Ancient Athens was the capital and largest city in Greece located on the Ilissus River. It had a population of around 3.5 million and a Mediterranean climate. The ancient Athenians practiced polytheism and women had no rights. Athens developed a strong economy based on agriculture and crafts for export. It was the first known democracy led by Pericles, though only citizens like men could vote. Cultural elements included sports, olive-based cuisine, and music at religious festivals. Major attractions were the Temple of Zeus, Theater of Dionysus, and Acropolis temples influencing Western architecture.
2. Geography
• Athens is the capital and largest city in Greece
• Athens is surrounded by mountains
• Most are of limestone or marble, from which the
buildings of the city were constructed
• The city is on the Ilissus River, which is dry for most of the
year and carries a lot of water only after winter storms
• It rarely snows (usually every 3-4 years) and some
rainfalls might occur in Autumn
• Athens has a typical Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry
Summers and mild Winters
4. Demographic Information
• Population of about 3.5 million people
• The ancient people believed in polytheism, or
the belief in more than one god or goddess,
and each god mixed in importance and power
• Women had no rights at all and were only
there to reproduce and to clean up after the
men and manage the home
5. Trade and Economy
• Food, raw materials, and manufactured goods were
not only made available to them for the first time but
the export of wine, olives, and pottery helped to
spread Greek culture to the wider world
• As trading grew, Athenians reached markets all over
the Mediterranean as well as in the far east, Egypt and
Lydia
• A large part of the Athenian economy focused on cash
crops for export and crafts; it had become a center of
art and literature and the city became architecturally
rich
6. Types of Government
• Ancient Athens was the first known
Democracy
• The greatest and longest lasting democratic
leader was Pericles
• Only in Athens, “rule by many” meant that all
citizens had to be willing to take an active part
in the government
• Women, children, and slaves were not
citizens, and so could not vote
7. Cultural Elements
• Sports: Boxing, chariot riding, discus, javelin,
jumping, running, wrestling
• Food: Olives, grapes, cheese, wheat, donkey,
and fish
• Music was used for religious festivals,
marriages, funerals, and banquet gathering
8. Key Attractions
• Temple of Zeus: The Temple of the Olympian Zeus was the largest
temple in Greece. It took almost seven centuries to complete the
massive temple.
• Theater of Dionysus: As early as in 534 BC famous Greek tragedies
and comedies were performed here
• First Cemetery of Athens: It was created in the early 19th century
and contains the graves and tombs of some of the most notable
Greek citizens
• Panathenaic Stadium: Originally built in the fourth century BC. After
it had fallen into decay, it was rebuilt at the end of the nineteenth
century as the main stadium for the first modern Olympic Games
• Acropolis: The temples on the sacred rock of the Acropolis, built at
the end of the fifth century BC, are some of the world's most
important buildings. They would influence the architecture of the
Western World for more than two millennia.
