According to the Vita Aristotelis Hesychii, II Vita Aristotelis Syriaca and many similar records of the time written by Eumelus, Aristotle either died of a broken heart or took his own life. This is a popular assumption of the time about philosophers in general. Aristotle supposedly committed suicide by drinking poison hemlock at the age of seventy. This story, many say, is too close to the circumstances of Socrates' death, an earlier philosopher who like Aristotle, was condemned. Socrates, however, was condemned to death by drinking hemlock, not exile. Aristotle actually fled before his trial. In actuality, there are very few similarities between the two. Still it is possible that Eumelus' account is simply a naive transfer of Socrates' manner of death to Aristotle.