Plato (429–347 BCE)

Knew Socrates, and carried the torch after his execution by retelling what he had said, and developed philosophy tremendously. Founded a school in Athens named the Academy, after a general named Academus. Taught Aristotle, his most famous student, who disagreed with him on a number of points. Platonic philosophy was favored by the Catholic Church until the Renaissance, when Aristotelian philosophy was re-translated from Arabic and came into vogue.