The first evidence of human habitation dates back to the Neolithic era, approximately 4th millennium BC In in any case, many archaeological
artifacts found during excavations.

During Mycenaean period(13th century BC) Athens were already a developed political and cultural center, as evidenced by the remains of the Cyclopean wall around Acropolis, highway and the royal palace. And, of course, a huge number of legends and myths that have survived to our time.

According to the legend, Athens were inhabited by the Ionians, who took their name
on behalf of Jonah, the son of the god Apollo. Like the greatest kings of Athens we
we know Cecrops, Erechtheus, Aegeus and Theseus, each of whom made a significant contribution to the development of the city. On the site of the royal palace today there is a famous Erechtheion temple.

The main founder of the city is considered Theseus, who freed the Athenians from quitrent, which
The Athenians paid the king of Crete, Minos. He is also credited with uniting the disparate city-states of Athens into a single whole.

After the death of Theseus, the institution of royal power gradually weakened and, in the end
In the end, power over the city passes to several aristocratic families. In 594 BC. e., thanks to r eformsSolona, Athens received a Constitution, a People's Assembly and a Supreme Court. In 560 BC. a tyrant came to power.

Under the word "tyrant" should be understood as a person who has concentrated all
complete power in one hand. Pisistratus, in fact, became king Athens. Peisistratus was a very wise politician. He supported the poor and encouraged the development of arts and science. It was he who erected the first temple complexes on Acropolis.

Classic Ancient Athens.

In 490 BC. king of the persians Darius decided to punish Athens for supporting another Greek city, Miletus, during the uprising of Greek cities in Asia Minor. The Persian reconnaissance army landed near Athens in the city of Marathon, where Athenian forces under the leadership of the strategist Miltiades were already waiting for her. A battle took place in which the Athenians won their first victory over the Persians.

Ten years later, after death Daria, the Persians again invaded Attica. This time with larger forces and directly under the leadership of King Xerxes. After the legendary Battle of Thermopylae, in which a small detachment of Spartans heroically
held back the entire Persian army, giving time to the main Greek forces to gather, the Persians entered Athens and completely destroyed all the temples of the Acropolis.

The revolution in the war took place after seabattles of Salamis, in which the combined Greek forces under the leadership of the Athenian strategist Themistocles completely defeated the fleet of the Persian king.

Talented politician Themistocol did a lot for Athens. He surrounded Athens with powerful walls, built port of Piraeus and ensured that Athens became a powerful maritime power.
However, his fate is sad. Unrecognized by the Athenians, he was forced
leave the city, entered the service of the Persian king, where he was killed
hired killers. Finally expelled the Persians from the Attica region
strategist Kimon (his grave has survived to this day, located in
area of ​​the Acropolis).

Golden Age of Athens

Your highest blossom Athens reached in the 5th century BC. during the reign Pericles, popularly nicknamed “Olympic”. Pericles did a lot for the glory of Athens, but the most significant achievement, which made the glory of Pericles immortal, should be considered the construction of the magnificent monuments of the Acropolis, especially. In that
During the same period, the spiritual life of the city also experienced its greatest flourishing, thanks to the philosophers Socrates and Anaxagoras, the historians Herodotus and Thucydides, the poets Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.

Decline of Athens

The golden age of Athens ends with two wars with Sparta, called Peloponnesian Wars. These wars put an end to the political power of Athens, but despite this, culturally Athens continued to be the capital of the ancient world. Such names as Plato, Xenophon,
Praxiteles and Demosthenes.

Athens finally lost its political significance during the heyday of Macedonia, during the reign of Philip II And Alexander the Great. In 146 BC. e. The Romans came to Greece, subjugating, among other things, Athens.

In 86 BC. e. Roman Consul Sulla plundered the city, taking countless works of art to Rome. In 276 AD, Athens suffered further destruction. This time, imperial Rome was unable to oppose anything to the raid of the Erulian hordes.
But even after this event, Athens continues to remain the spiritual center of the ancient world thanks to famous schools of philosophy. After the closure of these schools in 529, the glory subsided Athens. Athens became a small provincial town first of the Byzantine and then of the Ottoman empires.

In 1821, the Greek War of Independence began, which resulted in the formation of modern Greece. In 1834, Athens was proclaimed the capital of the newly created Greek state. The rapid growth of Athens began, which
continues to this day.

Today Athens is a huge metropolis, with more than 4 million inhabitants, together with its suburbs.

Athens on the map of Greece

Athens is a city in Greece with a long and rich history. It is mentioned in a number of famous ancient Greek myths. Ancient Athens is the first state in which the kings...

From Masterweb

03.06.2018 14:00

The history of Ancient Greece is divided into several main periods according to the main center of cultural development. Athens is associated primarily with the classical cultural era. However, mentions of this city are also found in connection with a civilization that developed much earlier on the island of Crete. This is the famous myth of the Minotaur, in which the opposing parties were the king of the island of Crete, Minos, and the son of the king of Athens, Aegeus, Theseus. There is a connection with Athens in the legend of Daedalus and Icarus. Therefore, it will be interesting to trace the history of the development of Athenian culture both from the point of view of mythology and from the point of view of historical facts.

Who owns it?

And we will begin, or rather have already begun, with mythology, as the most important aspect in the spiritual life of the Greeks.

The legends do not say exactly when Athens arose. However, there is a vivid story about the first ruler of the city in myths. And this belief is about the dispute between Athena and Poseidon. Briefly about what happened and how it all ended. They argued, of course, for power over the rich port city. The winner was the one who made the most expensive gift to its residents. Poseidon hit the ground with his trident, and from there hammered a key. The townspeople were delighted: it was very difficult to find fresh water here - there was almost none, there was only the salt sea nearby. They rushed to the source and, oh, horror! Disappointment! The water coming out of it was also salty...

Then Athena began to create and grew an olive tree. And if there is no fresh water, there are no plants. But the olive was very tenacious and suitable for local natural conditions. The townspeople rejoiced: both food and oil for various needs. Well, greens too. And as a reward for such a priceless gift, the inhabitants of the city recognized Athena as its ruler. And the name was given in her honor. This is how the city began to be called - the city of the goddess Athena, or simply Athens.

Athenians and Cretans

Returning to the story of the Labyrinth of the Minotaur, we come to the most ancient period of Greek civilization, which is also often called Cretan. This is the time of confrontation between Crete and Athens in the person of their rulers Minos and Aegeus. The story of the construction of a labyrinth on the island of Crete for a terrible monster - half-man, half-bull - the son of Minos, who demands human victims to be devoured. These bodies were to be paid as tribute to Minos by the Athenian king Aegeus. For Aegeus himself, the story of liberation from the terrible and shameful tribute ended tragically. Let me remind you that he threw himself off a cliff into the sea after learning that the sail on the returning ship remained black. This meant that his miraculously found son Theseus died in the Labyrinth. In honor of the Aegean, the sea began to be called the Aegean.

The fate of the creator of the Labyrinth, Daedalus, a native of Athens, who left his homeland due to persecution over the accidental death of his talented nephew, for whose murder Daedalus was accused, was also tragic. During his flight from Crete, Minos took him under his wing. During his stay with the king, Daedalus built the famous castle - the Labyrinth. Since Minos did not want to let the skilled craftsman go, he decided to flee. Flying across the sky on wings made of bird feathers and wax, Daedalus and Icarus never reached their new refuge: Icarus, having risen high towards the sun, fell and crashed into the water, and the inconsolable Daedalus landed on the nearest island, where he spent the rest of his life in grief of your days. But the memory of him remained to live in the creations he created in his native Athens.

Athens and Troy

The next period of Greek culture, after the death of the Cretan civilization from a flood that occurred due to an earthquake on the neighboring island of Thera, I associate the myths of the ancient Greeks with the period of the Trojan War, in which many policies of Ancient Greece took part against the Asia Minor city, which was then part of the territory of Greek lands, including Athens. In history, this period is called Mycenaean - after the main cultural center of the civilization of Mycenae.

But let's return to the myths. The youngest son of King Priam of Troy, Paris, then still a simple shepherd, was chosen by Zeus as a judge in the dispute between three goddesses for the title of most beautiful. He handed the famous apple of discord to Aphrodite, thereby angering the most powerful Athena and Hera. And they did not forget the insult, taking the side of the Achaean army a little later.

Paris, having stolen from Sparta from King Menelaus his wife - the beautiful Helen, whose love Aphrodite gave him as a reward - took her to his native Troy. Menelaus called for vengeance, and all the greatest men of Hellas responded to the call, including his friend, King Agamemnon of Athens.

The Danaan army, led by Achilles and Agamemnon, besieged Troy, and the siege lasted ten years. During this time, many lost their lives: Achilles' friend Patroclus, Paris' brother Hector, Achilles himself, Laocoon and his sons, and many residents of Troy, which was later sacked and burned. After some time, death also overtook Paris' prophetic sister Cassandra, who was taken into slavery by Agamemnon. On the way home, Cassandra gave birth to sons to the Athenian king, but upon arrival at their homeland in Athens, all of them, together with Anamemnon, were killed by his wife.

The era of classical Greece: the beginning

Now let's talk about the time when the Athenian state began to emerge. This era arose several centuries after the mysterious death of the Mycenaean civilization. During this period, in the central region of Ancient Greece, Attica, city-states began to form, with adjacent arable lands called policies. At different times, the rise of some territories and then others occurred. All policies of Ancient Greece fought for a leading position. Especially Sparta and Athens.

Since the Athenian lands were not rich in water and fertile soils, crafts, rather than agriculture and cattle breeding, developed here for the most part. Already in the VIII-VII centuries. BC e. In Athens, a large number of workshops of potters, blacksmiths, and shoemakers were opened, who sold their goods in shops. On the outskirts of Athens, viticulture and olive growing, as well as the production of olive oil, developed.

Administration of Athens in the pre-democratic period

Until the 7th century. BC e. In the city, only the nobility were allowed to govern. The Areopagus, who sat on the hill of the god Mars and consisted of nine elected archons, held power in his hands. They not only ruled Athens, but also administered justice, mostly unfair, adhering to the interests of the nobility. But the most odious figure of the archons during the existence of this form of government was Dracon, who issued absurd and cruel laws.

Life was bad for ordinary residents of Ancient Athens. They had small, most infertile plots of land where almost nothing could be grown. Therefore, in order to pay taxes, they were forced to borrow at interest from the noble and rich. And since they could not pay the so-called payments, they gradually handed over their children, wives, and even themselves into slavery to those to whom they owed money. This type of captivity was called debt captivity, and marking stones were placed on the borrowers’ plots for evidence.

Resentment against debt slavery gradually grew among the demos and artisans, which eventually led to a revolt.

Athenian Democracy: Basics

Let's start by defining the essence of the concept itself: literally translated, the word "democracy" means "power of the people" (demos - people).

The emergence of a new form of government in Athens occurred in the 6th century. BC e. and is associated with the administration of Archon Solon.

After the revolt of the demos, a truce was concluded between him and the nobility and joint elections of the Areopagus were held. Solon, a native of Athens, engaged in an honorable business - maritime trade, came from a noble family, but did not have any special wealth, learned work early, was honest, fair and wise. He establishes new laws in Athens and, above all, abolishes debt slavery. This was an important event in the history of Ancient Athens. According to the laws of Solon, even humble citizens, but always rich ones, could now be elected to archons. In addition, to resolve the most important matters, they began to convene a National Assembly, which included all the free men of Athens.

An elected court was also established and many of Draco's laws were repealed. Judges were chosen from among all citizens of Athens, regardless of class and income, who were at least 30 years old. The main condition was the absence of bad deeds. At the trial, in addition to the accused and the accuser, they began to listen to witnesses. The decision on guilt or innocence was made by secret ballot with white and black stones.

All debt slaves were set free and were responsible to those to whom they owed money only with their property.

Results of Solon's activities

In general, Solon's attempts to establish democracy in the Athenian state were only partially resolved. The main drawback of his activities should be considered the unresolved land issue: fertile lands, in abundance in the hands of the rich and nobility, were never selected and distributed evenly among all citizens. This displeased the demos. And the nobility was indignant at the fact that they were deprived of cheap slaves and the right to receive from debtors the previous taxes that had been forgiven.

The Rise of Democracy in Ancient Athens

The beginning of this period is associated with the victory of the Greeks over the Persians and the reign of Pericles. The government structure of Ancient Athens under Pericles was characterized by a renewed system of government. This was the 5th century BC. The entire demos of Athens participated in the administration, no matter whether they were distinguished by their nobility by origin, or were considered rich or poor.

The main governing body was the People's Assembly, which could include all Athenian male citizens upon reaching 20 years of age. Meeting 3-4 times a month, the assembly not only managed the treasury, resolved issues of war and peace, and government, but also elected ten strategists for one year of rule, the main of whom was the first. Pericles held this position in his hands for a long time due to universal respect.

An advisory body, the Council of Five Hundred, also participated in the administration of the Athenian state. But even if he was against the proposal, it was still put to a vote in the People's Assembly.

Thanks to the activities of Pericles, paid bureaucratic positions were introduced in Athens. This was necessary so that not only the rich took part in governing the state, but also poor farmers.

In addition, during the reign of Pericles, the city actively developed and flourished, and the culture of Ancient Athens reached an incredibly high level. His power lasted fifteen years.

Athens under Pericles

The description of Ancient Athens should begin from the very heart of the city - the Acropolis - a hill on which, thanks to Pericles and Phidias, the greatest architectural and sculptural monuments of Greek culture were erected: the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Temple of Nike Apteros, the Propylaea, the Theater of Dionysus, the Pinakothek, and a unique statue of the goddess Athena. .

The center of the city was the main square of Ancient Athens - the Agora. Here was the main city market, temples to the gods, porticoes for conversations and meetings, a building for meetings of the Council of Five Hundred and the Round Building, in which its representatives carried out round-the-clock watch in times of danger.

An interesting place for the “poor” of Athens was the district of ceramic craftsmen called Keramik, where the amazing ancient Greek art of vase painting was born.

On the outskirts of Athens, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the main Athenian port of Piraeus is located, consisting of one commercial and two military harbors, a shipyard and a market. The road from Piraeus to Athens was protected by Long Walls.

Under Pericles, Ancient Athens became the largest craft, cultural and commercial center.

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EARLY ATHENS

The Athenian polis, one of the largest in Greece, included all of Attica, a region in the eastern part of Central Greece. Located on a peninsula shaped like a horn and jutting deep into the sea, Attica bordered on Boeotia in the north, and on the Isthmus isthmus in the west. From the east and south, its lands were washed by the waters of the Aegean Sea. On the territory of Attica, in addition to its “capital” - the city of Athens, known since the Mycenaean era, there were several other small towns (Elevsis, Marathon, Bravron, etc.), as well as many demos- rural settlements. However, the Athenian polis was not always so large. It developed gradually, through synoicism. The Athenians themselves attributed the formation of the polis to the legendary king and hero Theseus, who, according to myths, lived even before the Trojan War. However, in reality this process took several centuries, beginning in the Homeric period and ending at the beginning of the Archaic era. When at the beginning of the 7th century. BC e. Eleusis, located on the border with Megara, an important religious center with the famous sanctuary of the goddess Demeter, became part of the polis; the unification of the regions of Attica around Athens was completed.

Athenian synoicism, unlike similar processes in other Greek city-states, was not accompanied by the relocation of all the inhabitants of the city-state to the main city. During the archaic era, still more than half of the citizens of Athens lived in rural areas.

The relief of Attica was quite diverse: low mountain ranges (Himett, Parnet, Pentelikon) alternated with rocky plains. The natural resources of Attica are neither too abundant nor too scarce. The soils were unsuitable for growing grain crops, so the Athenians always lacked bread and were forced to import grain. At the same time, conditions were very favorable for the cultivation of olive trees. Olives (olives) were one of the main wealth of Athens. It is no coincidence that the olive tree was revered as a sacred symbol of the patroness of the Athenian state - the goddess Athena. By Greek standards, Attica was rich in mineral resources. In the south of the region, in Lavria, there were large deposits of silver. These mines, when they began to be intensively developed, became one of the main factors in the economic prosperity of Athens in the classical era. Marble and high-quality clay suitable for the production of ceramics were also mined in Attica.

The inhabitants of Attica belonged to the Ionian sub-ethnic group of the Greek ethnos. In the early stages of the history of the state, when the polis was still in its formation stage, the civilian population was divided along clan and tribal lines. The most important and largest units were four phyla(i.e. tribe); every Athenian citizen belonged to one of the phyla. Phila was divided into phratries- associations of a cult nature. The phratry, in turn, consisted of childbirth. However, not all inhabitants of Attica were members of the clans, but only aristocrats; Belonging to a clan was thus a confirmation of the person’s noble origin.

Athens Acropolis. Photo

At the same time, the territorial division of the policy gradually began: each phylum was divided into three trittii, and each trittium is four navkrariya. There were 48 navkrariyas in total, and these small districts were the smallest territorial units. Each navkraria was obliged to maintain a warship at its own expense, which was part of the Athenian fleet.

The capital of the polis, Athens, was located in the central part of Attica, a few kilometers from the coast of the Saronic Gulf, in the valley of the small river Cephisus, which dried up in summer. The main hill of Athens - Acropolis- was the religious center of the polis and its citadel. It housed temples, houses of rulers, as well as city defensive fortifications, since Athens was not surrounded by a wall in the archaic era. On some of the hills adjacent to the Acropolis (Areopagus, Pnyx, etc.) there were also public buildings and sanctuaries. Not far from the foot of the Acropolis was Agora– the main city square, one of the centers of political life.

Athens existed already in the 2nd millennium BC. e., during the Mycenaean era. The increasing role of Athens was facilitated by the fact that the Dorians, who crushed the Mycenaean civilization, practically bypassed Attica. Therefore, the composition of the population of the region, in fact, did not change; only Achaean refugees appeared who fled from the Dorians in Attica. There were no alien conquerors here, as in Sparta, and there were no dependent people like the helots. The relative lack of conflict (continuity) of Athenian history between the 2nd and 1st millennia BC. BC undoubtedly played a role in the future, but for Greece the era of the “dark” to a lesser extent. Period X–VIII centuries. BC e. was even a time of relative prosperity for Athens, especially economically. In particular, Attic painted pottery of the geometric style was perhaps the best in Greece. However, by the 7th century. BC e. the development of this policy slows down, and Athens becomes one of the ordinary, albeit large, states of the Greek world.

Athena Promachos. Figurine from the Athenian Acropolis(V century BC)

The aristocracy played an extremely important role in all aspects of life in Athens - eupatrids(i.e. sons of noble fathers). In terms of the proportion of nobility in the population, the Athenian polis almost surpassed all other Greek states. One of the reasons for this was the influx into Attica at the turn of the 2nd-1st millennium BC. e. aristocrats from the Peloponnese who fled from the Dorians. These refugees were welcomed in Athens; one of the noble families that came to Attica from Pylos even founded the last Athenian royal dynasty Medontidov.

Throughout the archaic era, the aristocrats firmly held all the levers of power in Athens. They gradually achieved a reduction in the powers of the basilei, and then the elimination of their rule. The tsar's term in power was limited to ten years, and later reduced to a year. The position of king from hereditary turned into an elective one and became available to representatives not only of the Medontid dynasty, but also of other noble families. To limit the power of the ruler, various government positions were introduced to govern the polis.

At the beginning of the 7th century. BC e. the political system of the Athenian polis was formed as aristocratic republic. At the head of the state was a board of nine magistrates– senior officials who held office for a year. They were called archons, and there was a certain division of functions between them. First Archon - eponym– was considered the highest civil official of the policy; he gave his name to the year in which his reign occurred. Second Archon - Basilei- was the heir to the ancient royal power, but in the archaic era he retained only the powers of the high priest of the polis, the leader of the religious life of the community. Third Archon - polemarch- was the supreme commander of the armed forces. The remaining six archons are fesmofetes- monitored compliance with oral law (there were no written laws in Athens yet).

Played an extremely important role in management Council of the Areopagus- the main stronghold of power of the aristocracy. It included archons whose term in power had expired; they remained members of the Areopagus for life. It was the Areopagus, who enjoyed great authority, who had the right to appoint a citizen to the position of archon. The Areopagus exercised supreme control over the entire life of the state, and was also the supreme judicial authority that dealt with the most important cases.

National Assembly in Athens until the 6th century. BC e. did not play any significant role. In general, the position of the ordinary demos was rather degraded. He was completely subordinate to the aristocracy and, in addition, was economically dependent on it, which was constantly increasing. In the second half of the 7th century. BC e. Debt bondage became widespread; appeared on peasant land plots goros(mortgage stones), which marked the actual transfer of such fields to the disposal of creditors and the transformation of the former owners into powerless tenants. Sometimes unpaid debtors fell into real slavery.

Thus, in the socio-economic and political evolution of the Athenian polis during the first two centuries of the Archaic era, trends characteristic of the Greek world as a whole appeared. At the same time, the pace of development of Athens can be defined as average - faster than, say, in the policies of Boeotia and Thessaly, but slower than in such developed states as Corinth, Megara, Chalkis. In particular, the Athenians did not take a very active part in the Great Greek colonization, because such a large polis, by Greek standards, did not experience a “land hunger.” Only at the end of the 7th century. BC e. Athens sent the first expedition to the Black Sea straits zone and founded the colony of Sigei on the Asia Minor coast.

In 636 BC. e. In Athens, the first attempt was made to establish tyranny. A young aristocrat tried to seize power Kilon, shortly before he won the Olympic Games. Leading a detachment of his peers, he occupied the Acropolis. However, the demos did not support Cylon, and his rebellion was relatively easily suppressed by the authorities of the polis; However, this did not happen without mass bloodshed and murder. Representatives of a noble family played an important role in the reprisal of the rebels Alkmeonidov, who was subsequently destined to rule the Athenian state. The failure of the conspirators showed that Athens was not yet ready to accept a tyrannical regime. However, Quilon's rebellion intensified the fighting between aristocratic factions. Murder followed murder, as the ancient custom of blood feud came into play.

The first Greek code of written laws, created in 621 BC, was intended to stop internecine strife. e. legislator Dragon. The most important place in this code was occupied by the laws on murder. Their observance was, if not to completely eliminate blood feud, then, in any case, to place punishment under the control of the state. From now on, the relatives of the murdered man were obliged to transfer the case of punishment to the Areopagus court, and not to deal with the murderer without permission.

So, by the turn of the VI-VI centuries. BC e. In the life of the Athenian polis, two important processes emerged: the constant struggle of aristocratic families and the growing enslavement of the demos. Both of these processes seriously undermined the stability of the state. To improve the situation, reforms were carried out, which, however, did not help completely change the situation. But they sharply accelerated the development of Athens, turning this policy into one of the most significant in Hellas, which over time allowed it to become the political, economic and cultural center of the Greek world.

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Ancient Athens message will briefly tell you about this city-state of Ancient Greece. You will learn about how the inhabitants of Ancient Athens lived and what was the basis of their state.

"Ancient Athens" report

The formation of the Athenian state in brief

Where was Ancient Athens located? The location of the ancient Greek city-state of Athens is Attica. According to archaeological finds, this region belongs to the southern and eastern parts of Central Greece. Athens was located on the hills of the Pnyx, Acropolis, Areopagus, Nymphaeion and Museion. Each hill had its own function. The meeting hall of the Supreme Judicial Council was located on Areopagus Hill. The rulers of the city lived in the Acropolis. On the rocky, low hill of Pnyx, public meetings were held, speakers were listened to, and important decisions were made. Celebrations and cultural events were held on the Museion and Nymphaeion hills. The streets and roads of the city diverged from the hills, which consisted of internal and external quarters, temples, and public buildings. In the vicinity of the Acropolis, the first settlement arose around 4500 BC.

The legend of the creation of the city of Athens

The city was named after the goddess Athena - the goddess of wisdom and war, patroness of the arts, knowledge, crafts and science. A long time ago, Athena argued with the god of the seas, Poseidon, which of them should be the patron of the new city. Poseidon took the trident and struck it against the rock. A clear source gushed out of it. The God of the Seas said that he would grant the inhabitants water and they would never suffer from drought. But the water in the springs was sea, salty. Athena planted the seed in the ground. An olive tree grew from it. The inhabitants of the city joyfully accepted her gift, as the olive tree gave them oil, food and wood. This is how the city got its name.

Power in Ancient Athens

Issues of foreign and domestic policy were resolved at the people's assembly. All citizens of the policy participated in it, regardless of position. During the year they convened at least 40 times. At the meetings, reports were heard, the construction of public buildings and the fleet, allocations for military needs, food supplies, and questions about relations with other states and allies were discussed. The ecclesias dealt with particular issues on the basis of existing laws. All bills were discussed very carefully and in the form of a trial. The People's Assembly made the final decision.

Also at popular assemblies, elections of persons to government and military positions took place. They were chosen by open voting. The remaining positions were chosen by lot.

Between national assemblies, administrative issues were dealt with by the Council of Five Hundred, which was annually replenished with new citizens who had reached 30 years of age. The council dealt with the current details and prepared a draft decision for the national assembly.

Another authority in Ancient Athens was the jury of helium. All citizens of the city took part in the trial. 5,000 judges and 1,000 substitutes were selected by lot. Lawyers did not take part in court hearings. Each accused defended himself. To compile the text of the speech, logographers were involved - people skilled in laws and rhetoric. Performances were limited by strict regulations, which were determined by the water clock. The court dealt with the litigation of citizens and immigrants, the cases of residents from allied states, and political issues. The decision was made by voting (secret). It was not subject to appeal and was final. Judges taking office took an oath to conduct cases according to the laws and fairly.

Strategists acted together with the Council of Five Hundred. Their competence included the command of the fleet and army, they monitored them in peacetime, and were in charge of the expenditure of military funds. The strategists conducted diplomatic negotiations and were in charge of foreign policy issues.

In the 5th century BC. introduced the position of archons. They did not play a big role, but still the archons were involved in preparing court cases, controlled sacred lands, took care of orphans’ property, appointed choregs, led competitions, religious processions, and sacrifices. They were elected for a year, after which they transferred to the Areopagus, where lifelong membership awaited them.

With the development of Athens, the administrative apparatus increased. Elected positions were also introduced in the divisions of the state - demes, phylas, and phratries. Every citizen was drawn into the social and political life of the city. This is how democracy gradually developed in Ancient Athens. It reached its highest point during the reign of Pericles. He organized the entire legislative supreme power into the ekklesia - the people's assembly. It met every 10 days. The remaining organs of the state were subordinate to the people's assembly.

Education in Ancient Athens

Life in Ancient Athens was subject to more than just politics. Citizens paid an important role to education, which was based on public education and democratic principles. Parents had to provide a comprehensive education for young men. If they did not do this, they were severely punished.

The educational system is aimed at accumulating great scientific information and the constant development of physical natural data. Young people should set high goals for themselves, both intellectual and physical. Schools in Ancient Athens taught 3 subjects - grammar, music and gymnastics. Why was special attention paid to the education of young men? The fact is that the state thus raised healthy offspring, brave and strong warriors.

We hope that the report “Ancient Athens” helped you learn a lot of useful information about this state. And you can add to the story about Ancient Athens using the comment form below.

Athens (Greece) - the most detailed information about the city with photos. The main attractions of Athens with descriptions, guides and maps.

Athens city (Greece)

Public transport in Athens includes the metro, commuter trains, trams, trolleybuses and buses. A single ticket is valid for all types of transport. The metro has three lines: M1 (green) - connects the port and northern suburbs through the city center, M2 (red) - connects western and southern Athens, M3 (blue) - connects the southwestern suburbs with the northern suburbs and the airport.

Attractions

The most famous landmark of Athens is the sacred hill - the Acropolis. Here are the amazing ancient ruins of ancient temples that symbolize the heyday of Greek civilization.

The Acropolis is 156 meters high and visible from almost everywhere. In ancient times, there was a royal palace, majestic temples to the gods, religious objects and numerous sculptures here. Most of the main structures of the Acropolis were built during the reign of Pericles (5th century BC) during the heyday of Athens.

The most famous landmark of the Acropolis is the magnificent Parthenon, which, despite time, is one of the best preserved ancient Greek structures in Athens. The Parthenon is considered the largest temple of the classical period of Ancient Greece and is dedicated to Aphrodite. It was completed in 438 BC. The temple is famous for its monumental Doric columns and was decorated with numerous sculptures.

Among the ancient ruins of the Acropolis, the Temple of Nike Apteros, built in 427-424 BC, stands out. and dedicated to Athena the Victorious, the propylaea (the main entrance formed by columns and porticoes), the Erechtheion, a temple built between 421-406 BC. and dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and King Erechtheus.

All structures and ruins of the Acropolis:

1. Hecatompedon.
2. Statue of Athena Promachos.
3. Propylaea.
4. Eleusinion.
5. Bravronion.
6. Chalcotheca.
7. Pandroseion.
8. Arreforion.
9. Athens altar.
10. Sanctuary of Zeus Polyaeus.
11. Sanctuary of Pandion.
12. Odeon of Herodes Atticus.
13. Eumenes standing.
14. Asklepion.
15. Odeon of Pericles.
16. Temenos of Dionysus.
17. Sanctuary of Aglavra.

300 meters away is the Acropolis Museum, which is one of the most important modern buildings in Athens and is built of steel, glass and concrete. Priceless finds and antiquities that were found here during excavations are stored here.

An archaeological path leads from the Acropolis into the city, along which you can see other antiquities of Athens, which belong to different periods and cultures. So, at the foot of the hill, there are the ruins of Olympion, a temple dedicated to Zeus. It was the largest building in Ancient Greece. It began to be built in the 6th century BC. and finished only in the 2nd century AD. under the Roman Emperor Hadrian. More than a hundred huge marble columns once supported the grand sanctuary. Only 15 of them have survived to this day.

The Theater of Dionysus is located on the south side of the Acropolis and is considered the oldest structure of its type in Greece. Many of the most famous ancient Greek comedies and tragedies were presented on this stage. The theater, originally built as a temple, dates back to the 6th century BC. It was dedicated to Dionysus, the god of fun and wine, and could accommodate 17,000 people.

The ancient Agora was the market and center of daily life in ancient Athens. Most of the surviving ruins are from the Roman period and date back to the 1st century AD. The Agora was surrounded by colonnades and columns. It also hosted sporting events and theatrical performances. To the east is the 12-meter tall Wind Tower.

An excellent view of the Agora opens from the northern wall of the Acropolis.

Arch of Hadrian

Hadrian's Arch was built in 131 AD. and symbolizes the entrance to the ancient city. Not far from the western slope of the Acropolis is the Pnyx Hill. Here the citizens of Athens could exercise their democratic rights. To the southwest of the Athenian Acropolis is the Philopappos Hill, which was known as the Hill of the Muses and preserves several ancient ruins. There is also a tiny 12th-century Byzantine chapel with 18th-century frescoes.

The core of the historical center of Athens is the Plaka district, located on the eastern side of the Acropolis. This area has been inhabited since ancient times. Now it is a labyrinth of narrow, flower-filled, picturesque streets lined with traditional 19th-century houses. Plaka is famous for its provincial atmosphere (sometimes you can’t even believe that this is the center of a bustling metropolis), cute restaurants and historical churches.

From Plaka, the Athenian streets will lead to Monastiraki Square, which is one of the central squares of old Athens with narrow streets and small buildings. A traditional market (Yousouroum) is held in the square. Monastiraki is a popular shopping area with over 2,000 different shops.

Anafiotika is another atmospheric village quarter of Athens, located north of the Acropolis. Here tourists can enjoy traditional Greek food and a stroll through the winding Cycladic-style streets. Anafiotika was built in the 60s of the 19th century.

Herodes' Odeon is an ancient Roman theater built in the 2nd century AD. on the steep slopes of the Acropolis by Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife. The theater seated 6,000 spectators and was restored in the 1950s.

The Olympic Stadium was built in the 19th century for the first modern Olympics. It seats 50,000 spectators and is the largest sports facility made entirely of marble. The first stadium on this site was built in the 3rd century BC. and rebuilt in 144. In ancient times, the stadium hosted a religious festival dedicated to the goddess Athena every four years.

The Church of Our Lady of Kapnicarea is a magnificent example of 11th century Byzantine architecture. The church is located on one of the central streets of Athens - Ermou.

The Church of the Holy Apostles is a 10th-century religious building on the site of the ancient Agora, built in typical Byzantine style. The inside of the dome is decorated with original frescoes. A significant part of the ancient iconostasis from the 11th century has also been preserved.

Syntagmatos Square is the central square of modern Athens. The Presidential Guard in national costumes stands in front of the Greek Parliament building. The change of guard takes place in front of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier at 11 a.m. daily.

• The National Archaeological Museum is one of the largest museums in Greece, which has one of the largest exhibitions of Antiquity in the world. The 8,000 square meter building contains 11,000 exhibits.
• Byzantine Museum - more than 25,000 exhibits, representing a treasure trove of religious artifacts from the Byzantine period, as well as works of early Christian, medieval and post-Byzantine art.
• Museum of Cycladic Art - ancient artifacts found in the Cycladic Islands and Cyprus.