- Modern Greek:
- AthĆnai
- Ancient Greek:
- AthÄnai
Athens
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What is Athens?
Athens is the historical capital of Greece and is considered the birthplace of Western civilization. It is located inland from the Aegean Sea, near its port, Piraeus. Approaching from the Middle East, Athens appears as a contemporary European city, but from the west, its food, music, and lively streets reveal Eastern influences.
After being freed from bondage in 1833, Athens became the capital and grew from a small settlement to a city of over 167,000 by 1907. Today, Athens is a hub for mercantile business and manufacturing in Greece, with a significant amount of the country's jobs in industry and handicrafts located in the city.
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Where is Athens located?
Athens, the historic capital of Greece, is located in the east-central part of the country. Situated in a mountain-girt arid basin, it lies 5 miles (8 km) from the Bay of Phaleron, an inlet of the Aegean Sea, where its port, Piraeus, is located.
Greater Athens has an area of 165 square miles (427 square km). The KifisĆ³s River flows through the western half, while the IlisĆ³s River traverses the eastern half. The city is surrounded by mountains, including PĆ”rnis, Pentelicus, Hymettos, and AigĆ”leon.
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Why is Athens important to Greece?
Athens holds significant importance for Greece due to its rich history and contributions to Western civilization. As the capital city, Athens serves as the hub for mercantile business, export, and import, making it a vital economic center.
The city's origins trace back to ancient Greece, during which Athenian democracy was developed. Athens has served as a focal point for Greek language, tradition, and literature. Its central location connects the country and serves as a reminder of Greek identity. In 2004, the world came to Athens for the Olympic Games, which spurred a dramatic makeover for Athens.
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What are some famous landmarks in Athens?
Athens, the national capital of Greece, boasts several famous landmarks. The Acropolis stands out as a central, defensively-oriented district on the highest ground, containing chief municipal and religious buildings.
The Parthenon, a white marble temple, was built in 447 BCE. It served as the chief shrine to Athena. The Propylaea is the entrance gateway to the Acropolis, designed by the architect Mnesicles. The Erechtheum, a temple of Athena, was the most venerated of the Acropolis temples.
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How did ancient Athens influence democracy and culture?
Ancient Athens significantly influenced democracy and culture. In 507 BCE, Athenian citizens, under Cleisthenes, developed a system of popular rule that lasted nearly two centuries. The heart of their government was the Assembly (Ecclesia), where male citizens over 18 could participate in decision-making.
Athens also became a cultural and artistic center, demonstrated by the buildings constructed under Pericles for the Athenian Acropolis. The Parthenon was central to this rebuilding program. Athenian tragedies and comedies have survived, influencing Western theatre with their stories, themes and formal styles.
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What role does Athens play in Greece today as its capital city?
As the capital city of Greece, Athens is the center of Greek commerce and industry. It is also the home of the Hellenic Parliament Building, Greece's legislative body.
Athens is considered the birthplace of Western civilization and is known for its philosophy, architecture, literature, and political ideals. Modern Athens is a sprawling city, and its cultural life thrives with many venues, arts festivals, and the annual Athens Festival. The city's archaeological heritage is a major draw for tourism, with the National Archaeological Museum being the most visited.
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News •
Athens, historic city and capital of Greece. Many of Classical civilizationās intellectual and artistic ideas originated there, and the city is generally considered to be the birthplace of Western civilization.
Athens lies 5 miles (8 km) from the Bay of Phaleron, an inlet of the Aegean (AigaĆon) Sea where Piraeus (PiraiĆ©vs), the port of Athens, is situated, in a mountain-girt arid basin divided north-south by a line of hills. Greater Athens has an area of 165 square miles (427 square km). The KifisĆ³s River, only a trickle in summer, flows through the western half; the IlisĆ³s River, often dry, traverses the eastern half. The surrounding mountainsāPĆ”rnis, 4,636 feet (1,413 metres); Pentelicus (PendĆ©li), 3,631 feet; Hymettos (ImittĆ³s), 3,365 feet; and AigĆ”leon, 1,535 feetāadd to the impression of barrenness. Yet such considerations are superficial when compared with the fecundity of Athensās bequests to the world, such as its philosophy, its architecture, its literature, and its political ideals.
For treatment of the city in its regional setting, see Greece; historical and cultural aspects are treated further in the article ancient Greek civilization.
Physical and human geography
Character of the city
Athens, with its tall buildings and contemporary shops, is the first European city when approached from the Middle East. When approached from the west, from elsewhere in Europe, what strikes the visitor is the influence of the Eastāin the food, music, and clamorous street lifeāperhaps vestiges of a time when Athens was divorced from European society under the yoke of Ottoman rule. Nevertheless, it is wrong to say that Athens is a mixture of East and West: it is Greek and, more particularly, Athenian. The city, after all, nurtured Western civilization thousands of years ago. Athens remains on the world stage to this day.
Notably, in 2004 the world came to the city for the Olympic Games, which spurred a dramatic makeover for Athens. In addition to building a raft of new sports venues and facilities (including a stadium designed by Santiago Calatrava), Athens undertook massive transportation infrastructure improvements that included dramatic expansion of public transportation and the construction of a new international airport.
Some three centuries after the death of Pericles (429 bce), Athenians entered upon a period of bondage that lasted almost 2,000 years. The city was freed in 1833, and in the following 170 years it was the scene of more than a dozen revolutions, another brutal foreign occupation, and a civil war of especial savagery. This long history of passion and suffering has had considerable effect on the Athenian character. The core of that character is an implacable will to survive, buttressed by a profound sense of loyalty (especially to the family) and patriotism. 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.
The millennia of oppression, instead of driving the Athenians into obtuse moroseness, have honed their wit and rendered them tough but supple, while centuries of privation have only preserved their warmth and generosity. The long oral tradition, alive even under the invader, has reflected and stimulated a taste for rich talk. 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. The ancient heroes, too, were vain about both themselves and honour, boasting as much about outwitting the enemy as about outfighting him.
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The landscape
Climate
The climate of Athens is benign: frost is rare (the minimum temperature is 32 Ā°F, or 0 Ā°C) and snow seldom lies, while the summers, though hot (maximum temperature is 99 Ā°F, or 37 Ā°C), are dry, and a fresh northeasterly wind often blows by day. The nights are cool. 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.