Socrates was an Athenian philosopher (470-399 B.C.). His teaching methods were inductive reasoning, maieutic (midwifery) and dialectic. He was convicted of impiety and he was sentenced to die by drinking poison hemlock. He did not write any work and his ideas were recorded and disseminated by his students. The appeal of his teaching is timeless

Thomas Sfetsios was born in 1895 in Mesenikola of Karditsa and he was an army officer. He took part in military operations during the Balkan Wars, the Minor Asia Catastrophe and World War II. He founded the National Defence School in Thessaloniki in 1950.

Alexandros Symeonidis was born in Komotini in 1909 and died in Thessaloniki in 1972. He was a physician and professor at the Medical School of the University of Thessaloniki. He was the founder and director of the Anticancer Institute of Thessaloniki – the evolution of Theageneion Hospital – until his death.

Andreas Syggros was born in Istanbul in 1830 and died in Athens in 1899. He was a rich merchant, bank owner and national benefactor. He founded his own bank. He was elected as MP several times. Public buildings and roads were constructed at his own expense. He donated his property for the public benefit.

Nikolaos Stournaras (1806-1853) was a national benefactor from Metsovo. He was a rich merchant in Italy and Alexandria, Egypt. He donated his property for charity and for the public benefit. He sponsored the construction of part of the National Technical University of Athens. It was also the name of a renowned chieftain from Stournaraiika near