History of Athens - Ancient Greece History
Here you will have the opportunity to take a quick glance at all the important historical events which took place from the past till recently in Athens. This historical overview will transfer us to the Neolithic Era, when, according to the archaeological findings, the first efforts for the organization of Athens city were attempted. Pelasgoi were the first habitants and in 1400 BC they started fortifying the rock of the Acropolis with walls, till Copper Age and 800 BC when the final unification of Attica in one united state took place. At that time we see Panathenaea, the big feast of Athens taking place in honor of Goddess Athena who was worshipped by many people. She was admired at such an extent that Athens, the capital of Greece to its name after her.
The last king of Athens was Kodros, in 1068 BC and then there was the appearance of the four tribes to which the people of Athens were separated during the 8th and 7th century. In 636 BC Kylon, unsuccessfully, tried to take over the control through tyranny.
In 624 BC the legislative practices of Drakontas took place and in 594 BC Solon was chosen to govern by both quarreling groups of the rich and poor. Then history moved on with the tyranny of Peisistratos in the middle of the sixth century, the murder of Ipparchos in 514 BC and the important reformations of Kleisthenis in 508 BC which set the basis for the Athenian Democracy to emerge.
The anger of the king of Persia after Athens sent help to the revolutionary cities of Ionia in 500 BC and the bravery of the Athenians during the battles of Marathon in 490 BC and Artemisio in 180 BC, the magisterial character of Athens in 478 BC and the victory of Evrydamantas which lead to the liberation of the Greek cities from the Persian domination are a few more of the important events which took place in the past.
The Golden Age of the Athenian Democracy is taking place during the fifth century BC after Pericles became the leader of the democratic party (490-429 BC) and the end of the first Peloponnesian war. Then the monuments of the Acropolis were built, in a period of time when Socrates, the Sophists and other great men culminated the day of the city.
Because of the second Peloponnesian war (431-421 BC and 416-404 BC) the development of the arts, literature and other sciences was stopped and later on the degrading loss of the Athenians in Sicily by the Lakedaimones took place along with the blooming of the Macedonian dynasty, the Roman domination during which the temple of Olympian Zeus was completed under the reign of Hadrian (117-138 BC). The aqueduct saved until today and a library were built at the same period.
An important point in history is 53 AC when Apostle Paul taught Christianity in Areios Pagos, the high Court in front of Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. A bad era in the history of Athens is 396 AC when Athens has fallen in the hands of Goth invaders.
Ioustinianos becoming an emperor in 482-565 played a very important role in the prevention of the ancient Greek world. From the era of emperor Herakleitos (574-640) a long period of obscurity and rapacious invasions started for Athens. In 1204 the crusaders entered inside the fort of the Acropolis. The domination of the Franks was maintained in the city until 1308.
Following the course of Constantinople, Athens was occupied in 1456 by the Turks.
In the beginning of the 19th century, in 1800, Lord Elgin settled in Constantinople as an ambassador of England and violently took parts of the decorations of the temples found on the rock of the Acropolis.
In 1834 Athens became the capital of Greece and after a year the first municipal elections took place, making Anargyros Petrakis the first mayor. In 1843 secret discussions taking place in the house of a great Greek man named Makrygiannis, are a fact referring to the revolution of the people and the guard of Athens having as a result the concession of the constitution. In 1862 kingship of king Othonas is abolished and after one year he is replaced by George the first.
In 1882 and for 15 years Charilaos Trikoupis is the leading figure. In 1896 we have the revival of the Olympic Games and during 1899-1908 many important works were made by Spyros Merkouris who was the mayor at the time.
The newer history has to present us the elements of the actions followed by the greatest political personality of the 20th century, Eleftherios Venizelos, whose work and achievements towards national completion and internal welfare of the country are more than visible.
Around 1928 an English company took over the production of electric energy in the capital and the telephones were operating automatically replacing the telephone centers. In 1928 the first political airport was created in the area of Faliro (Delta Falirou) and the airport of Elliniko was founded in 1934.
Ioannis Metaxas imposed a dictatorship in 1936, a bit later the second world war started, then the agreement of Varkiza took place, the dictatorship of the 21st of April 1967, the student rebellion in 1973 and the change-over period till the 6th of September 1997 when the International Olympic Games Committee gave Athens the organization of the Olympic Games 2004.
