Theophrastus: Pioneering Botanical Exploration and Influence

The writings of Theophrastus played a role in botany similar to how Aristotle's works influenced zoology. Before Theophrastus, the study of plants primarily revolved around their utility as food and medicine. Around 320 BCE, Theophrastus authored two seminal books on plants, marking the inception of a scientific and methodical exploration of their characteristics. These works served as the fundamental sources of botanical knowledge throughout antiquity and the Middle Ages. Approximately in 1450, under the guidance of Pope Nicholas V, the Vatican library embarked on translating classical works from Greek to Latin, with Theophrastus's contributions becoming available in 1483.

Around 2,500 years ago, Theophrastus founded the world's inaugural botanical garden, cultivating an astonishing array of approximately 2,000 different plant species within its confines.

Hailing from the Greek island of Lesbos, Theophrastus became a pupil of Aristotle at the Peripatetic School in Athens and eventually developed a close friendship with the philosopher. When Aristotle left Athens in 322 BCE, he entrusted his writings to Theophrastus. Theophrastus also assumed the role of Aristotle's successor at the Lyceum, where he held the position for a highly successful thirty-five years, attracting an impressive enrollment of over 2,000 students at one point.

Within the grounds of the Lyceum, Theophrastus maintained a garden featuring approximately 2,000 plants, recognized as one of the world's earliest botanical gardens. His research primarily centered on cultivated plants, numbering around 500 to 550 species, collected from regions spanning from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. (Modern knowledge now identifies more than 300,000 plant species.) His personal observations and collections were complemented by specimens and descriptions of plants acquired during Alexander the Great's military expeditions in Asia, which introduced plants previously unknown in the Greek world, such as the cotton plant, pepper, cinnamon, and the banyan tree.

Often referred to as "The Father of Botany," Theophrastus's "Enquiry into Plants" focused on the classification and description of plants, categorizing them into flowering (angiosperm) and nonflowering (gymnosperm) types. His work "The Causes of Plants" delved into plant physiology, growth, and cultivation, forming the basis of horticulture. Together, these writings encompassed various facets of botany, including plant descriptions, classifications (trees, shrubs, undershrubs, herbs), plant distribution, propagation, germination, and cultivation. Additionally, Theophrastus repeatedly emphasized the influence of environmental factors on plant growth, an early exploration of ecological principles.