Paris
Date: 1825
Technique: Engraving on paper
Plate: Pl. 11
Subject: Plato’s Academy, Athens, Ancient Greece
Condition:
Good antique condition with general age toning, scattered foxing and occasional small stains and marks. Old mounting or tape residue is visible along the upper margin. Minor wear and discoloration along the sheet edges. The engraved image remains clear and detailed. Please study the photographs carefully as they form an important part of the condition description.
Original antique map. Not a modern reproduction.
Sold unframed. Any framed or interior images shown are for presentation and inspiration only.
Keywords: Plato, Plato’s Academy, Academy of Athens, Ancient Athens, Athens Map, Plato’s Garden, Ancient Greece, Greek Philosophy, Classical Philosophy, Socrates, Aristotle, Kerameikos, Ceramicus, Colonus, Dipylon Gate, Ambroise Tardieu, Antique Map, Historical Cartography, Classical Greece, 1825 Map, Philosophy.
