Facts about Ancient Greece Government give the interesting ideas and philosophies of the government in ancient Greece. The origins of Athens date back to 3000BC, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. The first history of Athens was recorded around 3,400 years ago making it Europe's oldest capital and one of the... 2. Records show the city’s origins go back to around 3,400 years ago, also making it one of the oldest cities in the ... Athens has experienced almost every form of government. Athens lies 5 miles (8 km) from the Bay of Phaleron, an inlet of the Aegean (Aigaíon) Sea where Piraeus (Piraiévs), the port of Athens, is situated, in a mountain-girt arid basin divided north-south by a line of hills. The city started to decline in 529, when the Emperor Justinian I closed its philosophical schools. 9. The nights are cool. Athens was the largest and most influential of the Greek city-states. 3.8 million. Athens was the … Many important people wandered its streets throughout time. Athens is one of the great cities of the world. 1. The people of Athens chose their ruler. In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic, financial, industrial, maritime, political and cultural life in Greece. It was a recreation of the route used by the legendary runner, Pheidippides, in 490 BC to announce the Athenian victory against the Persians at the battle of Marathon 25 miles away. Yet such considerations are superficial when compared with the fecundity of Athens’s bequests to the world, such as its philosophy, its architecture, its literature, and its political ideals. The city, after all, nurtured Western civilization thousands of years ago. 15 Incredible Facts About Athens. The kings ruled both cities. Six display archaeological treasures uncovered during the metro's construction. Back then it was a small town with only 10,000 citizens. Fun Fact: Every full moon in August, the Acropolis stays open until 2am with live music and theatrical performances; it is free to all. Athens - Athens - The city plan: In 1833 there was almost no Athens at all. The Parthenon was made a Christian church. City Of Athens Facts 42. It was known for the amount of learning that happened there. One of the weird facts about Athens, is that it only became the capital city of Greece relatively recently. Acropolis is a rocky hill and most of … It became capital during the reign of King Otto in 1834. Omissions? The Athens Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) is said to be the 8th most populated LUZ in the European Union. Athens was at the centre of an area known as Attica. IT’S THE MOST FAMOUS OF MANY ACROPOLEIS. Actress, activist, and Minister of Culture, Melina Mercouri, is credited with the establishment of the institution, the "European Capital of Culture." 1. They established themselves near the crag, which later would become the Acropolis. It also had its own Constitution. During German occupation (1941-1944) it was used as Nazi HQ. Athens is a Beta global city according to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, and is one of the biggest economic centers in southeastern Europe. There were many important city-states in Ancient Greece, but Athens was perhaps the most important and the most powerful. Athens was a powerful city in Classical times. This set a mod… Of course, the poetic impulse to make a good story better leads to considerable exaggeration in daily conversation, suiting a vanity that goes with a sharp-edged sense of personal and family honour and the spoiling of children. This long history of passion and suffering has had considerable effect on the Athenian character. For treatment of the city in its regional setting, see Greece; historical and cultural aspects are treated further in the article ancient Greek civilization. 6. Athens began as a small, Mycenaen community and grew to become a city that, at its height, epitomized the best of Greek virtues and enjoyed such prestige that the Spartans refused to sack the city or enslave the citizens, even after Athens' defeat in the Peloponnesian War. The city was home to Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum. Facts about Athena. Here are some facts about Ancient Athens. It is the oldest civilization where the first recorded human inhabitants were in 3000 BC. She sprang from Zeus’s head, full-grown and clothed in armor. She was the daughter of Zeus; no mother bore her. Athens is the third largest city in Europe and it is the home of ancient civilization. The ancient heroes, too, were vain about both themselves and honour, boasting as much about outwitting the enemy as about outfighting him. As of May 2019, the population of Athens is about 3 million people. This olive tree brought various benefits to the city and its people, such as wood, food, and oil. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The climate of the city permits outdoor activity the year round and has had an important effect on both the style of architecture and the life and political institutions of the city. Professor of Archaeology, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1949–71. According to Homer’s account in the Iliad, Athena was a … Here are 10 fun facts about Athens, Greece that you might not already know: 1. The story of Athena is very similar to the story of the founding of Greece. The oldest hotel in Athens, The Grand Bretagne, was first the royal guesthouse. The Athens metro currently has twenty-eight stations, all of which exhibit artwork by contemporary Greek artists. 8. 7. Athens is Europe’s oldest capital. Hitler and Rommel were there on the eve of the Soviet Invasion. Facts about Ancient Athens 1: the states Even though the states in ancient Greek had different law and money, they had the similar religions and languages. The climate of Athens is benign: frost is rare (the minimum temperature is 32 °F, or 0 °C) and snow seldom lies, while the summers, though hot (maximum temperature is 99 °F, or 37 °C), are dry, and a fresh northeasterly wind often blows by day. Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world and has been continuously inhabited for around 7,000 years! The city center of Athens is only 15 sq miles or 39 sq kilometers. 11. Athens took its name from the goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge.Sparta, a town near the river Evrotas, is located in the center of t… Some three centuries after the death of Pericles (429 bce), Athenians entered upon a period of bondage that lasted almost 2,000 years. It had many fine buildings and was named after Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare. 12. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, having survived over 3000 years. Both Athens and Sparta hold historic value for Greece and the world. So, let’s take a look at 12 facts about the sacred hill of Athens. The ancient Olympic games were never actually held there. It was known as a beautiful public buildings, public bath, shops, and busy city. The long oral tradition, alive even under the invader, has reflected and stimulated a taste for rich talk. If it … Her temple was the Parthenon. The Greek Orthodox Church, which is directed by a synod sitting in Athens, was a main force in keeping alive the Greek language, tradition, and literature when such things were forbidden, and most people still support it. Athens is the largest city of Greece, apart from being one of the oldest cities of the world. The surrounding mountains—Párnis, 4,636 feet (1,413 metres); Pentelicus (Pendéli), 3,631 feet; Hymettos (Imittós), 3,365 feet; and Aigáleon, 1,535 feet—add to the impression of barrenness. The most important cities in ancient Greek were Sparta and Athens. It was also the first Greek city-state to adopt a fully democratic system of government. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. It is located in Central Greece in the southern part of the region of Attica. Athens was part of the Ottoman Empire (1458-1832) while the rest of Western Europe was experiencing the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution. The birth place of democracy and the largest city of Greece, but the records for the of! Know the world stage to this day symbol of freedom, art and... 529, when the Emperor Justinian I closed its philosophical schools this long history of Western Europe experiencing! And suffering has had considerable effect on the eve of the world system government... 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