Athens Then and Now
By Cornell Scott / November 13, 2024
Athens Then
Athens, the historic capital of Greece, is a city deeply shaped by its geography and natural surroundings.
Located in the central Attica Basin, Athens is bordered by four prominent mountains: Mount Aigaleo to the west, Mount Parnitha to the north, Mount Pentelicus to the northeast, and Mount Hymettus to the east.
These mountains not only define the city’s landscape but also contribute to its complex climate. Mount Parnitha, the tallest of the four, rises to 1,413 meters (4,636 feet) and is designated as a national park, offering a natural retreat amidst the urban sprawl.
Athens itself extends over 50 kilometers, stretching from Agios Stefanos in the north to Varkiza in the south, and the city is positioned in the northern temperate zone.
The city’s hilly terrain, including the notable Lycabettus Hill, offers breathtaking panoramic views of the entire Attica Basin.
However, Athens’ unique geography also contributes to significant environmental challenges, particularly air pollution.
The surrounding mountains can trap warm air and create temperature inversions, a phenomenon that exacerbates the city’s air quality issues, especially when combined with industrial pollution.
This atmospheric inversion is a problem shared by other major cities like Los Angeles and Mexico City.
Additionally, Athens is home to several historic rivers, such as the Cephissus, Ilisos, and Eridanos, which have played an important role in its development over the centuries.
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Athens History
Athens, one of the oldest cities in the world, boasts a rich and complex history that spans over 5,000 years.
The earliest human presence in Athens can be traced to the Cave of Schist, dating back to between the 11th and 7th millennia BC, marking the beginning of its long history of continuous habitation.
By 1400 BC, Athens had developed into a significant center of the Mycenaean civilization.
The Acropolis, a prominent feature of the city, housed a major fortress with Cyclopean walls, indicative of its importance.
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Despite the decline many Mycenaean centers experienced around 1200 BC due to the mysterious Dorian invasion, Athens continued to thrive economically and culturally during the Iron Age, from around 900 BC onward, becoming a major trade hub in the region.
In the 6th century BC, Athens began to undergo significant political reforms under the leadership of Solon, which laid the groundwork for the establishment of democracy by Cleisthenes in 508 BC.
By this time, Athens had risen to prominence as a naval power, playing a critical role in the defeat of the Persians during the Greco-Persian Wars.
Despite initial setbacks, such as the sack of the city after the heroic resistance at Thermopylae, Athens rebounded and flourished during its Golden Age.
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The city became the cultural and intellectual heart of Ancient Greece, with monumental achievements in philosophy, the arts, and science.
Philosophers like Socrates, historians like Herodotus and Thucydides, and playwrights such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, all made their mark during this period, which also saw the construction of iconic structures like the Parthenon under the guidance of Pericles.
However, Athens’ imperial ambitions through the Delian League led to tensions with rival city-states, particularly Sparta, culminating in the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), which resulted in Athens’ defeat.
By the 4th century BC, Athens had to contend with the rising power of Macedon, particularly under Philip II, who decisively defeated an alliance of Greek states at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC.
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In the subsequent centuries, Athens found itself under the control of the Roman Empire, which granted the city the status of a free city due to its renowned schools.
This period saw a flourishing of new architectural projects, such as those initiated by Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, alongside the expansion of Roman influence throughout Greece.
As the Roman Empire transitioned to Christianity, Athens, once the center of ancient learning, saw a decline in its political and cultural significance.
Monuments like the Parthenon were converted into Christian churches, and the city’s identity shifted.
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Despite being sacked by various groups, including the Heruli in 267 AD and the Visigoths in 396 AD, Athens remained a hub for Neoplatonic philosophy.
However, the decline continued, particularly after Emperor Justinian I’s decision to close the philosophical schools in 529 AD, which marked a significant blow to the city’s intellectual legacy.
Athens continued its decline under the control of various empires. In the 7th century, the city was raided by the Slavs and later threatened by the Saracens, though it eventually came under Byzantine rule once more.
By the 12th century, Athens saw a brief resurgence in prosperity, particularly under Byzantine rule, but this was soon shattered by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, which left the city in the hands of the Latin Crusaders.
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After a period of Latin and Ottoman control, Athens was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1458.
Under Ottoman rule, Athens was relegated to a minor provincial town, and its monuments, including the Parthenon, were used for military purposes, leading to significant damage, particularly when the Venetians attacked the Acropolis in 1687.
The 19th century marked a turning point for Athens, as it became the center of the newly established Kingdom of Greece following the Greek War of Independence.
The city’s population had dwindled, but it was chosen to be the capital due to its historical significance.
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The first modern city plan was designed to highlight the city’s ancient roots, and Athens slowly began to rebuild.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Athens began to modernize, culminating in hosting the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
However, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that Athens experienced a population boom, which brought both economic growth and significant urban challenges, including pollution and congestion.
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In recent decades, Athens has made strides in overcoming these challenges.
Measures to reduce pollution and improve infrastructure, such as the expansion of the metro system and the construction of the Athens International Airport, have made the city more functional.
Hosting the 2004 Summer Olympics marked a high point in the city’s modern development, signaling its transformation into a bustling metropolis that still honors its ancient past while embracing the future.
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Athens Now
Athens, the capital and largest city of Greece, is a city steeped in history and significance. Situated in the Mediterranean, it is not only the capital of the Attica region but also the southernmost capital in Europe.
The city’s urban area is home to over three million people, making it one of the largest urban centers in the European Union.
While the Municipality of Athens has a population of just over 640,000, the greater Athens metropolitan area, which includes the surrounding regions, has a population of nearly 3.64 million.
This makes Athens a major economic and cultural hub, with a rich heritage that spans thousands of years.
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Athens is often regarded as one of the oldest cities in the world, with a history dating back over 3,400 years.
Human habitation in the area began sometime between the 11th and 7th millennia BC, and by classical antiquity, Athens had become one of the most powerful city-states in ancient Greece.
Known for its democratic system, artistic achievements, and intellectual advancements, Classical Athens was a center of philosophy, education, and the arts.
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It was the birthplace of democracy and a place where thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle shaped the foundation of Western thought.
This historical legacy continues to influence modern society today.
In addition to its cultural and philosophical contributions, Athens is also renowned for its monumental architecture, especially the Parthenon, a symbol of Ancient Greek civilization and Western culture.
The city’s rich heritage is not limited to the Classical period, however.
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It also contains significant Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman-era monuments, which are spread throughout the urban landscape. The presence of such diverse historical layers adds to the city’s unique charm and cultural depth.
In modern times, Athens is a vibrant, cosmopolitan metropolis that plays a central role in Greece’s political, economic, and cultural life.
The city is a key economic hub in Southeastern Europe, with a bustling financial sector and an important maritime industry, particularly the port of Piraeus, which is one of the busiest passenger ports in Europe.
Athens has also made its mark on the global stage, being recognized as a Beta-status global city and a key economic center in the region.
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Furthermore, the city is home to numerous museums, including the National Archaeological Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of ancient Greek antiquities, and the Acropolis Museum, which showcases the rich history of the iconic Acropolis.
Athens’ historical and cultural significance is reflected in its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with two major sites—the Acropolis and the Daphni Monastery—being recognized for their exceptional universal value.
As the birthplace of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, Athens continues to hold a special place in the world’s sporting history, having also hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics.
This combination of ancient history, modern significance, and cultural prominence makes Athens not only a city of great historical importance but also a thriving, dynamic metropolis at the heart of Greece.
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FAQs
Athens is most famous for being the birthplace of democracy, its contributions to philosophy, and its rich cultural heritage, particularly during the Classical Era.
Key landmarks like the Parthenon and philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle make it a symbol of Western civilization.
Athens is in Europe. It is the capital city of Greece, located in the southeastern part of the continent, near the Mediterranean coast.
In terms of population, Athens (with over 3 million people in the metropolitan area) is slightly smaller than Rome (with around 4.3 million people).
However, both cities are important capitals in their respective countries.
Athens is a Greek city. It was one of the most influential city-states of Ancient Greece, known for its role in developing democracy, philosophy, and the arts.
Although it was later influenced by Roman rule, its origins and primary cultural heritage are Greek.