About Athens, Greece

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Basic Intro to Athens

Athens, the capital of Greece and named for the goddess Athena - where does one begin when writing about this city of extremes with its ancient and chequered history of invasion and, in turn, invaded. Its history spans at least four and a half thousand years and touches every aspect of life from war to arts and culture to maths and literature. Its fortunes see-sawed though the ages as it enjoyed dominant status in the 5th century BC and subsequent decline then another period of affluence and influence around the 10th to 12th centuries AD followed again by decline and stagnation under Ottoman rule. In the 19th century Greece became an independent state and Athens emerged again as the principal city.

Historically, with its status as a city state, ancient Athens was a powerful force to be reckoned with both on the battlefield and in the arts and culture. Athens was associated with Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Sophocles and Pericles and is widely acknowledged as the home of the civilisation and democracy with which the western world is familiar today. Athens hosted the first modern 'Olympic Games' in 1896 after a lapse of 1500 years. The first Olympic Games were just one race, the 'stadion' (from which we get the modern word, 'stadium') in 776 BC in Olympia in the Western Peloponnese. They would grow to include other sporting events and gruelling tests of endurance over 5 days and be held every 4 years. This period of time was known as the olympiad. So important were these games that they were held in a gigantic purpose-built stadium, with its towering statue of the god Zeus, and would be held, regardless of war or other circumstances, every 4 years, until 393 AD when they were banned by decree of the emperor Theodosius 1, who was intent on crushing the worship of Greek gods.

Tourist today are the latest in a long line stretching back over many hundreds of years as Athens continues to fascinate the traveller. Today there are many theatres, sports activites, shopping centres and places to eat and drink, all tempting the traveller to visit and enjoy; and that's before you turn your attention to it's story! Everywhere the visitor to Athens looks there is evidence of its long history. See the ancient monuments such as the Parthenon and the Acropolis and look for relics of Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman occupation of the city. Today it is a modern and cosmopolitan city centred on the hill of the acropolis and now also including the ancient port of Piraeus. Today the archaeological importance of Athens is almost unsurpassed with numerous museums to vist including the Byzantine Museum, the Epigraphic Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, the Cycladic Museum, and not forgetting the museums at the ancient Agora, Kerameikos and Acropolis. It is also a magnet for serious scholars of antiquity with numerous libraries, laboratories exhibitions etc., all facilitating their study.

Some of the places on your 'must - visit' list can include the Parthenon; Omonoia Square, the oldest square in Athens, which is often the scene of jubilation when Greece enjoys a sporting victory; Syntagma Square in the centre, linked to Monastiraki by Ermou Street which is packed with consumer goods to make even the most jaded shopper feel 'new-born'! If you want to feel that you're in the more traditional part of the city then visit Plaka, near the Acropolis where you'll find small inns and, in nearby Monastiraki, small shops and markets. Still in this area is the Temple of Hephaestus on its hill in Thission. Kolonaki, near the Lycabettus hill, offers a range of fashionable shops and restaurants but also has museums and galleries to visit.

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