The Athenaeum

In Ancient Greece, the word Athenaeum referred to buildings dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and in particular to a temple in Athens where poets, philosophers, and orators gathered to read and discuss their work. Over the centuries the term also has applied to numerous academies and learned societies. Sir Walter Scott and Thomas Moore established the most famous of these, The Athenaeum of London, in 1824. Members included individuals known for their scientific or literary attainments, artists of eminence in all classes of the fine arts, and noblemen and gentlemen distinguished as liberal patrons of science, literature, or the arts.