At the age of 17 he travelled to Mount Athos and there became a monk at Pantokratoros Monastery.
[1] He also was associated with a school in nearby Ayvalık, where he was the principal instructor and earned the admiration of Lord Byron, who praised Benjamin as "a man of talent" and "a free-thinker".
[3] He died in 1824 in Nafplio, during the Greek War of Independence.
Benjamin of Lesbos was exposed to West European philosophical theories in his studies and travels, and was notably influenced by John Locke, especially in the area of epistemology.
He played an intellectual role in Greek culture and has been described as a "remarkable philosopher" in his own right.