# Strato of Lampsacus — The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers character guide

> Strato of Lampsacus in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laërtius.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Strato

**First appearance:** 0049-strato

## Snapshot

The third head of the Lyceum, a natural philosopher known as the Physicist, who succeeded Theophrastus and kept the Peripatetic school alive.

## Who they are

Strato of Lampsacus takes over the Lyceum after Theophrastus and is remembered chiefly for his work on nature, earning the nickname the Physicist. In Diogenes' account he is a quieter figure than his predecessors, but his long tenure and his writings on motion, void, and the soul give the school its scientific continuity. He matters because he represents the Peripatetic tradition's shift from Aristotle's broad system toward specialized natural inquiry, bridging the founder's legacy and the later Hellenistic schools.

## In the story

### [Strato](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/strato)

The subject of the chapter; succeeded Theophrastus as head of the Peripatetic school, known as 'the Natural Philosopher,' preceptor of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and author of many works.

### [Lycon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/lycon)

Predecessor as head of the Peripatetic school; left the school to Lycon in his will.

## Links

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