Athens

Athens is the capital of Greece, located on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. The city of Athens has been inhabited for over 4000 years and during its growth and development it became a center for philosophy, the arts and democracy.http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/40773/Athens/24799/History In ancient times its people believed in the Greek gods and goddesses, such as Zeus and Athena, whom the city is named for. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/40773/Athens The ancient Olympic Games, held in honor of Zeus, originated in Athens starting in 776 B.C.E. It is also the only city to have held the modern Olympic Games on two occasions.http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Olympic-Games/All-Past-Olympic-Games/Summer/Athens-1896/

The city of Athens is a one of the major tourist attractions in Greece. People come from all over the world to see the ancient buildings and artifacts found there. The city was overrun with tourists in 2004 when Athens held the summer Olympics in a brand new stadium built to house them.http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2004/or2004b.pdf As of 2010, Athens is one of the cities hurt the worst by the economic and unemployment problems affecting many countries around the world. http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Greece+makes+promise+keep+tightening+belt/3623877/story.html

After 4000 years of inhabitance, Athens has a very long history. Plato, Socrates and other famous philosophers lived, learned and taught in Athens. Euripedes and Sophocles wrote their plays beneath the shadow of the Acropolis. Hippocrates developed the Hippocratic Oath and some of the first sophisticated methods of medicine there. http://www.athensinfoguide.com/history.htm

The same as any long lived city it has been wracked with strife. Athens has been conquered and retaken many times by different empires and countries. Sparta, the Roman Empire and the Persian Empire conquered and inhabited Athens for periods of time. This is one of the reasons there are so many different styles of building and architecture to see in the city today. http://www.athensinfoguide.com/history/t3-336.htm

• The most visited attraction is the Parthenon, which sits atop the Acropolis, a large rock in the middle of Athens. The Parthenon, built between 447 and 438 B.C.E, is a large temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena. It was damaged during Turkish occupation and was almost destroyed but after undergoing reconstruction it is in better shape than ever. The Acropolis is also visited just to see the view across Athens. http://gogreece.about.com/od/athenssightseeing1/a/parthenonathens.htm
• Athens is known for its many museums. The largest and most visited one in Athens is the National Archeological Museum. The museum houses art, artifacts, sculptures and even a statue of Aphrodite about to slap a satyr with her sandal. http://gogreece.about.com/od/museumsingreec1/a/nationalmuseum.htm
• During the summer months the Athens Festival is performed at the Theater of Herodes Atticus. There Athenians perform plays by people like Sophocles and Euripides while in a theater styled like the ones ancient Greeks used. Outside of the summertime, the theater itself is also a popular attraction. http://www.athensguide.org/places-to-go-in-athens.html
• The Arch of Hadrian was built in 131 C.E. to separate the old and new cities of Athens by the Emperor Hadrian of Rome. It still stands whole and unbroken, though the wall is no longer there. http://www.athensinfoguide.com/wtsarch.htm

Four mountains surround the city of Athens, Parnes, Aigaleo, Pentelikon and Hymettus. These mountains provided the limestone and marble used to build many of the ancient temples and buildings in the city. Besides the four main mountains, the terrain is also very hilly, with a high elevation everywhere but beside the Mediterranean Sea. http://www.athensguide.org/athens-greece-map-geography.html

Athens has a Mediterranean climate, hot summers and very mild winters. Enabling the inhabitants to enjoy outdoor activities year round. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/40773/Athens/24784/Physical-and-human-geography

• Socrates (philosopher)
• Plato (philosopher)
• Aristotle (scientist and philosopher)
• Euripedes (playwright, tragedies)
• Hippocrates (mathematician and physician) http://www.squidoo.com/famous-people-in-ancient-greece
• Thucydides (Historian, author of "The Peloponnesian War")