The History of Athens is one of the longest of any city in Europe and in the world. Athens has been continuously inhabited for over 3,000 years, becoming the leading city of Ancient Greece in the first millennium BC; its cultural achievements during the 5th century BC laid the foundations of western civilization. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca During the Middle Ages, the city experienced decline and then recovery under the Byzantine Empire, and was relatively prosperous during the Crusades, benefiting from Italian trade. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest After a long period of decline under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Athens re-emerged in the 19th century as the capital of the independent Greek state. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Origins and setting 3 Early History 4 Reform and democracy 5 Classical Athens 5.1 Early Athenian Military History 5.2 Artists and philosophers 5.3 Peloponnesian War 5.4 Athenian coup of 411 BC 5.5 Corinthian War and the Second Athenian League 5.6 Athens under Macedon 6 Roman Athens 7 Byzantine Athens 8 Latin Athens 8.1 Burgundian period 8.2 Catalan period 8.3 Florentine period 9 Ottoman Athens 9.1 Independence from the Ottomans 10 Modern Athens 10.1 Population Influx 10.2 Athens Under the Nazis 10.3 Postwar Athens 10.4 Athens Today 11 Historical Population 12 Notable Athenians 13 Ancient sites in Athens 14 Photo Gallery 15 References 16 See also 17 External links

Etymology

The name of Athens in Ancient Greek was Athḗnai (Ἀθῆναι, pronounced [ʔaˈtʰɛːnai], or roughly "at-heh-nye"). Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c The actual etymology of the word is obscure and its origin prehellenic^[1]. An etiological myth on how Athens acquired this name was well known amongst ancient Athenians and even became the theme of Parthenon's West pediment sculpture. Etiology (alternatively aetiology, aitiology) is the study of causation. Both Athena and Poseidon requested to be patrons and give their name to the city, so they competed, offering the city one gift each. ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" Poseidon produced a spring by striking the ground with his trident, symbolizing naval power. A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface Athena created the olive tree, symbolizing peace and prosperity. Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive ( Olea europaea; family Oleaceae along with Lilacs Jasmine and ash trees The olive branch is a Branch of an Olive tree In Western culture, derived from the customs of Ancient Greece, it symbolizes peace or goodwill Wealth derives from the old English word "weal" which means "well-being The Athenians under Cecrops accepted the olive tree and named the city after Athena. Cecrops (in Greek,, Kékrōps) was a mythical king of Athens. Athḗnai is a plural form: the city was called "The Athenses" since it was originally a group of ten cities which Theseus unified into one city. For other uses see Theseus (disambiguation Theseus (Θησεύς was a Legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered

Origins and setting

Athens began its history in the Neolithic as a hill-fort on top of the Acropolis ("high city"), some time in the turn between the fouth and the third millennium BC ^[2]. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The Acropolis of Athens is the best known Acropolis (high city The "Sacred Rock" in the world The Acropolis is a natural defensive position which commands the surrounding plains. The settlement was about 20 km (12 mi) inland from the Saronic Gulf, in the centre of the Cephisian Plain, a fertile dale surrounded by rivers. The Saronic Gulf ( Greek: Σαρωνικός κόλπος Saronikós kólpos) or Gulf of Aegina in Greece forms part of the To the east lies Mount Hymettus, to the north Mount Pentelicus. Hymettus, also Hymettos (Υμηττός phonetic spelling Imitós) is a mountain range in the Athens area East Central Greece

The River Cephisus flowed in ancient times through the city. Cephissus (Athenian plain (Greek Κήφισσος Kifissós Kephissós Kêphissos or Cephisus (Greek Κήφισος Kêphissos) a river flowing through the Athenian Ancient Athens occupied a very small area compared to the sprawling metropolis of modern Athens. The walled ancient city encompassed an area measuring about 2 km (1 mi) from east to west and slightly less than that from north to south, although at its peak the city had suburbs extending well beyond these walls. The Acropolis was just south of the centre of this walled area. The Agora, the commercial and social centre of the city, was about 400 m (1,312 ft) north of the Acropolis, in what is now the Monastiraki district. The Agora was an open "place of assembly" in ancient Greek city-states Monastiraki redirects here For other uses see Monastiraki (disambiguation Monastiraki is a Flea market in the old town of The hill of the Pnyx, where the Athenian Assembly met, lay at the western end of the city. The Pnyx ( Greek: &Pi&nu&upsilon&xi, pronounced "Pnuks" in Ancient Greek, Πνύκα "Pnika" in Modern Greek

One of the most important religious sites in Athens was the Temple of Athena, known today as the Parthenon, which stood atop the Acropolis, where its evocative ruins still stand. The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis Two other major religious sites, the Temple of Hephaestus (which is still largely intact) and the Temple of Olympian Zeus or Olympeion (once the largest temple in Greece but now in ruins) also lay within the city walls. The Temple of Hephaestus and Athena Ergane (Ναός του Ηφαίστου και της Αθηνάς Εργάνης also known as the Hephaisteion (Ηφαιστείον The Temple of Olympian Zeus (Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός or Naos tou Olimpiou Dios also known as the Olympieion, is a colossal ruined temple in the centre

Based on Thucydides, the Athenian citizens at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War were 40,000, making with their families a total of 140,000. Thucydides ( C 460 BC &ndash C 395 BC) ( Greek Θουκυδίδης Thoukydídēs) was a Greek The metics, i. In Ancient Greece, the term metic meant resident alien a person who did not have citizen rights in their Greek City-state ( Polis) of residence e. those who did not have citizen rights and paid for the right to reside in Athens were 70,000 while slaves were estimated between 150,000 to 400,000. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another ^[3] Hence, approximately 6. 5 to 11% of the population were adult male citizens, eligible to meet and vote in the Assembly and be elected to office. After the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC the city's population began to decrease as Greeks migrated to the Hellenistic empires in the East. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ'

Early History

The Acropolis of Athens was inhabited from Neolithic times. The Acropolis of Athens is the best known Acropolis (high city The "Sacred Rock" in the world The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos By 1400 BC Athens had become a powerful center of the Mycenaean civilization. Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese Unlike other Mycenaean centers, such as Mycenae and Pylos, Athens was not sacked and abandoned at the time of the Doric invasion of about 1200 BC, and the Athenians always maintained that they were "pure" Ionians with no Doric element. "Lion Gate" redirects here For other uses see Lions' Gate (disambiguation. This article is about the Greek geographical feature and town The Dorians or Dorian Greeks ( Greek:, Dōrieis singular, Dōrieus were Geography Physical Ionia was of small extent not exceeding 90 geographical miles in length from north to south with a breadth varying from 40 to 55 miles but to this However, Athens lost most of its power and probably dwindled to a small hill fortress once again.

By the 8th century BC Athens had re-emerged, by virtue of its central location in the Greek world, its secure stronghold on the Acropolis and its access to the sea, which gave it a natural advantage over potential rivals such as Thebes and Sparta. Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη From early in the 1st millennium, Athens was a sovereign city-state, ruled at first by kings (see Kings of Athens). Before the Athenian democracy, the Tyrants and the Archons the City-state of Athens was ruled by kings. The kings stood at the head of a land-owning aristocracy known as the Eupatridae (the "well-born"), whose instrument of government was a Council which met on the Hill of Ares, called the Areopagus. Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations In Greek mythology, Ares ( Ancient Greek:, Μodern Greek Άρης) is the son of Zeus and Hera. This article concerns the place where a classical judicial body met This body appointed the chief city officials, the archons and the polemarch (commander-in-chief). Archon (Gr ἄρχων pl ἄρχοντες is a Greek word that means "ruler" frequently used as the title of a specific public office A polemarch (from πολέμαρχος polemarchos) was a senior military title in various ancient Greek City states ( poleis)

Before the concept of the political state arose, four tribes based upon family relationships dominated the area. The members had certain rights, privileges, and obligations:

• Common religious rites.
• A common burial place.
• Mutual rights of succession to property of deceased members.
• Reciprocal obligations of help, defense and redress of injuries.
• The right to intermarry in the gens in the cases of orphan daughters and heiresses.
• The possession of common property, an archon, and a treasurer.
• The limitation of descent to the male line.
• The obligation not to marry in the gens except in specified cases.
• The right to adopt strangers into the gens.
• The right to elect and depose its chiefs. ^[4]

During this period Athens succeeded in bringing the other towns of Attica under its rule. Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece This process of synoikismos – bringing together in one home – created the largest and wealthiest state on the Greek mainland, but it also created a larger class of people excluded from political life by the nobility. Synoikismos (Greek συνοικισμός roughly means "dwelling together" in Greek and was created to oppose Hegemony. By the 7th century BC social unrest had become widespread, and the Areopagus appointed Draco to draft a strict new lawcode (hence "draconian"). Draco (ˈdreɪkoʊ from Greek, drákɔːn was the first legislator of ancient Athens, Greece, 7th century BC. When this failed, they appointed Solon, with a mandate to create a new constitution (594). Solon ( ancient Greek:, c 638 BC&ndash558 BC was an Athenian Statesman, Lawmaker and Lyric poet.

Reform and democracy

The reforms of Solon dealt with both political and economic issues. The economic power of the Eupatridae was reduced by abolishing slavery as a punishment for debt, breaking up large landed estates and freeing up trade and commerce, which allowed the emergence of a prosperous urban trading class. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Landed property or landed estates is a Real estate term that usually refers to a property that generates income for the owner without the owner having to Politically, Solon divided the Athenians into four classes, based on their wealth and their ability to perform military service. The poorest class, the Thetes, who were the majority of the population, received political rights for the first time, being able to vote in the Ecclesia (Assembly), but only the upper classes could hold political office. ecclesia or ekklesia ( Greek) was the principal assembly of the democracy of ancient Athens during its Golden Age ( The Areopagus continued to exist but its powers were reduced.

The new system laid the foundations for what eventually became Athenian democracy, but in the short term it failed to quell class conflict, and after 20 years of unrest the popular party led by Peisistratus, a cousin of Solon, seized power (541). Athenian democracy developed in the Greek City-state of Athens Peisistratus (sometimes transliterated Peisistratos Psistratus, Peistratus, Pesistratusor or Pisistratus, Greek: Peisistratus is usually called a tyrant, but the Greek word tyrannos does not mean a cruel and despotic ruler, merely one who took power by force. In modern usage a tyrant is a single ruler holding absolute power over a State or within an Organization. Peisistratus was in fact a very popular ruler, who made Athens wealthy, powerful, and a centre of culture, and founded the Athenian naval supremacy in the Aegean Sea and beyond. Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. He preserved the Solonian constitution, but made sure that he and his family held all the offices of state.

Peisistratus died in 527, and was succeeded by his sons Hippias and Hipparchus. Hippias of Athens (Ἱππίας ὁ Ἀθηναῖος was one of the sons of Peisistratus, and was Tyrant of Athens in the 6th century BC Hipparchus (Ἵππαρχος (d 514 BCE was a ruler of Athens. They proved much less adept rulers, and in 514 Hipparchus was assassinated after a private dispute over a young man (see Harmodius and Aristogeiton). Harmodius (Ἁρμόδιος / Harmódios) and Aristogeiton (Ἀριστογείτων / Aristogeítôn) both d This led Hippias to establish a real dictatorship, which proved very unpopular and was overthrown, with the help of an army from Sparta, in 510. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη A radical politician of aristocratic background, Cleisthenes, then took charge. Cleisthenes (Κλεισθένης also Clisthenes or Kleisthenes) was a noble Athenian of the Alcmaeonid family He was the one who established democracy in Athens.

The reforms of Cleisthenes replaced the traditional four "tribes" (phyle) with ten new ones, named after legendary heroes and having no class basis: they were in fact electorates. For the suburb of Athens see Fyli. For the Geometer moth Genus, see Phyle (moth. Each tribe was in turn divided into three trittyes while each trittys had one or more demes (see deme) - depending on the population of the demes -, which became the basis of local government. Trittyes (singular trittys) were population divisions in ancient Attica, established by the reforms of Cleisthenes in 508 BC Ancient Greece, a deme ( δῆμος) was a subdivision of Attica, the region of Greece surrounding Athens. Ancient Greece, a deme ( δῆμος) was a subdivision of Attica, the region of Greece surrounding Athens. The tribes each elected fifty members to the Boule, a council which governed Athens on a day-to-day basis. In the cities of Ancient Greece, the boule ( Greek: βουλή, plural βουλαί or boulai from the Ancient Greek verb The Assembly was open to all citizens and was both a legislature and a supreme court, except in murder cases and religious matters, which became the only remaining functions of the Areopagus. Most offices were filled by lot, though the ten strategoi (generals) were, for obvious reasons, elected. For the board game see Stratego. "Strategus" redirects here This system remained remarkably stable, and with a few brief interruptions remained in place for 170 years, until Alexander the Great conquered Athens in 338 BC. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ'

Classical Athens

Main article: Classical Athens

Early Athenian Military History

Main articles: Ionian Revolt and Persian Wars

Prior to the rise of Athens, the city of Sparta considered itself the leader of the Greeks, or hegemon. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη Hegemony (hɨˈdʒɛməni (Amer /hɨˈɡɛməni/ (Brit (ἡγεμονία hēgemonía) is a concept that has been used to describe and explain the dominance of one social In 499 BC Athens sent troops to aid the Ionian Greeks of Asia Minor, who were rebelling against the Persian Empire (see Ionian Revolt). Geography Physical Ionia was of small extent not exceeding 90 geographical miles in length from north to south with a breadth varying from 40 to 55 miles but to this Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The Ionian Revolts were triggered by the actions of Aristagoras, the Tyrant of the Ionian city of Miletus at the end of the 6th century This provoked two Persian invasions of Greece, both of which were defeated under the leadership of the Athenian soldier-statesmen Miltiades and Themistocles (see Persian Wars). Miltiades the Younger ( Greek: Μιλτιάδης ὁ Νεὠτερος c Themistocles ( Greek:; c 524&ndash459 BC was an Athenian soldier and statesman In 490 the Athenians, lead by Miltiades, defeated the first invasion of the Persians, guided by the king Darius at the Battle of Marathon. Miltiades the Younger ( Greek: Μιλτιάδης ὁ Νεὠτερος c The Battle of Marathon ( Greek: Μάχη τοῡ Μαραθῶνος Machē tou Marathōnos) during the Greco-Persian Wars took place in 490 In 480 the Persians returned under a new ruler, Xerxes. The Persians had to pass through a narrow strait to get to Athens. A call had been sent via a runner to Sparta for help. The Spartans were in the middle of a religious festival, and so could only send three hundred men. The 300 Spartans and their allies blocked the narrow passageway from the 200,000 men of Xerxes (the Battle of Thermopylae). In the Battle of Thermopylae, which occurred in August 480 BC (and was detailed almost entirely by Herodotus) an alliance of Greek City-states fought They held them off for a number of days, but eventually all but one Spartan was killed (see Aristodemus (Spartan)). For the mythical descendent of Heracles see Aristodemus. Aristodemus was a Spartan warrior one of the famous Three Hundred This forced the Athenians to evacuate Athens, which was taken by the Persians and seek the protection of their fleet. Subsequently the Athenians and their allies, lead by Themistocles had defeated the still vastly larger Persian navy at sea in the Battle of Salamis. Themistocles ( Greek:; c 524&ndash459 BC was an Athenian soldier and statesman The Battle of Salamis ( Ancient Greek:) was a decisive naval battle between the Greek City-states and Persia in September 480 BC in the It is interesting to note that Xerxes had built himself a throne on the coast in order to see the Greeks defeated. Instead, the Persians were routed. Sparta's hegemony was passing to Athens, and it was Athens that took the war to Asia Minor. These victories enabled it to bring most of the Aegean and many other parts of Greece together in the Delian League, an Athenian-dominated alliance. The Delian League was an association of approximately 150 5th-century BC Greek City-states under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue

Artists and philosophers

Main articles: Greek philosophy and Greek theatre

The period from the end of the Persian Wars to the Macedonian conquest marked the zenith of Athens as a center of literature, philosophy (see Greek philosophy) and the arts (see Greek theatre). Ancient Greek philosophy focused on the role of Reason and Inquiry. The theatre of ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical Culture that flourished in ancient Greece between c In this society, the political satire of the Comic poets at the theaters, had a remarkable influence on public opinion. Political satire is a significant part of Satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politicsusing political cartoons politicians and public affairs Comedy was one of two principal dramatic forms in ancient Greece the other being Tragedy. The theatre of ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical Culture that flourished in ancient Greece between c That the manufacture of consent is capable of great refinements no one I think denies ^[5] Some of the most important figures of Western cultural and intellectual history lived in Athens during this period: the dramatists Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Euripides and Sophocles, the philosophers Aristotle, Plato and Socrates, the historians Herodotus, Thucydides and Xenophon, the poet Simonides and the sculptor Phidias, The leading statesman of this period was Pericles, who used the tribute paid by the members of the Delian League to build the Parthenon and other great monuments of classical Athens. Aeschylus (ˈɛskɨləs or /ˈiːskɨləs/ Greek: Ασχύλος, Aischylos, 525 BC/524 BC 456 BC/455 BC was an ancient Greek Playwright Aristophanes (Ἀριστοφάνης ˌærɪˈstɒfəniːz in English ca Euripides ( Ancient Greek:) (ca 480 BC–406 BC was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens (the other two being Aeschylus Sophocles (ˈsɒfəkliːz Ancient Greek, sopʰoklɛ̂ːs circa Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece SOCRATES is the European Community action programme in the field of Education. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash Thucydides ( C 460 BC &ndash C 395 BC) ( Greek Θουκυδίδης Thoukydídēs) was a Greek Xenophon (Ancient Greek, Modern Greek "Ξενοφών" "Ξενοφώντας" ca Phidias (or Pheidias; in Ancient Greek,; c[[ 80 BC]] c 430 BC) son of Charmides was an ancient Greek Pericles (also spelled Perikles) (c 495 – 429 BC Greek:, meaning "surrounded by glory" was a prominent and influential Statesman, orator The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis The city became, in Pericles's words, "the school of Hellas [Greece]. "

Peloponnesian War

Main article: Peloponnesian War

Resentment by other cities at the hegemony of Athens led to the Peloponnesian War in 431, which pitted Athens and her increasingly rebellious sea empire against a coalition of land-based states led by Sparta. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The conflict marked the end of Athenian command of the sea. A naval force has command of the sea when it is so strong that its rivals cannot attack it directly The war between the two city-state Sparta had defeated Athens.

Athenian coup of 411 BC

Main article: Athenian coup of 411 BC

The democracy was briefly overthrown by a coup in 411 due to its poor handling of the war, but quickly restored. The Athenian coup of 411 BC was a revolutionary movement during the Peloponnesian War which overthrew the democratic government of Ancient Athens, replacing The war ended with the complete defeat of Athens in 404. Since the defeat was largely blamed on democratic politicians such as Cleon and Cleophon, there was a brief reaction against democracy, aided by the Spartan army (the rule of the Thirty Tyrants). Cleon (Greek Κλέων (d 422 BC was an Athenian Strategos during the Peloponnesian War. Cleophon ( Greek:, Kleophōn; ?-404 BC was an Athenian politician and demagogue who was of great influence during the Peloponnesian War. The Thirty Tyrants (30 τύραννοι or οἱ Τριάκοντα were a pro- Spartan Oligarchy installed in Athens after its defeat in the Peloponnesian In 403, democracy was restored by Thrasybulus and an amnesty declared. Thrasybulus ( Θρασύβουλος, 'brave-willed' θræsɪˈbjuːləs d

Corinthian War and the Second Athenian League

Sparta's former allies soon turned against her due to her imperialist policy and soon Athens's former enemies Thebes and Corinth had become her allies. Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. Argos, Thebes, Corinth, allied with Athens, fought against Sparta in the indecisive Corinthian War (395 BC - 387 BC). Argos ( Greek: Ἄργος, Árgos ˈaɾɣos is a city in Greece in the Peloponnese near Nafplio, which was its historic harbor Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The Corinthian War was an ancient Greek conflict lasting from 395 BC until 387 BC pitting Sparta against a coalition of four allied states Thebes Opposition to Sparta enabled Athens to establish a Second Athenian League. The Second Athenian Empire or Confederacy was a maritime confederation of Aegean city-states from 378 BC - 355 BC and headed by Athens primarily Finally Thebes defeated Sparta in 371 in the Battle of Leuctra. Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides The Battle of Leuctra (or Leuktra was a battle fought between the Thebans and the Spartans and their respective allies amidst the post- Corinthian War conflict Then the Greek cities (including Athens and Sparta) turned against Thebes whose dominance was stopped at the Battle of Mantinea (362 BC) with the death of its military genius leader Epaminondas. Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides The Battle of Mantinea was fought in 362 BC between the Thebans, led by Epaminondas and supported by the Arcadians and the Boeotian Epaminondas ( Greek:) (ca 418 BC&ndash362 BC was a Theban General and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek

Athens under Macedon

Further information: Alexander the Great, Antigonid dynasty, and Seleucid Empire

By mid century, however, the northern Greek kingdom of Macedon was becoming dominant in Athenian affairs, despite the warnings of the last great statesman of independent Athens, Demosthenes. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' The Antigonid dynasty was a dynasty of Macedonian Hellenistic kings descended from Alexander the Great's general Antigonus I Monophthalmus ("the One-eyed" The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most For the Athenian general see Demosthenes (general. For the ancient physician see Demosthenes Philalethes. In 338 BC the armies of Philip II defeated the other Greek cities at the Battle of Chaeronea, effectively ending Athenian independence. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse The Battle of Chaeronea 338 BC, fought near Chaeronea, in Boeotia, was the greatest victory of Philip II of Macedon. Further, the conquests of his son, Alexander the Great, widened Greek horizons and made the traditional Greek city state obsolete. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Athens remained a wealthy city with a brilliant cultural life, but ceased to be an independent power. In the 2nd century, after 200 years of Macedonian supremacy, Greece was absorbed into the Roman Republic. The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the

Roman Athens

Main articles: Roman Empire and Roman Greece

In 88-85BC, most Athenian houses and fortifications were leveled by Roman general Sulla, while many civic buildings and monuments were left intact. Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix ( Latin: L•CORNELIVS•L•F•P•N•SVLLA•FELIX (c ^[6] Under Rome, Athens was given the status of a free city because of its widely admired schools. The Roman emperor Hadrian would construct, a library, a gymnasium, an aqueduct which is still in use, several temples and sanctuaries, a bridge and would finance the completion of the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The Temple of Olympian Zeus (Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός or Naos tou Olimpiou Dios also known as the Olympieion, is a colossal ruined temple in the centre ^[7]

The city was sacked by the Heruli in 267 AD resulting in the burning of all the public buildings, the plundering of the lower city, and the damaging of the Agora and Acropolis. The Heruli (spelled variously in Latin and Greek) were a nomadic Germanic people, who were subjugated by the Ostrogoths Huns and After this the city to the north of the Acropolis was hastily refortified on a smaller scale with the Agora left outside the walls. Athens remained a centre of learning and philosophy during 500 years of Roman rule, patronized by emperors such as Nero and Hadrian. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( December 15, 37 – June 9, 68) born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Publius Aelius Hadrianus (January 24 76 &ndash July 10 138 as emperor Imperator Caesar Divi Traiani filius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, and Divus Hadrianus after But the conversion of the Empire to Christianity ended the city's role as a centre of pagan learning; the Emperor Justinian closed the schools of philosophy in 529 AD. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus ( Greek: Φλάβιος Πέτρος Σαββάτιος Ιουστινιανός; known in English as Justinian I or This is generally taken to mark the end of the ancient history of Athens.

Byzantine Athens

Further information: Byzantine Empire and Byzantine Greece

By 529 AD, Athens was under rule by the Byzantines and had grown out of favor. Roman Greece See also Roman Greece The Greek peninsula became a Roman protectorate in 146 BC, and the Aegean islands were added ^[6] The Parthenon and Erechtheion were transformed into churches. During the period of the Byzantine Empire Athens was a provincial town, and experienced fluctuating fortunes. In the early years many of its works of art were taken by the emperors to Constantinople. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Furthermore, although the Byzantines retained control of the Aegean and its islands throughout this period, during the seventh and eighth centuries direct control did not extend far beyond the coast. From about 600 the city shrank considerably due to barbarian raids by the Avars and Slavs, and was reduced to a shadow of its former self. The Caucasian Avars are a modern people of Caucasus, mainly of Dagestan. As the seventh century progressed, much of Greece was overrun by Slavic peoples from the north, and Athens entered a period of uncertainty and insecurity.

By the middle of the 9th century, as Greece was fully reconquered again, the city began to recover. Just as other cities benefited from improved security and the restoration of effective central control during this period, so Athens expanded once more.

The invasions of the Turks after the battle of Manzikert in 1071 and the ensuing civil wars largely passed the region by, and Athens continued its provincial existence unharmed. Malazgirt (also Malâzgird; Մանզիկերտ Manzikert) is a town in Muş Province in eastern Turkey, with a population of 23697 (year 2000 When the Byzantine Empire was rescued by the resolute leadership of the three Komnenos emperors Alexios, John and Manuel, Attica and the rest of Greece prospered. Alexios I Komnenos, or Comnenus (Greek Αλέξιος Α' Κομνηνός (1048 &ndash August 15, 1118) Byzantine emperor (1081&ndash1118 John II Komnenos or Comnenus ( Iōannēs II Komnēnos) ( September 13, 1087 &ndash April 8, 1143) was Byzantine For the eldest son of Andronikos I Komnenos and father of Alexios I of Trebizond, see Manuel Komnenos (born 1145. Archaeological evidence tells us that the medieval town experienced a period of rapid and sustained growth, starting in the eleventh century and continuing until the end of the twelfth century. The agora or marketplace, which had been deserted since late antiquity, began to be built over, and soon the town became an important centre for the production of soaps and dyes. The growth of the town attracted the Venetians, and various other traders who frequented the ports of the Aegean, to Athens. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the This interest in trade appears to have further increased the economic prosperity of the town.

The 11th and 12th centuries were the Golden Age of Byzantine art in Athens. Byzantine art is the term commonly used to describe the artistic products of the Byzantine Empire from about the 4th century until the Fall of Constantinople Almost all of the most important Byzantine churches around Athens were built during these two centuries, and this reflects the growth of the town in general. However, this medieval prosperity was not to last. In 1204, the Fourth Crusade conquered Athens and the city was not recovered from the Latins before it was taken by the Ottoman Turks. The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. The Ottoman Turks were the subdivision of the Ottoman Muslim Millet that dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. It did not become Greek in government again until the 19th century.

Latin Athens

Further information: Duchy of Athens

From 1204 until 1458, Athens was ruled by Latins in three separate periods. The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, It was initially the capital of the eponymous Duchy of Athens, a fief of the Latin Empire which replaced Byzantium. The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople (original Latin name Imperium Romaniae, " Empire of Romania " is the After Thebes became a possession of the Latin dukes, which were of the Burgundian family called De la Roche, it replaced Athens as the capital and seat of government, though Athens remained the most influential ecclesiastical centre in the duchy and site of a prime fortress. Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides In 1311, Athens was conquered by the Catalan Company, a band of mercenaries called almogávares. The Catalan Company of the East ( Catalan Companyia Catalana d'Orient) officially the Company of the Army of the Franks in Romania The Almogavars ( Aragonese: Almogabars, Catalan: Almogàvers, Spanish: Almogávares, from Arabic: Al-Mugavari It was held by the Catalans until 1388. After 1379, when Thebes was lost, it became the capital of the duchy again. In 1388, the Florentine Nerio I Acciajuoli took the city and made himself duke. Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany Nerio I Acciaioli (full name Rainerio; died 25 September 1394) was as Italian aristocrat from Florence who rose to power in Frankish His descendants ruled the city (as their capital) until the Turkish conquest of 1458. It was the last Latin state in Greece to fall.

Burgundian period

Under the Burgundian dukes, a bell tower was added to the Parthenon. The Burgundians brought chivalry and tournaments to Athens; they also fortified the Acropolis. Chivalric order Chivalry is a term related to the Medieval institution of Knighthood. This article is about the tournaments of the Middle Ages For the general article on tournaments see Tournament. They were themselves influenced by Greek culture and their court was a syncretistic mix of classical knowledge and French knightly haute couture.

Catalan period

The history of Catalan Athens, called Cetines (rarely Athenes) by the conquerors, is most obscure. Athens was a veguería with its own castellan, captain, and veguer. The vegueria (pl vegueries; Castilian: veguería, Latin: vigeria) was the territorial jurisdiction of a veguer (Latin At some point during the Catalan period, the Acropolis was further fortified and the Athenian archdiocese received an extra two suffragan sees. A suffragan bishop is a Bishop subordinate to a Metropolitan bishop or Diocesan bishop.

Florentine period

The Florentines had to dispute the city with the Republic of Venice, but they ultimately emerged victorious after seven years of Venetian rule (1395–1402). The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica

Ottoman Athens

Finally, in 1458, Athens fell to the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish As the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II the Conqueror rode into the city, he was greatly struck by the beauty of its ancient monuments and issued a firman (imperial edict) forbidding their looting or destruction, on pain of death. The Parthenon was converted into Athen's main mosque. The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger ^[6]

Despite the initial efforts of the Ottoman authorities to turn Athens into a model provincial capital, the city's population severely declined and by the 17th century it was a mere village. Great damage to Athens was caused in the 17th century, when Ottoman power was declining. The Turks would begin a practice of storing gun powder and explosives in the Parthenon and Propylaea. In 1640, a lighting bolt would strike the Propylaea, causing its destruction. ^[8] In 1687, Athens was besieged by the Venetians, and the temple of Athena Nike was dismantled by the Ottomans to fortify the Parthenon. A shot fired during the bombardment of the Acropolis caused a powder magazine in the Parthenon to explode, and the building was severely damaged, giving it the appearance we see today. The occupation of the Acropolis continued for six months, but even the Venetians participated in the looting of the Parthenon. One of the west pediments of the Parthenon would be removed causing even more damage to the structure. The following year Turkish forces set fire to the city. Ancient monuments were destroyed to provide material for a new wall with which the Ottomans surrounded the city in 1778. Between 1801 and 1805 Lord Elgin, the British resident at Athens, removed reliefs from the Parthenon (see Elgin marbles for more detail. Thomas Bruce 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine ( July 20, 1766, Broomhall Fife - November 14, 1841, Paris) The Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Marbles, are a collection of Classical Greek Marble sculptures inscriptions and architectural members ) Along with the Panatheniac frieze, one of the six caryatids of the Erechtheion was extracted and replaced with a plaster mold. The Erechtheum (Έρέχθειον Erechtheion) is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece All in all, fifty sculptural pieces were carried away from the Parthenon including three fragments purchased by the French. ^[6]

Independence from the Ottomans

In 1822 a Greek insurgency captured the city, but it fell to the Ottomans again in 1826. Again the ancient monuments suffered badly. Partially funded by Lord Byron, the Greeks continued to fight. Ottoman forces remained in possession until 1833, when they withdrew and Athens was chosen as the capital of the newly established kingdom of Greece. At that time the city was virtually uninhabited, being merely a cluster of buildings at the foot of the Acropolis, where the Plaka district is now.

Modern Athens

In 1832, Otto, Prince of Bavaria was proclaimed King of Greece. Otto of Greece (Όθων Βασιλεύς της Ελλάδος Othon Vasileus tis Ellados) (1 June 1815 – 26 July 1867 was made the first modern king of Greece Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 He adopted the Greek spelling of his name, King Othon as well as Greek national dress, and moved the capital of Greece back to Athens. Othon's first task as king was to make a detailed archaeological and topographical survey of Athens. He assigned Gustav Eduard Schaubert and Stamatios Kleanthes to complete this task. ^[6] At that time Athens had a population of roughly 4,000-5,000 people, located in what today covers the district of Plaka in Athens. Pláka (Πλάκα is the picturesque old historical neighbourhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating

Athens was chosen as the Greek capital for historical and sentimental reasons, not because it was a large city: there are few buildings in Athens from the period of Byzantine Empire and the 18th century. Once the capital was established there, a modern city plan was laid out and public buildings erected. The finest legacy of this period are the buildings of the University of Athens (1837), Old Royal Palace (now the Greek Parliament Building) (1843), the National Gardens of Athens (1840), the National Library of Greece (1842), the Greek National Academy (1885), the Zappeion Exhibition Hall (1878), the Old Parliament Building (1858), the New Royal Palace (now the Presidential Palace) (1897) and the Athens Town Hall (1874). The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Εθνικόν και Καποδιστριακόν Πανεπιστήμιον Αθηνών usually referred to simply as the The Hellenic Parliament ( Βουλή των Ελλήνων; transliterated Vouli (also Boule) ton Ellinon; literally 'Will of the Greeks' from the The National Garden (formerly the Royal Garden) ( Greek: Εθνικός Κήπος is a peaceful green refuge of 15 The National Library of Greece (Εθνική Βιβλιοθήκη is situated near the center of city of Athens. The Zappeion is a building in the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens Greece. The Old Parliament building ( Παλαιά Βουλή, Palaia Voulē) at Stadiou Street in Athens, housed the Greek Parliament The Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece, is the official residence of the President of the Hellenic Republic.

Population Influx

Main articles: Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) and Population exchange between Greece and Turkey

Athens experienced its first period of explosive growth following the disastrous war with Turkey in 1921, when more than a million Greek refugees from Asia Minor were resettled in Greece. The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey is the first large-scale population exchange, or agreed mutual expulsion in the 20th century Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Suburbs such as Nea Ionia and Nea Smyrni began as refugee settlements on the Athens outskirts. Nea Ionia (Νέα Ιωνία meaning New Ionia is a northern suburb of Athens, Greece. Nea Smyrni or Nea Smirni (Νέα Σμύρνη New Smyrna is a suburb south of Athens, Greece.

Athens Under the Nazis

Main article: Axis Occupation of Greece during WWII

Athens was occupied by the Germans during World War II and experienced terrible privations during the later years of the war. The Axis occupation of Greece during World War II ( Η Κατοχή, I Katochi, meaning "The Occupation" began in April World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In 1944 there was heavy fighting in the city between Communist forces and the royalists backed by the British. The Communist Party of Greece (Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας Kommounistikó Kómma Elládas) better known by its acronym ΚΚΕ (usually

Postwar Athens

Main article: Greek Civil War

After World War II the city began to grow again as people migrated from the villages and islands to find work. Greek entry into the European Union in 1981 brought a flood of new investment to the city, but also increasing social and environmental problems. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Athens had some of the worst traffic congestion and air pollution in the world. This posed a new threat to the ancient monuments of Athens, as traffic vibration weakened foundations and air pollution corroded marble. The city's environmental and infrastructure problems were the main reason Athens failed to secure the 1996 centenary Olympic Games. The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, were an International

Athens Today

After this, both the city of Athens and the Greek government, aided by European Union funds, undertook major infrastructure projects such as the new Athens Airport and a new metro system. Athens Airport may refer to Athens International Airport in Athens Greece (IATA ATH ICAO LGAV The city also tackled air pollution by restricting the use of cars in the centre of the city. As a result, Athens was awarded the 2004 Olympic Games. The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated Despite the scepticism of many observers, the games were a great success and brought renewed international prestige (and tourism revenue) to Athens.

Historical Population

Throughout its long history, Athens has had many different population levels. The table below shows the historical population of Athens in modern history.

Year	City population	Urban population	Metro population
1833	4,000[6]	-	-
1870	44,500[6]	-	-
1896	123,000[6]	-	-
1921 (Pre-Population exchange)	473,000[6]	-	-
1921 (Post-Population exchange)	718,000[6]	-	-
1971	867,023[9]	-	-
1981	885,737	-	-
1991	772,072	-	3,444,358[10]
2001	745,514[11]	3,130,841[11]	3,761,810[11]

Notable Athenians

Athenian pederasty entailed a formal bond between an adult man and an adolescent boy outside his immediate family consisting of loving and often sexual relations The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's

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