There is a very famous line of succession that included the three greatest ancient Greek philosophers: Socrates taught Plato, and Plato taught Aristotle, and the three of them together are responsible for the birth of Western philosophy as we know it. The whole line of succession occurred between 470 B.C. (Socrates year of birth) and 322 B.C. (Aristotle's year of death).
Although a student of Plato, Aristotle differed on many points with his great teacher. Whereas Plato was a rationalist?, who believed that what we see is an imperfect copy of the intelligible Forms, Aristotle thought that what we know of the world must begin with the senses (empiricism). Thus, Aristotle set the stage for what would eventually develop into the scientific method, centuries later. His writings are eclectic and often dense, and include Physics, Metaphysics, Poetics, ethics, De Anima (On the Soul), and many many others.
Aristotle was interested in comparisons of actual governments, and began a project with his students of studying the constitutions of the Greek cities. Little of this material survives. He was also the tutor of Alexander of Macedon, otherwise known as Alexander the Great. His influence upon Alexander is not very obvious, however.
Aristotle's theories about drama?, in particular the idea of the [dramatic unities]?, influenced later playwrights, especially in France. He claimed to be describing the [Greek theatre]?, but his work was taken as prescriptive.
The popularity of Neo-Platonism in late antiquity meant that little of Aristotles works was available in Latin in the early Middle Ages. By the 12th century there was a great revival of interest in Aristotelianism, and the great translator [William of Moerbeke]? worked from both Greek and Arabic manuscripts to produce Latin translations. Aristotle's works were commented on by Thomas Aquinas and became the standard philosophical approach of the high and later middle ages.
See also: Aristotles theory of universals
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