Claim: Stagira is an ancient city.

Stagira -LRB- -LSB- stəˈdʒaɪrə -RSB- -RRB- , Stagirus -LRB- -LSB- stəˈdʒaɪrəs -RSB- -RRB- , or Stageira -LRB- Στάγειρα or Στάγειρος -RRB- was an ancient Greek city , located in central Macedonia , near the eastern coast of the peninsula of Chalkidice , and is chiefly known for being the birthplace of Aristotle , who was a Greek philosopher and polymath , a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great . The city lies approximately 8 km north northeast of the present-day village of Stagira , close to the town of Olympiada .   Stagira was founded in 655 BC by Ionian settlers from Andros . Xerxes I of Persia occupied it in 480 BC . The city later joined the Delian League , led by Athens , but left in 424 BC : as a result , the Athenian demagogue Cleon laid siege to it in 422 BC . However , Cleon was a poor strategist and his conduct of the siege was very inefficient : so much so that the ancient Greek comedy writer Aristophanes satirised him in the play The Knights . Cleon died in the same year , in the battle of Amphipolis . Later , during the Peloponnesian War , Stagira sided with Sparta against the Athenians .   In 348 BC , Philip II of Macedon occupied and destroyed the city . In return for Aristotle 's tutoring of his son Alexander , Philip later rebuilt the city and resettled the old city 's inhabitants , who had been enslaved . Many new structures were built at this time , including an aqueduct , two shrines to Demeter , and many houses .