History of Athens
With one of the richest and most fascinating histories in the world, Athens was once the epicentre of Ancient Greece and a major centre of the arts, commerce and learning. Evidence of its former status as the most developed city in the world remains today, with stunning architecture and advanced literature all demonstrating the progression of this advanced civilisation.
The Golden Age
The city first developed around the Acropolis, a naturally safe area due to its raised outpost that allowed early settlers to see any oncoming attacks. By the 1st century BC, the city was flourishing, and entered what is now referred to as the ‘Golden Age’ (500 BC to 300 BC). It was during this time that some of the era’s greatest artists and philosophers were attracted to the city and politicians such as Pericles invested in massive building projects on and around the Acropolis, the remains of which can still be seen today.
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The Roman period
After the Romans conquered the Greeks, the city began to loose its importance. The former Aegean empire slowly began to crumble leaving the city diminished in size. By the Byzantine period, it was just an insignificant regional town. However, its port, the Piraeus, remained strategically important and in 1458, Sultan Mehmet II took control of the city and made it part of the Ottoman Empire, preserving its ancient monuments.
The blossoming of the modern metropolis
Even in the first half of the 19th century, Athens remained sparsely populated; however, after the Greek War of Independence (1821 to 1831), the city began to mushroom into a modern metropolis and gained publicity as the first host of the revived Olympic Games.
The city suffered once again during WWII through German occupation, but post-war Athens saw another surge in development, which helped to make it the cosmopolitan city of today. Nowadays, Athens’ ancient beauty is valued and preserved for visitors to enjoy, while the new areas of the city provide modern conveniences, a lively nightlife and plenty of activities for energetic sightseers, diners and shoppers.