Son of Mnesias (also known as Spintharos), who was an authority on music, from Taras in Italy. Having taken up residence at Mantinea he became a philosopher, and on applying himself to music showed great talent for it, as a student of his father and of Lampros the Erythraian, then of Xenophilos the Pythagorean[1] and finally of Aristotle. He heaped insults on the lattermost after his death, because he left Theophrastus[2] as head of the school, although Aristoxenos himself had achieved great distinction among the students of Aristotle. And he flourished in the time of Alexander and the years following, so as to be around the 111th Olympiad[3] a contemporary of Dikaiarkhos of Messene.[4] He composed works on music and philosophy and history, and every aspect of culture. His books number[5] 453.