Athens

• Athens is the capital city of Greece and one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, dating back to the 11th century BCE.
• Athens and Greek culture had a huge cultural influence over the Romans, but it was not permitted to have a political influence, and instead of being made the capital of the Roman Province of Achaea, Corinth was made the capital.

History

• Cradle of Civilisation
  • The city is famous for being one of the ‘Six Cradles of Civilisation’ and the ‘Birthplace of Democracy’.
• Hellenistic Philosophy
  • Plato had his Academy in Athens, and Plato was his student who wrote many works based on Plato’s teachings.
  • Aristotle was the student of Plato and set up the Lyceum.
• Eleusinian Mysteries
  • This was an Annual Pilgrimage from all over Greece, which started in Athens and ended in Eleusis.

Acropolis

• The surviving Ancient Greek Monuments:
  • Parthenon
  • Erechtheion
  • Propylaea or Acropolis of Athens
  • Temple of Athena Nike
  • Stoa of Eumenes
  • Asclepieion
  • Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus
• Nearby:
  • Choragic Monument of Lysicrates
  • Temple of Hephaestus

Pireus

• The Pireus was the Port for Athens, and held the Naval Harbour and Shipsheds for the Athenian Navy.
• The Pireus was then fortified continuously and became one of the greatest naval bases in the Ancient World, until it was destroyed by the Romans in 86 BCE.

Roman Monuments

• Although Corinth was the capital of the Roman Province of Achaea, successive Emperors built important Roman structures in Athens.
  • The Roman Agora or Roman Forum of Athens
  • Tower of Winds
  • Arch of Hadrian
  • Hadrian’s Library (125-132 CE)
  • Philopappos Monument
  • Temple of Olympian Zeus
  • Hadrian’s Aqueduct (mostly underground)

Museums

• National Archeological Museum of Athens
  • Patission Street, Athens
  • The museum collections include Prehistoric items, Statues from the Roman period, Pottery from Ancient Greece, Frescos from Bronze Age Santorini, the Antikythera Mechanism and items from the Antikythera Shipwreck and an Epigraphical collection.
• Acropolis Museum
  • Dionysiou Arepagitou Street, Athens
  • This Archeological museum houses the artefacts, in particular the Statues, found when excavating the Acropolis.
• Byzantine and Christian Museum
  • Leof. Vasilissis Sofias Avenue 22, Athens
  • The museum holds collections of Art, Pottery and Manuscripts from between 285-1453 CE.

Temple of Athena Nike, Athens