Athens
Well, what better way to begin the Greece page than with a post on Athens? In the past, Athens was the cultural capital of Greece and is today seen as one of the great historical cities of the world. Along with Rome, it stands as a symbol of the Western world. Ever year, thousands of people from around the globe visit Athens to see the stunning, centuries-old architectural wonders and a plethora of ancient sites. This post will dive further into Athens’ significance in history and what makes it an absolute must-visit if you’re going to Greece.
In ancient Greece, there was no concept of “a country”. What is today Greece was then a bunch of city-states, cities that along with their surrounding territories formed independent states. The number changed over time, but scholars say there were about 1,000 to 2,000 city-states. The two most famous ones were Athens and Sparta. The city-states shared the common Greek language (though there were many dialects), the same religion, and the same cultural background. But despite the similarities, the city-states were always fighting each other, and I mean always. It’s something that ancient Greece was known for back then.
Now, of these city-states, Athens was by far the one that has left the greatest mark on Western civilisation. As mentioned earlier, Athens was considered to be the cultural capital of ancient Greece. It was the centre of art, theatre, music, philosophy, and much more. It was the Paris of ancient Greece. But the one thing that really made Athens stand out among the city-states was democracy. We consider Athens to be the birthplace of democracy. Their form of democracy was of course much different from ours. Athenian democracy was a direct democracy, which means that the electorate itself decides on policies without any legislative representatives. All male citizens could vote in Athens. No women, no children, no slaves, and no one from another city-state could vote. This put the percentage of the voter population at about 20%. While this doesn’t sound a lot like liberty, it’s still democracy.
During the Greco-Persian Wars, Athens formed the Delian League, a confederation of Greek city-states with the purpose of preventing another Persian invasion of mainland Greece. Over time, the Delian League would become Athens’ empire as the city-state used the league’s funds for it own uses and suppressed rebellions. It also helped that Athens had the world’s strongest navy at the time. The years 479-404 BC are considered the golden age of Athens. In 454 BC, the Delian League’s treasury was relocated from the island of Delos to the Parthenon in Athens. This event made Athens the richest city-state in Greece and funded a variety of things like architectural projects, the arts, and academia. The golden age saw legendary plays by Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus, and Aristophanes. The Parthenon, Erechtheion, Temple of Hephaestus, Temple of Athena Nike, Stoa Poikile, and Temple of Poseidon at Sounion were all built in Athens during this period. The man that ruled Athens during this time was Pericles, probably the most famous Athenian in history besides Socrates and Plato. He was responsible for developing Athenian democracy and making Athens the centre of the Greek world.
Unfortunately for Athens, the maritime empire would come crashing down after the Peloponnesian War of 431-404 BC. Sparta and her allies (the Peloponnesian League) feared that Athens was becoming too powerful. So, after a 27-year war, Sparta’s clear superiority in land-warfare won the war for them and made them the most powerful city-state in Greece. After the war, Athens would never be as powerful as it once was, although it would still play an active role in Greek politics.
Over the years, Athens would witness the rise of empires and sometimes be forced to be a part of them, no longer powerful enough to say no. While its status as the cultural capital of Greece would remain for centuries, this title would eventually be adopted by cities like Alexandria in Egypt and Constantinople in Asia Minor, both cities founded by Greeks. Hundreds of years later, Athens would enter what many people consider to be a dark age along with the rest of Greece under the rule of the Ottoman empire. Athens entered a steady decline. Finally, after more than 370 years of rule, Greek revolutionaries took back Athens from the Ottomans. In 1834, the city was chosen as the capital of the newly created Kingdom of Greece.
The Athens of today is the biggest city in the Hellenic Republic, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. So, what makes this ancient city a must-visit? Well, if you couldn’t already tell, this city is packed full of history. The most famous attraction in Athens has to be the Parthenon. This huge structure was a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, the patroness of Athens. In reality though, it was meant to be used as a treasury for Athens and its empire. Over antiquity, the Parthenon would continue to serve as a temple to Athena. However, in the Middle Ages, it was converted into a church and then into a mosque when the Ottomans came into power. In 1687, during a Venetian bombardment of the Acropolis, an Ottoman ammunition dump, which was located in none other than the Parthenon, exploded when it got hit. The resulting explosion severely destroyed the Parthenon’s interior and completely destroyed the roof. As a classicist, it just pains me every time I write about this event.
Despite it looking a bit, well, damaged, the Parthenon is still such a magnificent sight to behold. The first time I saw it, I stood there with my mouth open for a few minutes. It’s one of those places you have to see before you die. The Parthenon is located on a huge hill called the Acropolis, which also holds several other ancient buildings like the Erechtheion, Old Temple of Athena, and the Temple of Athena Nike. You have to walk up the Acropolis in order to actually reach these structures, which itself is an amazing experience knowing that you’re walking on the same path ancient Athenians walked on. On the slope of the Acropolis are the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Theatre of Dionysus, the latter of which held the first plays in Athens. They are both open to tourists and are absolutely worth a visit.
Beyond the Acropolis and its buildings, you can find many other ancient sites. These include the Athenian Agora, the Temple of Zeus, Temple of Hephaestus, Kerameikos, and the Panathenaic Stadium (the structure itself is modern, but it was built on the site of an ancient stadium). Each of these places are unique in their own ways and are all worth a visit. There are also two museums that you absolutely cannot miss - the National Archaeological Museum and the Acropolis Museum. Both have some incredible artefacts and sculptures that demonstrate the best of ancient Greek culture.
Besides the historical sites, there are plenty of places you can visit to enjoy yourself. The Plaka, a beautiful neighbourhood that lies in the shadow of the Acropolis, is a wonderful place to walk around. There are a plethora of shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars to keep you busy. The cobblestone streets and the charming architecture of the surrounding buildings also make for great instagram pics. Like the Plaka, the lively Monastiraki Square and neighbourhood is also full of shops and cafes. It’s known for its flea market, and is always a very fun place at night. For the big-time shoppers, Ermou Street is where you want to go. It’s the main shopping street in Athens and one of the most expensive in Europe. If you want some of the best views in Athens, visit Filopappou Hill. It takes 15-20 minutes to get to the top, but the scenery is beautiful and the reward definitely makes the short hike up worth it. Speaking of scenery, Athens National Garden is a great 15.5-hectare oasis that you can escape to if you want a break from the city.
I first visited Athens in spring 2018 with a group of classics students from my high school. That was one of my most memorable trips as it was the first time I saw and explored the city that I’ve read so much about in history books. Seeing the Parthenon for the first time is something that I’ll never forget in my life. My 2021 visit was somehow even better. You know how some people say that you’ve got to read a book twice in order to fully understand it? Well I think that’s the relationship with me and Athens. There’s so much history here that it’s going to take a couple of more trips until I truly understand and embrace this ancient city. Every time I visit an ancient site in Athens, I always think about how far we the human race have come. From learning to stand on our own two feet to building jaw-droppingly beautiful megastructures. “It’s humbling” - this is how I would describe Athens.
Things to do -
Visit the Acropolis (includes the Parthenon, Erechtheion, etc.)
Visit the Athenian Agora (includes the Temple of Hephaestus)
Visit Kerameikos
Visit the Panathenaic Stadium
Visit the Temple of Zeus
Explore the Plaka
Explore the Monastiraki neighbourhood
Go shopping at Ermou Street
Visit National Archaeological Museum and Acropolis Museum
Hike up Filopappou Hill
Visit Athens National Garden
