The Friendship That Inspired Aristotle’s Only Surviving Poem
His story shows a rare intersection of political power and philosophy. Under Hermias, his court became a center for learning, with Aristotle studying marine biology along the coast during his stay. Their friendship ran deep. When Persian forces captured and crucified Hermias in 341 BCE after he allied with Macedonia against Persia, Aristotle put up a statue honoring him at Delphi and wrote a poem for him—the only poem by Aristotle that survives today.
