Nikhil Krishnan

In search of the peripatetic philosopher Theophrastus

Though a persuasive champion of the ancient Greek thinker and ‘father of botany’, Laura Beatty intrudes too much to allow us a close look at him

Engraving of Theophrastus after a bust in the Villa Albani, Rome. From Vies des Savants Illustrés by Louis Figuier, Paris, 1866. [Universal History Archive/Getty Images
  • Comments

  • Looking for Theophrastus: Travels in Search of a Lost Philosopher

    Laura Beatty

    Atlantic, pp. 352, £16

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe today to get 3 months' delivery of the magazine, as well as online and app access, for only £3.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

  • Weekly delivery of the magazine
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Angus Hanton

How America plunders Britain’s tech economy

The UK government tells a confident story about Britain’s tech business acumen. In one 2023 example, a press release from Rishi Sunak invited investment in the tech sector, calling the UK an ‘island of innovation’. In it, he explained that the UK corporation tax rate was the lowest in the G7 and that the UK

Because you read about aristotle

Also by Nikhil Krishnan

Latest

Comments

A blooming good offer

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting the next 3 months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in