One of the most beautiful and famous ancient cities with strong economies, access to the sea, beautiful temples - Ancient Athens, named in honor of one of the most revered goddesses of Greece, Athens.The Greek Olympus, she was known as a patron of war, science, crafts and different extraordinary wisdom.The city, named in honor of the deity, was not to give the greatness and power of his patron.
Emergence Capital Ancient Greece grew in place of the sublime hill - the Acropolis.According to legend, in 1825 BC.e.the first king of Attica, Kekrop, erected on top of the Acropolis fortress, laying on the site the city.Not without the participation of the gods took this construction.Athena argued with the master of the oceans and seas Poseidon, after whom the city called, and who was to become his patron.Judges became the supreme gods of Olympus, led by Zeus.Competing gods, was given the task: "Who will bring a useful gift to the city, will become his patron."Poseidon gave ancient Athens sunlight striking his trident into the rock, and Athena, thrusting a spear into the rock, the Greeks brought olives.Gods of Olympus Poseidon bowed to the present, but the goddess and patroness Kekrop supported the war.Athena won the dispute and for good reason, because under her patronage of Athens achieved a high economic, political and cultural development.And in honor of Poseidon underdog Greeks built a temple soon.The town grew noticeably due to the relocation of its safe rock of the people who was forced to emigrate because of the constant attacks of nomadic tribes.
heyday Athens
High development reached the city during the reign of Peisistratos.This cruel but clever king believed that it was lazy people threaten his power and able to rouse the people to revolt.That's when it was built a huge market square Agora, which came to buyers from around the world.Greek trade was very easy, because they are residents of the island state, had access to the sea.Agriculture and animal husbandry could not distinguish Ancient Greece.Athens was no exception, the main reason for this was the rocky surface of the land on which nothing grew.But the Greeks have earned by trading off.King Peisistratos was a famous builder of the Temple of Apollo and Olympian Zeus were erected it during his reign.Temple of Apollo, he had time to finish, but the abode of Zeus set up Antiochus IV Epiphanes continued.But fate was not temple was built in a short period of time.Roman conqueror Sulla destroyed it, and only the governor Adrian completed construction.
Historians believe that it laid the foundation Pisistrat famous temple - the Parthenon.His story is quite dramatic.Short-lived, it was destroyed by the Persians, and the only ruler Pericles managed to rebuild it.Work on the beautiful and rich church invited the famous sculptor Phidias, the author of one of the Seven Wonders of the World - statue of Olympian Zeus.His sculpture of Athens was so beautiful that the rulers did not dare to construct other buildings on the Acropolis.
According to the conclusions of the archaeologists who studied the teeth of the remains of the inhabitants of that era, ancient Athens had fallen from the plague, or as it is called, typhoid, which raged there in 430-423 years.Because of this incurable disease-third of the state's population died, fell famous city - Ancient Athens.
