Ancient Athens

The Athenian Flag. Athens is the current capitol of Greece and its largest city. It is in the prefecture of Attica and located near the town of Piraeus, located approximately five kilometres away, that served as Athens' seaport in ancient times. The city is dominated by its large Acropolis that is located in the centre of the city, that house in ancient times the Parthenon (the temple of Athena) and the temple to the Unknown God, among others. Athens is regarded as the birthplace of democracy, and transitioned from monarchy to aristocracy to direct democracy over the years of its history. The philosopher Aristotle, a long-time resident of Athens, wrote a history of Athens' ancient constitution. Athens and the Delian league it commanded lost the Peloponessian war with Sparta, but Athens recuperated and gained its independence and thrived until taken by Alexander the Great's armies. After the Hellenic Age, Athens existed under the Roman and Byzantine Empires, under which it lost most of its classical splendor, until it was taken by the Ottoman Empire in 1458. After Greece's freedom was obtained and the Greek Civil War was resolved, Athens became the capitol of the Republic of Greece. It is currently the most populous of all Greek cities, followed by Thessaloniki.