Let's talk about one of the most influential and most researched cities, which is also the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. We are talking about Athens in Greece, also the capital of Greece. Athens has been the most powerful centre for education, politics, sport and the birthplace of influential personalities who have contributed to great work in the world. Athens has been the centre for the development of great decisions that have changed not only the Greek society but also the whole world, including landmarks such as establishing democracy. With its intriguing history and culture, the city of Athens attracts not only tourists from all over the world, but also scholars, anthropologists, historians and artists. Athens has been the crossroads of many disciplines and interests.
The name Athens is associated with the patron goddess of the city, Athena, who is also the Greek goddess of war and wisdom. Greek history tells that the city entered into competition for possession by Athena and Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas, and the inhabitants of the city decided that whoever gave the best gift to the then nameless city would be the patron of the city. Poseidon offered seawater and Athena an olive tree which was much more appreciated by the inhabitants. Therefore, Athena became the patron of the city and the city was named after her. Greek history will always be captivating, no doubt about it. It is argued that Athens has been inhabited since the last 5000 years making it the oldest city to be occupied continuously. Athens was the most important centre for the Mycenaean civilization which was the highest peak of Greek civilization during which the Greeks developed intellectually and politically. Powerful structures like the Acropolis was built which had important places for politics like courts, temples for religious matters and worship, palaces for the royalty and many other structures were built during that period which marked the success and glory of the Greek empire.
By the 6th century BC, Athens experienced internal conflicts where the inhabitants of the city began to question the validity and supremacy of the people in absolute power. This led to a series of decisions to be taken by the rulers and legislators that paved the way for the birth of democracy in 508 BC. BC. This can almost be considered as the birth of modern democracy, which is followed to this day by the world whose foundations were laid by the Greeks and is referred to as "Athenian democracy". Athenian democracy was the first known model of "rule of the people", which is the basis of democracy until today. In the following years, the golden period of Athens came where the population witnessed flourishing of the highest principles of human values and ethics like justice, social norms like equality and political philosophies which were the bedrock for modern western civilization. Although this democracy lasted only two centuries in ancient Greece, which eventually gave way to aristocracy as the dominant form of government.
Greek civilization had a great deal to give to the modern world. The Olympic Games will be by far the most influential. The ancient Greeks were the first to organise Olympic Games 2700 years ago in an ancient city called Olympia in Greece. The Greeks were very passionate and appreciated sport immensely. They held the Olympic Games every four years, where participants from various other states competed in a variety of sports, including combats. It is widely believed that the ancient Olympic Games were found by Hercules, son of the Greek god Zeus, and that subsequently the Olympic Games were held in honour of Zeus every four years. The Olympic Games and its legacy have never ended, and the Greeks cherished them with all their hearts. But after the conquest of Greece by the Romans, the games were interrupted for almost 12 centuries until they were revived in 1896 in Athens which marks the beginning of the modern Olympics which are held till today.
Gift of Philosophies, Wisdom and Knowledge to the World
Socrates, Aristotle and Plato are the most famous Greek philosophers who are still widely read in the world today. Their contributions and philosophies have influenced the construction of many aspects of the modern world. Pythagoras is another Greek mathematician who gave the Pythagorean theorem to the world. The Greeks also place great importance on education and critical learning. Scholars such as Socrates advocated teaching by asking questions to disciples rather than lecturing. Virtues such as reasoning, logic and critical thinking were already present in ancient Greece.
The ancient Greeks were known to be a sophisticated civilization that possessed great wisdom and morality. They illustrated their greatness through their architecture, sculpture, arts, philosophies and many other works which are still studied and taken as inspiration to this day. They admired zest for life, sports, indulged in joy and led a very opulent life.
