They each offered a gift to gain favor of its people and the gods, but Athena’s olive tree was deemed more valuable than the salt water spring given by Poseidon, so her name was given to the city-state. in Olympia, in Peloponnese, but the city-state of Athens also had its own games, called the Panathenaic Games, since 566 B.C. Athens set the precedent for performing arts, with a history The Peloponnesian War marked a significant power shift in ancient Greece… Records show the city’s origins go back to around 3,400 years ago, also making it one of the oldest cities in the world. Greece was the 58th top exporting country in 2019, shipping US$37.9 billion worth of goods around the globe. An Ancient Greek would not say they were from Greece. Inspired by their tales about Athena’s wisdom, Athens became a center of civilization. Interesting Facts about Athens It became the leading city of Ancient Greece in the first millennium BC and the strongest Greek city-state around 500 BC, entering its Golden Age after emerging victorious from the Persian Wars (500 – 449 BC). Probably one of the first things learned from history books or classes on ancient Greece is that the Greeks invented democracy. There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Athens: the Acropolis of Athens and the Daphni Monastery. It’s believed the first Ancient Greek civilisations were formed nearly 4,000 years ago (approximately 1600 BC) by the mighty Mycenaeansof Crete (a Greek Island). The Greek theatre history began with festivals honoring their gods. People would come from all over Greece to watch the games where the winners were given olive wreaths. That makes it one of the world's oldest cities. Meat was rarely eaten. Athens’ total population! The first-ever plays were performed in Athens. However, the ancient Olympics were It has a population of approximately 655,780. Athens’ origins date back to 3,000 B.C. The marathon is a commemoration of the run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides (also known as Philippides), who ran from Marathon to Athens to report the Athenians’ victory against the Persians in 490 B.C. During construction of the Athens Metro to support transportation needs during the 2004 Olympic Games, the works led to the greatest archaeological excavation in the Athens area, and over 50,000 artifacts were excavated. -The Acropolis suffered extensive damage during the Morean War. We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. The Romans didn't destroy Greek life, though. for the Greek A city-state, or polis, was the community structure of ancient Greece.Each city-state was organized with an urban center and the surrounding countryside. The temple was built in Athens to house a statue of Goddess Athena so that she could watch over the city. The western half of the city is home to the Kifisós River, while the Ilisós River runs through the eastern half. ; The bronze age collapse or Greek dark ages (c.1100–c.750 BC). The Ancient Greek Empire spread from Greece through Europe and, in 800 BC, the Greeks started to split their land into city-states, each with its own laws, customs and rulers. The city ruled the lands and area around it. But there are tons of lesser-known facts about the historic city that may surprise you! At the center of each city-state was a powerful city. It is the main center of Greek economic, cultural and political life. 1. It became the leading city of Ancient Greece in the first millennium BC and the strongest Greek city-state around 500 BC, entering its Golden Age after emerging victorious from the Persian Wars (500 – 449 BC). This city of 3.252 million people was designated the capital of Greece in 1833 immediately after the country won its independence from the Ottoman Empire. Its port, the Piraeus, was home to Greece’s largest fleet of ships. visitors to Athens each year. In ancient Greek times, the Agora of Athens served as the commercial, social, and political hub of the entire city, where an open-air market would be also be held at certain intervals. Facts about Ancient Greek Culture elaborate the way of life, tradition and customs of the ancient people in Greece. Athens is Europe’s oldest capital. Plays were only presented at City Dionysia festival. It was a city with lots of beautiful public buildings, shops and public baths. 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. It is divided by a line of hills that runs on a north-south line through the city. name it, Athens has experienced it. goddess Athena, is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites. Monarchy, democracy, socialism, capitalism, communism… you Prior to the selection of Athens as the Greek capital, the city of Nafplio served as the provisional capital. Here is a compilation of 15 interesting facts you should know about Athens. The temples and government buildings were often built on the top of a hill, or acropolis. After the Dark Age in Greece, villages started to band together which gradually became the independent Greece City-States. To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK". The city covers a total area of 412 square kilometers (159 square miles). The Olympics The first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC at the Greek city of Olympia. Characteristics of the city in a polis were outer walls for protection, as well as a public space that included temples and government buildings. The most famous temple in Greece was the Parthenon in Athens. According to mythology, Athena and Poseidon competed for the title of the guardian of the city. The word 'theatre' is Greek. Before you visit, here are some facts you might not know about the city, its attractions – and the world-class shopping to be found there. Ancient Greek theatre, which thrived from around 550 BCE to 220 BCE, lay the foundations for theatre in the western world.Greek theatre may be traced to the festival of Dionysia in Athens, which was the cultural centre of Ancient Greece.The theatrical genres of tragedy, comedy and satyr all emerged at this festival. 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. of theater that dates back thousands of years. The Greek capital is also the largest city of the country, covering an area of 159 square miles. During the time of Pericles (443 – 429), Athens reached the height of … Today it’s the capital and the largest city of Greece. IT’S THE MOST FAMOUS OF MANY ACROPOLEIS. Explore Athens and its ancient history while studying abroad with AIFS this fall! Political thinkers and philosophers flourished. The city of Athens is the capital of Greece. The collection of buildings towering 500 feet over the city announced that Athens was a center for Greek art, faith, and thought. It is the birth place of democracy and the heart of the Ancient Greek civilization. Athens is a mix of the old and the new, a draw for many tourists today. They did not have to travel very far. Because, then, the contributions of Athens to our own life are so important, because they touch (as a Greek would say) upon almost every side of "the true, the beautiful, and the good," it is obvious that the outward conditions under which this Athenian genius developed deserve our respectful attention. While the Parthenon is the central city landmark in the Acropolis, this sacred temple has known some hardship. The idea of the title is credited to Melina Mercouri – former actress, activist, and Minister of Culture – and her French homologue, Jack Lang. Six Metro stations displayed some of the finds. Greece has many other acropoleis, but the term most often refers to the Acropolis of Athens. American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS). Athens was the largest and most powerful Greek state. Athens’ first female mayor, Dora Bakoyannis, decided to give the city a much-needed facelift in 2003, as the marble had aged and would get slippery on rainy days. If it … The Ionians had gotten support from other Greek city-states such as Athens and repelled the Persians, irking the Empire and leading to the Greco-Persian Wars which lasted half a century. never actually held in the Greek capital. The architects Iktinos and Kallikrates and the sculptor Phidias began work on the temple in the middle of the 5th century B.C. Why the Social Life of Athens Is So Significant . The Parthenon was built atop the Acropolis, a natural pedestal made of rock that was the site of the earliest settlements in Athens, and Pericles invited other people … During this time it grew from a small fishing village to the most important city in the ancient world. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Athens, Greece is an alluring destination for study abroad students to explore. Ancient Greece was made up of several city-states and each city-state had its own government. citizens could directly vote on laws – giving rise to democracy. Here are some facts about Ancient Athens. The area of Athens is 165 square miles, or 427 square kilometers. Ancient Greeks: The Argo Odyssey. The origins of Athens date back to 3000BC, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. Here are a few examples: Blessed with a rich cultural and historical past, the city is the subject of many known – and lesser-known – facts. The magnificent Hotel Grande Bretagne, located in Syntagma Square, was used as a royal guesthouse in the 19th century, and it served as Nazi headquarters during the German occupation of Athens in World War II. 2. 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. Every polis, every city-state, fed and protected their own people. Cheese, figs, and grapes were some of the main dishes in Athens. The two most powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. Since 1964, AIFS has been the leading provider of cultural exchange and educational opportunities for more than 1.5 million people. The Parthenon was used to store gunpowder during this time, and it was hit by a cannonball when the … perspective: the first permanent settlement in the United States (St. 2.The Greeks had some strange superstitions about food – some wouldn’t eat beans as they thought t… Athens is the capital of Greece and also its largest city. Ancient Greece had several city-states and each city-state had its own Ancient Greek Political System of government. Other Interesting Facts About Greek City-States The Ancient Greeks were extremely loyal to their city-states. Surviving, though, are over 150 political speeches and 20,000 inscriptions which include 500 decrees and 10 laws. AIFS Study Abroad is a program of the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS). Other city states in Greece also applied democracy, but the records for the application were abundant in Athens. To put its age into perspective: the first... 2. The Acropolis of Athens, built in 448 B.C. Read More ; Greek Literature It has been continuously habited for at least 3,000 years Find out how much you can save His long run inspired today’s 26.2 mile “marathon” event. Ancient Greek civilization, the period following Mycenaean civilization, which ended about 1200 bce, to the death of Alexander the Great, in 323 bce. The city of Athens invented the government of democracy and was ruled by the people for many years. During and after the War of Independence, the capital of the new Greek State was Nafplio, 1821–1834. Athens is considered a global city and serves as the most important industrial, political, cultural, and economic center in the country. ; The archaic period (c.750–c.500 BC). Poseidon gave the city the gift of water but Athena’s olive tree won the favor of the other gods, making olive trees to be considered sacred in Greece. Throughout the city's history Athens was involved in numerous wars, including conflicts with the Persians and other Greeks, but it was also a great center of learning. The final period of Greek history is known as the Hellenistic period. The two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece, Athens and Sparta, went to war with each other from 431 to 405 B.C. Athens was the birthplace of the modern Olympic games in 1896. 120,000 people lived in the state of Athens in the 5th century BC. Around the tenth century B.C., the settlers form… 15 Incredible Facts About Athens. The marble Parthenon, a temple, (see picture above) was built on the highest part of the Acropolis. -The Acropolis suffered extensive damage during the Morean War. Greece welcomed 17,920,000 tourists into the country in 2013, many of whom visited Athens for its ancient history and magnificent buildings. The first Olympic Games in history were held in Athens in 776 B.C. Ancient Greece wasn't a single country or empire united under a single government, it was made up of a number of city-states. Why the Social Life of Athens Is So Significant . Designated by the European Union each year, the European The marble Parthenon, a temple, (see picture above) was built on the highest part of the Acropolis. The history of Athens stretches over 3000 years, making it one of the oldest inhabited cities. Athens was the main center for these theatrical traditions. Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world as well, with recorded history going back over 3400 years. The Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the Temple of Greater Athens has an area of 165 square miles (427 square km). breaking high of 118.4 °F – the hottest The National Museum of Contemporary Art, or EMST, is Greece’s first museum of this kind. It also served as army barracks and was bombed by the Venetians in 1687. This lasted from 323BC to 30BC, when the Romans took control of Greece. The two most powerful and famous city-states were Athens and Sparta, but there were other important and influential city-states in the history of Ancient Greece. Although it had … The Parthenon was used to store gunpowder during this time, and it was hit by a cannonball when the … Athens is also noted for its 148 theater stages, more than London’s West End and New York’s Broadway combined. From the late-19th century to the 1990s, the sidewalks of downtown Athens used to be paved with marble. The ancient Olympic games were never actually held there. In 500 B.C., a system was enacted in Athens where eligible theaters in the city. Inside stood a giant statue of Athena, the patron goddess of the city. It was a city with lots of beautiful public buildings, shops and public baths. Learn more about studying abroad in Athens, Greece! @2020 - All Contents Copyright © American Institute For Foreign Study, 10 Fun Facts About Athens, Greece that You Might Not Know. The earliest civilizations in Greece were in two different areas: on the island of Crete and on the mainland of Greece. It’s Europe’s oldest capital city. Athens’ origins date back to 3,000 B.C. That’s about six times It was based on a direct democracy system, in which eligible citizens directly voted on laws. The government in Greece especially Athens was made based on the democracy. To put its age into It is generally believed that the city was named after the goddess of wisdom, Athena. Athens is the historical capital of Europe, with a long history, dating from the first settlement in the Neolithic age.In the 5 th Century BC (the “Golden Age of Pericles”) – the culmination of Athens’ long, fascinating history – the city’s values and civilization acquired a universal significance. Fun Facts About Ancient Greece. Acropolis can be taken to mean “High City”, “City on the Extremity”, or “City on the Air”. During the classical period of Greece, it was a powerful State City that played a fundamental role in the development of Democrac . If you’ve ever run (or would like to run) a marathon, you Prior to the selection of Athens as the Greek capital, the city of Nafplio served as the provisional capital. In Athens, the capital of Greece, the climate is Mediterranean, with mild, moderately rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.The city is located near the 38th parallel, but in winter, from December to mid-March, it's sometimes subject to outbreaks of cold air from the Balkan Peninsula, which can bring cold and rain for some days, and sometimes even snow. Facts about Ancient Greece Government 1: the city states There were several city states which made up the ancient Greece. can thank Pheidippides – a Greek soldier who ran from Marathon, Greece to It has a large financial sector, and its port Piraeus is both the largest passenger port in Europe, and the second largest in the world. Athens is the capital city of Greece. Sparta (also known as Lacedaemon) was one of the key city-states in Ancient Greece. Greece was not a single country, but a collection of numerous Greek city-states. The remnants of the past provide visitors with a fascinating insight into the city's rich history. 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