Aristotle taught primarily at the Lyceum, a gymnasium and philosophical school he founded in Athens around 335 BCE. The Lyceum was a public place where Aristotle lectured, conducted research, and assembled a large library. His students, known as the Peripatetics, often walked around the covered walkway (peripatos) while he taught. Before founding the Lyceum, Aristotle taught Alexander the Great in the Macedonian court, specifically at the private school of Mieza near Pella. Aristotle continued teaching at the Lyceum for about 12 years until political tensions forced him to flee Athens in 322 BCE.