History of Athens Part II

Due to these two battles at Salamis and Marathon, Athens gained wealth and power and a naval base was established which brought more security and power to its great city. During the 5th century BC, Athens became almost the biggest commercial hub on the Mediterranean. The Leader of the Athenians, Pericles, invested much wealth into the rebuilding of Athens on a grand scale. With a population of 140,000, the Golden Age of Athens was just beginning.

The demolished temples of the Acropolis were replaced by the splendid Parthenon, which was dedicated to Athena, and is considered one of the greatest architectural masterpieces of all time. Sculptors were commissioned to work night and day to decorate the public buildings such as Praxiteles and Phidias, where they can be seen at the Acropolis Museum as well as at the National Archaeological Museum.

Theatre was also created as a new art form and the first performers like Sophocles and Euripides created their first plays at the Dionysos Theatre, which is now the oldest theatre in the world. Aristotle, Plato and Socrates had a lot of time on their hands to work out the workings and teachings of the world which still stay with us and one can still walk through the Agora, which is the oldest marketplace in Athens and retrace the footsteps of Socrates who engaged in deep and meaningful discussions with the citizens. Maybe the locals at the time thought he was a bit of a nutcase, but he is now world renowned for his brilliance and modern thinking.

The Golden age lasted up until 404 BC and then Sparta defeated Athens. Later in 338BC the Macedonian Kings took over the city and its people lost their independence, and the city was annexed by the Romans in 145 BC. Although it was a major cultural centre, its political role was greatly reduced. The Romans had great admiration for this Greek city’s cultural heritage and they built many statues and monuments like the Roman Agora, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrians Arch, the Odeon of Herod Atticus, etc. The Romans also attended philosophy school here.

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