Acadēmia

, a place near Athens surrounded with high trees, and adorned with spacious covered walks, belonging to Academus, from whom the name is derived. Some derive the word from ἑκας δημος , removed from the people . Here Plato opened his school of philosophy, and from this, every place sacred to learning has ever since been called Academia . To exclude from it profanene and di ipation, it was even forbidden to laugh there. It was called Academia vet us , to distinguish it from the second Academy , founded by Arcesilaus, who made some few alterations in the Platonic philosophy, and from the third which was established by Carneades. Cicero , de Div in at i one , bk. 1 , ch. 3 .— Diogenes Laërtius , bk. 3 .— Ælian , Varia Hist or i a , bk. 3 , ch. 35 .