ACADE'MUS, a hero of Athens, whose name is said to be perpetuated in "Academy" or "Academia," the grove in which Plato established his school. A. is recorded as having informed Castor and Pollux of the place where their sister Helen was hidden.
ACAD'EllY, a name originally applied to the philosophical school of Plato, and derived from the place in which that philosopher was accustomed to meet and converse with his pupils. This was a garden or grove in the suburbs of Athens, said to have once belonged to the hero Academus, and by him to have been presented to the citizens for a gymnasium. The spot is at this day known under the name of Alradimia. The variations of doctrine among the successors of Plato gave rise to the distinctive titles of Old, Middle, and i'Velc A. The first is applied to the philosophic teaching of Plato himself and his immediate followers; the second, to that modification of the Platonic philosophy taught by Arcesilaus (q.v.); and the third, to the half-skeptical school founded by Ca rneades (q.v. ).
In its common English acceptation, the word academy is loosely applied to any species of school which professes to communicate more than the mere elements of instruction. This, however, though perhaps more in affinity with the original applica tion of the term, must be regarded as an abuse of its more general and strict acceptation in modern usage, as signifying a society of savants or artists, established for the promo tion of literature, science, or art. The first institution in ancient times that scents to merit the name, in this sense, of academy, was the celebrated Museum founded at Alexandria in the 3d c. roc. by Ptolemy Soler. which concentrated in that intel lectual capital all that was most eminent in science, philosophy, poetry, and criticism. After this model, the Jews, and, at a later period, the Arabians, founded numerous institutions for the promotion of learning. During the middle ages, with the exception of the Moorish institutions at Granada and Cordova, in which poetry and music formed prominent subjects of study, we find no Ling •corresponding to the modern idea of an academy, save the learned society established in his own palace, at the suggestion of his teacher Alcnin, by Charlemagne. This association was dissolved by the monarch's death; and not till the middle of the 15th c., when the conquest of Constantinople drove many learned Greeks to seek au asylum in Italy, do we find any trace of a similar institutio Under the enlightened patronage of Lorenzo and Cosmo de' Medici, the lovers of Greek learning and philosophy were united in the bond of a common pursuit, and zealously labored to revive the long extinguished light of classic literature. After the decline of the Greek and Platonic academies of Florence, there arose institutions of a more comprehensive character, the example of which spread from Italy throughout all the states of Europe.
Academies may be divided into those established for general ends, and such as con template specific objects. The members are usually classified as Ordinary, honorary, and Corresponding. The results of their labors in their various departments are reported at the periodic meetings, and printed in the records of the academy. Prizes are gener ally established as the rewards of distinguished merit in original discovery, or excellence in the treatment of subjects proposed for competition. Among general academies, de serving of mention in the first place is the A. of Sciences, at Paris,•established by Colbert in 1666, and now a branch of the Institut de France (see Iissrrror). The first scientific academy founded in modern times was the Academia S.ecretorizm Natura, established at Naples in 1560, and afterwards put down by a papal interdict. It was succeeded by the A. of the Lined, founded at Rome by prince Ceci, which attained distinguished success. Galileo was one of its members. :Subsequently arose the A. del amento, at Florence, and the A. degl' Inquieti, of Bologna, afterwards incorporated into the Accad. della Tracca, and finally, in 1711, merged in the Institute of Bologna, or Clementine A.—The Berlin A. of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1700 by Frederick I. was in 1710 divided into four sections. 1. Physics, medicine, and chemistry; 2. Mathematics, astronomy,- and mechanics; 3. German language and history; 4. Oriental literature, in special connection with missions. The first president was Leibnitz, whose extraordinary versatility of genius qualified him for a leading place in all its departments. Under the great Freder ick, new life was infused into the academy by the encouragement offered to learned men of all countries to set Ile at Berlin. Maupertuis was now appointed president, and the
academy was reorganized under the four classes of physics, mathematics, philosophy, history and philology. The public meetings are held twice a year. The transactions did not appear regularly till after 1811. They were formerly published in French, but now in German.—The Imperial A. of Sciences of St. Petersburg was planned in 1 724 by Peter the great. with the advice of Leibnitz and Wolf. It was established in the follow ing year by Catherine I., and liberally supported by the empress: fifteen members, received pensions as professors of various branches. Of these were Wolf, Nicolas and Daniel Bernouilli, and the two De Lisles. After various fluctuations, the academy attained a position of high eminence and utility under the patronage of Cath erine IL Among the most important results of her liberality are, the travels and re searches of such men as Pallas and Klaproth. The academy is still composed of fifteen salaried members, besides a president and director, and four pensioned supernumeraries, who attend the meetings and succeed to the vacant chairs. It possesses all extensive library and a very valuable museum. The first series of its transactions (1725-17) bears the name of Commentarii; the second (1748-71), of Nori Commentami; the third (1777-82), of Ada. Up to this date, they were written in Latin; thenceforth in Latin or French From 1783 to 1795, they are called ?fora Ada; from that time to the present they are entitled Nenwires.—The A. of Sciences at Stockholm, founded in 1739, consisted at that of six members, one of whom was the celebrated Linnxus. It received a royal charter in 1741, but no endowment. Its publications, since 1779, are distinguished as _Yew Transactions. Papers on agriculture are separately published, under the title of Wcon arnica Acta. In 1799, it was divided into six classes: 1. Political and rural economy. 15 members; 2. commerce and mechanical arts, 15; 3. Swedish physics and natural his tory, 15; 4. foreign physics and natural history, 15; 5. mathematics, 18; 6. history, phi. lology, and fine arts, 12. The resident members preside in rotation, during a term of three months: the transactions appear quarterly. At the annual meeting in April, prizes are distributed.—The Royal A. of Sciences at Copenhagen owes its origin, like the last mentioned, to six learned men, employed by Christian VI. in 114'2 to arrange his cabinet of medals. In 1743, the king, on the recommendation of count Hoist their first pres ident, took the academy under his protection, endowed it, and ordered that natural his tory, physics, and mathematics should be embraced within the sphere of its operations, at first limited to the national history and antiquities. The academy's transactions are in Danish; some of them are translated into Latin —The A. of Sciences of Mannheim was founded in 1735 by the elector-palatine Earl Theodor, and divided into the sections of history and physical science; the latter was subdivided in 1780 into physics proper and meteorology. transactions under the two former heads are published under the title of Ada; the meteorological memoirs are entitled 4hemerides. —The A. of Sciences of Munich was founded in 1759. Soon after the erection of Bavaria into a kingdom, it was reorganized on a very extensive footing, under the presidency of Jacobi_ memoirs are published under the title of Abhandlungen der Baierischen Alcademie.—The A. of Lis bon, established by queen Maria in 1779, numbers 60 members, viz., 24 ordinary, and 36 honotary and foreign; and is divided into three sections: 1. natural science; 2. mathe matics; 3. Portuguese literature. It is liberally endowed by government, and has a library, museum, observatory, and printing-office. Its Mernorias have appeared since 1787. The Royal Irish. A. dates its origin from 1782, when a number of gentlemen. chiefly connected with the university of Dublin, associated themselves for the pursuit of science, history, and literature. The plan of the society was afterwards extended. The first volume of its transactions appeared in 1788.—The American A. of Arts and Sciences was established at Boston in 1780: it had previously existed in another form, the orig inal institution being due to Franklin. The first volume of its transactions was pub lished in 1785.—The A. of Sciences at Vienna was founded in 1846. It is divided into the sections of history and philology; mathematics and natural science; philosophy, political economy, and medicine. It published Reports of its meetings since 1848, and since 1850, Memoirs.