Information about the ancient Athenian city. Athens in ancient greece

It stood on the same spot where modern Athens stands. Ancient Athens stood five kilometers from the sea, 7-8 kilometers from the harbor of Piraeus, on the northern bank of the Ilissus, a river that usually dries up in summer. Not far from the northern edge of ancient Athens, another river, Kefiss, flows on a fertile plain. At the very edge of the city in the north, Mount Lycabettus rose in ledges. The circumference of the ancient city of Athens, together with Piraeus, which was connected to the city by walls, was about 25 kilometers. The eastern and northern parts of ancient Athens, which made up most of them, lay on a plain; the southwestern part was built on two ranges of hills separated by a small hollow; the front ridge goes from north to south, the back, located to the southwest of it, has the same direction as Lycabettus, from northeast to southwest. The front ridge consists mainly of two rocky hills. Its eastern hill is the most high place in the whole city. On three sides it rises above the plain in steep cliffs; only from the western side can you climb it. On its rather extensive upper square was the citadel of ancient Athens - the Acropolis. To the west of the Acropolis rises the rocky hill of the Areopagus; on the eastern edge of this rock was going, ancient custom under the open sky, the Athenian tribunal, whose name it was called, and under the cliff of its eastern outskirts, in a rocky hollow between the Areopagus hill and the Acropolis, stood a very ancient and highly respected temple of Eumenides in Athens. In the northwest of the Areopagus hill rises a flat-topped hill, which scientists now call Theseus Hill (Theseion), because on the northeastern outskirts of it stood the temple of Theseus. The most significant of the hills of the rear range is at the southern end; this is the hill of Muses (Museum, Museion), the western slope of which is almost a quarter of an hour long. (At the top of it later stood a monument to a relative of the Syrian kings Philopappus; this monument was visible from a very great distance). To the northwest of the hill of Muses, separated from it only by a narrow gorge, the hill of Pnyxa rises in a flat terrace; on its eastern slope there is an artificially leveled terrace, the outskirts of which are supported by a huge wall; archaeologists previously believed that this terrace was in the ancient city of Athens a place of public meetings, therefore they called it Pnyx, as the Athenians called the place where public meetings took place. In the northwest of the Pnyxa hill, separated from it only by a small hollow, there is a rock that archaeologists call the hill of the Nymphs (because there is an inscription on the rock dedicating it to the nymphs). This hill lies almost directly to the west of the Athenian Areopagus, and the hill adjacent to it from the north is adjacent to the western side of Theseus Hill. Both ridges formed a continuous line of heights, which served as a natural defense of ancient Athens from the side of the harbor. Serving from ancient times as a dwelling for the Eupatrides, the Acropolis, together with the streets adjacent to it from the west and from the south and the Areopagus hill, constituted the oldest city in Athens. Probably, a very long time ago also belonged to it the area between the Acropolis and Iliss, called Limna (Limna, "marshes"). After the Persian wars, the ancient city of Athens began to grow; especially it grew to the north and northwest; it included neighboring rural communities: in the north, Near Keramik and Far Keramik, which became the northern suburbs; in the west, Kolon Agorsky and Kollit, which probably lay east of Kolon. Dipylon Gate (Dipylon) led from ancient Athens to the northeast to the area where the Academy was located, a garden with buildings, decorated with fountains; from other gates of the city we will name Piraeus, Eton, Diomean, Acharn.

Monuments of ancient Athens - Temple of Theseus

Of the ruins of the buildings of the ancient city of Athens, the most significant:

In the temple stood a statue of Athena, made of ivory, dressed in gold; it was an excellent work by Phidias. “The majesty of the forms of the building,” says Prokesh, “the brilliance of marble, the impeccable harmony of proportions filled the soul of those who looked at this temple with bright calmness. The Parthenon is a marvel of perfection. The most insignificant, most hidden parts of it are finished with the same care as the most important, most conspicuous ones. The workers worked with reverent conscientiousness” – In 1687, during the siege of Athens by the Venetians, the Parthenon was badly damaged. Lord Elgin in 1801 and 1803 removed those statues that still survived on the pediments, removed parts of the frieze that survived on the north and south sides, collected the statues that lay on the ground, and transported to London. Now all these fragments of the art of the ancient city of Athens are in the British Museum, and constitute the most precious part of its collections. Byron severely reproved Lord Elgin, and many repeated this reproof; but it is unfair: true, the Parthenon lost the marvelous statues taken away by Lord Elgin; but they were saved from destruction by being taken away from the area that was under the barbarian domination of the Turks. - To the north of the Parthenon stands the temple of Erechtheus (Erechtheion), one of the most excellent buildings of ancient Athens and all Greek architecture. This is actually not one temple, but two, which make up one building: the temple of Athena Poliada (Athena, the patroness of the city) and the temple, called Pandrosium, in which was the tomb of Erechtheus. According to an old legend, this building contained: the sacred olive tree of Athena, the salt spring of Poseidon, and there was a secret cave in which the sacred snake, the guardian of the Acropolis, lived. The oldest image of Athena, carved from wood, was preserved there, black, similar to a mummy. Before there was a temple built in primitive times. The new building built in its place remained in the minds of the Athenians the temple of which their oldest and most sacred traditions spoke, and in it the rites of primitive times continued to be performed.

Erechtheion (Acropolis of Athens). Drawing by E. Dodwell, 1821

The entire Athenian Acropolis was filled with statues: in the temples, in the colonnades, in the courtyards, on its streets - everywhere there were images of gods, heroes and famous people. Everything in it shone with marble, bronze, gold. - Between the temple of Erechtheus and the Propylaea, a colossal bronze statue of Athena the Defender (Promachos) stood on a high foot. Returning to his homeland, the Athenian sailor, still from the sea, between Athens and Sunius, saw the end of the raised spear of Athena the Defender. Under the Acropolis, in a cave from which a stream flowed, there was a sanctuary of Pan and Apollo. The theater of Dionysus, the ruins of which were discovered by the Prussian scientific expedition of 1861-1862, stood at the southeastern end of the Acropolis, and at the southwestern end in later times Herod Atticus built a magnificent theater, the Odeon, and called it the Odeon of Regilla, in memory of his late wife .

The Acropolis of Athens in antiquity. Reconstruction

On the feast of the great Panathenas, a solemn procession brought Athena new clothes, peplos, decorated with embroidered patterns. This procession was attended by all respected people, all the beautiful girls of the ancient city of Athens. The procession went from the Far Keramik through the Near Keramik, then along the Hermes Street, along the northern side of the Acropolis Hill to Ilissus, to Eleusis, then past the Pythian temple, past the Pelasgicus, ascended through the Propylaea to the Parthenon, and the gilded doors of the temple, ringing, dissolved in front of her.

Athens harbors

In the southwest of Athens, the rocky peninsula of Acte juts out far into the sea; its north-western side and the general line of the coast form a large bay, the north-eastern side encloses a less extensive bay, which has only a narrow entrance. The northwestern bay, at which the town of Piraeus lay, also has a narrow entrance, so that this harbor can easily be defended from enemy fleets, and it is spacious, could accommodate all the numerous ships that brought goods for the ancient city of Athens. In the southeast corner of the vast trading harbour, there is a bay, Kantar; it was the military harbor of ancient Athens; shipyards for the construction of warships, arsenals were located along the coast of this bay; thus, the navy did not interfere with the trade traffic in the harbor of Piraeus. To the east of ancient Athens was the little bay of Zea; still farther east, near Munichia, there was another small bay under the high bank; both of them were exclusively military harbors; up to 200 sheds were built in the Zeya harbor to store ships; in Munikhia, which is smaller than Zeya, there are up to 100 such sheds (their remains are visible). All this part of the coast the ancient Athenians during the Persian wars, at the suggestion Themistocles surrounded by fortifications of colossal size. A wall built of hewn stone skirted all these three bays of ancient Athens; starting from Cape Etionea, it reached in the northeast to Munichia; its length was one and a half geographical miles; it was 11 feet thick, so that two carts with cargo could ride side by side on it. The stones were fastened together not with lime, but with iron staples. There was a tower every hundred feet. The harbor entrances were naturally narrow; but stone dams were built across them to make them even narrower, and they could be locked with chains. The entrance to the Piraeus harbor was especially strongly protected by dams. At the end of the Persian wars, two " long walls", connecting the ancient city of Athens with Piraeus; they walked at a distance of a stage (about 180 meters) from one another; this road between the Athenian Long Walls became a street lined with houses.

Lost Worlds: Athens - the ancient city, video

Ancient Athens Post will briefly tell you about this city-state of Ancient Greece. You will learn about how the inhabitants of Ancient Athens lived, and what was the basis of their state.

"Ancient Athens" report

Formation of the Athenian state briefly

Where was Ancient Athens located? The location of the ancient Greek city-state of Athens is Attica. According to archaeological finds this region refers to the southern and eastern parts of Central Greece. Athens was located on the hills of Pnyx, Acropolis, Areopagus, Nympheion and Museion. Each hill had its own function. On the hill of the Areopagus was the meeting room of the Supreme Judicial Council. The rulers of the city lived in the Acropolis. On the rocky, low hill of Pnyx, people's meetings were held, speakers listened and important decisions were made. Festivities and cultural events were held on the hills of Museion and Nympheion. The streets and roads of the city diverged from the hills, which consisted of inner and outer quarters, temples, public buildings. In the vicinity of the Acropolis, the first settlement arose around 4500 BC.

The legend of the creation of the city of Athens

The city was named after the goddess Athena - the goddess of wisdom and war, the patroness of arts, knowledge, crafts and science. A long time ago, Athena argued with the god of the seas, Poseidon, which of them should be the patron of the new city. Poseidon took the trident and hit the rock. A pure spring gushed out of it. The god of the seas said that he would give the inhabitants water, and they would never suffer from drought. But the water in the springs was sea, salty. Athena planted the seed in the ground. An olive tree grew from it. The inhabitants of the city gladly accepted her gift, as the olive gave them oil, food and wood. This is how the city got its name.

Power in Ancient Athens

Issues of foreign and domestic policy were decided at the people's assembly. It was attended by all citizens of the policy, regardless of position. During the year they were convened at least 40 times. At the meetings, reports were heard, the construction of public buildings and the fleet, appropriations for military needs, food supplies, questions about relations with other states and allies were discussed. The ekklesias dealt with private issues on the basis of existing laws. All bills were discussed very carefully and in the form of a lawsuit. The People's Assembly made the final decision.

Elections of persons for state and military positions also took place at the people's assemblies. They were chosen by open vote. The rest of the positions were chosen by lot.

Between the people's assemblies, the Council of Five Hundred dealt with administrative issues, which was annually replenished with new citizens who had reached 30 years of age. The council took care of the current details and prepared a draft decision for the people's assembly.

Another authority in ancient Athens is the helium jury. All citizens of the city took part in the court. 5,000 judges and 1,000 substitutes were selected by lot. Lawyers did not take part in court hearings. Each defendant defended himself. To compose the text of the speech, logographers were involved - people skilled in laws and rhetoric. Performances were limited to strict regulations, which were determined by the water clock. The court dealt with the litigation of citizens and immigrants, the cases of residents from the allied states, political issues. The decision was made by voting (secret). It was not subject to appeal and was final. Judges taking office took an oath to conduct their affairs according to the laws and fairly.

The strategists acted with the Council of Five Hundred. Their competence was the command of the fleet and the army, they followed them in peacetime, they were in charge of spending military funds. The strategists conducted diplomatic negotiations and were in charge of foreign policy issues.

In the 5th century BC. introduced the position of archons. They did not play a big role, but nevertheless the archons were engaged in the preparation of court cases, controlled sacred lands, guarded orphans' property, appointed khoregs, led competitions, religious processions, and sacrifices. They were elected for a year, after which they became part of the Areopagus, where they were waiting for life membership.

With the development of Athens, the administrative apparatus increased. Elective positions were also introduced in the subdivisions of the state - demes, phyla, phratries. Every citizen was drawn into the social and political life of the city. This is how democracy gradually developed in ancient Athens. It reached its highest point during the reign of Pericles. He organized the fullness of the legislative supreme power into an ekklesia - a people's assembly. It was collected every 10 days. The remaining organs of the state were subordinate to the people's assembly.

Education in Ancient Athens

Life in Ancient Athens was subject not only to politics. Citizens paid an important role to education, which was based on public education and democratic principles. Parents were supposed to provide a comprehensive education for young men. If they didn't, they were severely punished.

The educational system is aimed at the accumulation of great scientific information, the constant development of physical natural data. Young people should set high goals for themselves, both intellectual and physical. Schools in Ancient Athens taught 3 subjects - grammar, music and gymnastics. Why was special attention paid to the education of young men? The fact is that the state, thus, brought up healthy offspring, brave and strong warriors.

We hope that the report "Ancient Athens" helped you learn a lot useful information about this state. And you can add a story about Ancient Athens through the comment form below.

The history of ancient Greece is divided into several main periods according to the main center of cultural development. Athens is associated primarily with the classical cultural era. However, mention of this city is also found in connection with a civilization that developed much earlier on the island of Crete. This is the famous myth of the Minotaur, in which the opposing sides were the king of the island of Crete, Minos, and the son of the king of Athens, Aegeus, Theseus. There is a connection with Athens in the legend of Daedalus and Icarus. Therefore, it will be interesting to trace the history of the development of Athenian culture both from the point of view of mythology and from the point of view of historical facts.

Who to own?

And we will begin, or rather we have already begun, with mythology, as the most important aspect in the spiritual life of the Greeks.

The legends do not say exactly when Athens arose. However, there is a vivid narrative about the first ruler of the city in myths. And this is a belief about the dispute between Athena and Poseidon. Briefly about what was the matter and how it all ended. They argued, of course, for power over a rich port city. The winner was the one who made the gift to its residents more expensive. Poseidon struck his trident on the ground, and from there he hammered a key. The townspeople were delighted: with fresh water it was very difficult here - there was almost none, only the salty sea was nearby. They rushed to the source and, oh, horror! Disappointment! The water was also salty...

Then Athena began to create and grew an olive tree. And there is no fresh water, no plants. But the olive was very tenacious and suitable for local natural conditions. The townspeople rejoiced: both food and oil for various needs. Well, greens too. And as a reward for such a priceless gift, the inhabitants of the city recognized Athena as its ruler. And the name was given in her honor. This is how the city began to be called - the city of the goddess Athena, or simply Athens.

Athenians and Cretans

Returning to the history of the Labyrinth of the Minotaur, we come to the most ancient period of Greek civilization, which is also often called Cretan. This is the time of confrontation between Crete and Athens in the person of their rulers Minos and Aegeus. The story of the construction of a labyrinth on the island of Crete for a terrible monster - half-man, half-bull - the son of Minos, demanding human sacrifices for himself to be eaten. These bodies were to be paid to Minos by the Athenian king Aegeus. For Aegeus himself, the story of liberation from the terrible and shameful tribute ended tragically. Let me remind you that he threw himself off a cliff into the sea, having learned that the sail on the returning ship remained black. This meant that his miraculously found son Theseus died in the Labyrinth. In honor of Aegeus, the sea began to be called the Aegean.

The fate of the creator of the Daedalus Labyrinth, a native of Athens, who left his homeland due to persecution over the accidental death of his talented nephew, whose murder Daedalus was accused of, was also tragic. During the flight from Crete, Minos took him under his care. During his stay with the king, Daedalus built the famous castle - the Labyrinth. Since Minos did not want to let go of the skilled craftsman, he decided to flee. Flying across the sky on wings made of bird feathers and wax, Daedalus and Icarus never reached their new home: Icarus, having risen high to the sun, fell and crashed into the water, and the inconsolable Daedalus landed on the nearest island, where he spent the remainder of the mountain their days. But the memory of him remained to live in the creations he created in his native Athens.

Athens and Troy

The next period of Greek culture, after the death of the Cretan civilization from a flood that occurred due to an earthquake on the neighboring island of Thera, I associate the myths of the ancient Greeks with the period of the Trojan War, in which many policies of Ancient Greece participated against the Asia Minor city, which was then part of the Greek lands, including Athens. In history, this period is called Mycenaean - according to the main cultural center of Mycenae civilization.

But back to the myths. The younger son of King Priam of Troy, Paris, then still a simple shepherd, was chosen by Zeus as a judge in the dispute between three goddesses for the title of the most beautiful. He handed the famous apple of discord to Aphrodite, thereby angering the most powerful Athena and Hera. And they did not forget the insult, standing a little later on the side of the Achaean army.

Paris, having kidnapped King Menelaus from Sparta, his wife - the beautiful Helen, whose love Aphrodite gave him as a reward - took her to his native Troy. Menelaus called for revenge, and all the greatest men of Hellas, including his friend, King Agamemnon of Athens, responded to the call.

The Danaean army, led by Achilles and Agamemnon, laid siege to Troy, and the siege lasted for ten years. During this time, many lost their lives: Achilles' friend Patroclus, Paris's brother Hector, Achilles himself, Laocoön and his sons, and many residents of later plundered and burned Troy. After some time, death overtook the sister of Paris, the prophetic Cassandra, taken into slavery by Agamemnon. On the way home, Cassandra gave birth to sons to the Athenian king, but upon arrival at their homeland in Athens, all of them, together with Anamemnon, were killed by his wife.

The era of classical Greece: the beginning

Now let's talk about the time when the Athenian state began to emerge. This era arose several centuries after the mysterious death of the Mycenaean civilization. During this period, in the central region of Ancient Greece, Attica, city-states began to form, with adjacent arable lands called policies. V different time there was an elevation of some territories, then others. All policies of ancient Greece fought for the leading position. Especially Sparta and Athens.

Since the Athenian lands were not rich in water and fertile soils, for the most part, it was not agriculture and cattle breeding that developed here, but handicrafts. Already in the VIII-VII centuries. BC e. opened in Athens a large number of workshops of potters, blacksmiths, shoemakers who traded their goods in shops. On the outskirts of Athens, viticulture and the cultivation of olives, as well as the production of olive oil, developed.

Governance of Athens in the pre-democratic period

Until the 7th century BC e. in the city, only the nobility was allowed to manage. The Areopagus, who sat on the hill of the god Mars and consisted of nine elected archons, held power in his hands. They not only ruled Athens, but also ruled the court, mostly unfair, adhering to the interests of the nobility. But the most odious figure of the archons during the existence of this form of government was Draco, who issued absurd and cruel laws.

The ordinary inhabitants of Ancient Athens lived poorly. They had small, most barren plots of land, where almost nothing could be grown. Therefore, in order to pay taxes, they were forced to borrow at interest from the noble and rich. And since they could not give the so-called payments, they gradually handed over their children, wives, and even themselves into slavery to the one they owed. Such captivity was called debt, and denoting stones were installed on the plots of borrowers for evidence.

Against debt slavery, resentment gradually grew among the demos and artisans, which eventually led to an uprising.

Athenian Democracy: The Basics

Let's start by defining the essence of the concept itself: in a literal translation, the word "democracy" means "the power of the people" (demos - the people).

The birth in Athens of a new form of government occurred in the VI century. BC e. and is associated with the management of the archon Solon.

After the uprising of the demos, a truce was concluded between him and the nobility and joint elections of the Areopagus were held. Solon, a native of Athens, engaged in an honorable business - maritime trade, who came from a noble family, but did not have any special wealth, who knew labor early, was elected the main archon in it together - a native of Athens, honest, fair and wise. He establishes new laws in Athens and above all abolishes debt slavery. This was an important event in the history of ancient Athens. According to the laws of Solon, even ignoble citizens could now be elected archons, but always rich ones. In addition, to decide the most important matters, they began to convene a National Assembly, which included all the free men of Athens.

An elected court was also established and many laws of Draco were repealed. Judges were chosen from among all citizens of Athens, regardless of class and wealth, not younger than 30 years old. The main condition was the absence of bad deeds. At the trial, in addition to the accused and the accuser, they began to listen to witnesses. The decision on guilt or innocence was made by secret ballot with white and black pebbles.

All debt slaves were set free and answered to those who were indebted only with their property.

The results of Solon's activities

In general, Solon's attempts to establish democracy in the Athenian state were only partially resolved. The main drawback of its activities should be considered the unresolved land issue: fertile lands, in abundance in the hands of the rich and nobility, were never selected and distributed evenly among all citizens. This angered the demos. And the nobility resented the fact that they were deprived of cheap slaves and the right to receive the former taxes from debtors, which they were forgiven.

Rise of Democracy in Ancient Athens

The beginning of this period is associated with the victory of the Greeks over the Persians and the reign of Pericles. State structure Ancient Athens under Pericles was characterized by an updated system of government. It was the 5th century BC. The entire demos of Athens took part in the administration without a difference, whether he was distinguished by nobility by origin, was considered rich or poor.

The main governing body was the People's Assembly, which could include all Athenian male citizens upon reaching 20 years of age. Gathering 3-4 times a month, the meeting not only disposed of the treasury, resolved issues of war and peace, government, but also elected ten strategists for one year of government, the main of which was the first. Pericles for a long time kept this position in his hands at the expense of universal respect.

An advisory body, the Council of Five Hundred, also participated in the management of the Athenian state. But even if he was against the proposed proposal, he was still put to a vote in the People's Assembly.

Thanks to the activities of Pericles, paid bureaucratic positions were introduced in Athens. This was necessary so that not only the rich would take part in government, but also the poor farmers.

In addition, during the reign of Pericles, the city actively developed and flourished, and the culture of Ancient Athens reached an incredible level. high level. His reign lasted fifteen years.

Athens under Pericles

The description of Ancient Athens should start from the very heart of the city - the Acropolis - a hill on which, thanks to Pericles and Phidias, the greatest architectural and sculptural monuments of Greek culture were erected: the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Temple of Nike Apteros, the Propylaea, the theater of Dionysus, the Pinakothek, a unique statue of the goddess Athena was installed .

The center of the city was the main square of Ancient Athens - Agora. Here was the main city market, temples to the gods, porticos for conversations and meetings, a building for meetings of the Council of Five Hundred and the Round Building, in which its representatives carried round-the-clock watch in times of danger.

An interesting place of "poor" Athens was the area of ​​potters-artisans Keramik, where the amazing ancient Greek art was born - vase painting.

On the outskirts of Athens, on the Mediterranean coast, there is the main Athenian port of Piraeus, consisting of one commercial and two military harbors, a shipyard and a market. The road from Piraeus to Athens was protected by the Long Walls.

Under Pericles, Ancient Athens became the largest craft, cultural and commercial center.

Ancient Athens (Greek: Αρχαία Αθήνα) is a city-state in Attica, which from the 5th century BC. played along with Sparta a leading role in the history of Ancient Greece. Democracy was formed in Ancient Athens, philosophy and the art of theater received classical forms.

The archaeological study of Athens began in the 30s of the 19th century, however, excavations became systematic only with the formation in Athens in the 70s-80s of the French, German and English archaeological schools. Literary sources and archaeological material that have survived to this day help to recreate the history of the Athenian policy. The main literary source on the history of Athens during the formation of the state is Aristotle's "Athenian polity" (4th century BC).

athenian acropolis

The Acropolis of Athens (Greek: Ακρόπολη Αθηνών) is an acropolis in the city of Athens, which is a 156-meter rocky hill with a gentle top (approx. 300 m long and 170 m wide).

History of the acropolis

The first fortifications on a rocky spur with an area 300 m to 130 m, rising on the outskirts of Athens, appeared long before the onset of the classical period. Already in the archaic times, majestic temples, sculptures, various religious objects were located here. The Acropolis is also called "Kekropia" (Cecropia) or "Kekrops" (Kekrops) - in honor of Kekrops, who according to legend was the first king of Athens and the founder of the Acropolis.

In the Mycenaean period (XV-XIII centuries BC) it was a fortified royal residence. In the VII-VI centuries. BC e. There was a lot of construction going on in the Acropolis. Under the tyrant Peisistratus (560-527 BC), a temple of the goddess Athena Hekatompedon was built on the site of the royal palace (that is, a temple a hundred steps long; fragments of sculptures of pediments were preserved, the foundation was revealed). In 480 BC. e. during the Greco-Persian wars, the temples of the Acropolis were destroyed by the Persians. The inhabitants of Athens took an oath to restore the shrines only after the expulsion of enemies from Hellas.

In 447 BC. e. on the initiative of Pericles, new construction began on the Acropolis; the management of all the work was entrusted to the famous sculptor Phidias, who, apparently, was the author of the project that formed the basis of the entire complex, its architectural and sculptural appearance. The architects Kallikrates, Iktin, Mnesicles, Archilochus and others also worked on the creation of the ensemble of the Acropolis.

In the 5th century, the Parthenon became the church of Our Lady, the statue of Athena Parthenos was transported to Constantinople. After the conquest of Greece the Turks (in the 15th century) turned the temple into a mosque, to which minarets were attached, then into an arsenal; The Erechtheion became the harem of the Turkish pasha, the temple of Nike Apteros was dismantled, and the wall of the bastion was built from its blocks. In 1687, after a cannonball hit from a Venetian ship, an explosion destroyed almost the entire central part of the temple of Athena - the Virgin, and during an unsuccessful attempt by the Venetians to remove the sculptures of the Parthenon, several statues were broken. V early XIX century, Lord Elgin broke out a number of metopes, tens of meters of a frieze and almost all the surviving sculptures of the pediments of the Parthenon, a caryatid - from the portico of the Erechtheion.

In 1827, during the defense of the Acropolis by Greek rebels, the Erechtheion temple was badly damaged by a Turkish cannonball. Previous attempts by the Turks to blow up the Acropolis with the help of tunnels were thwarted by the Greek sapper Hormovitis, Kostas, whose name is given to one of the central streets.

After the declaration of independence, during the restoration work (mainly at the end of the 19th century), the ancient appearance of the Acropolis was restored, if possible: all late buildings on its territory were liquidated, the temple of Nike Apteros was re-laid, etc. Reliefs and sculptures of the temples of the Acropolis are in the British Museum (London), at the Louvre (Paris) and the Acropolis Museum. The sculptures that remained in the open air have now been replaced by copies.

History of Athens

According to Plato, in his dialogue "Timaeus" it is reported that the Egyptian priests of the goddess Isis told Solon, who visited Egypt, about the existence in the past, another 9.600 years BC, prosperous city with the name "Athens". The Pelasgians are considered the first inhabitants of Athens (in the Odyssey, the Pelasgians are mentioned among the peoples who inhabited Crete along with the Eteocretans, Achaeans, Cydons and Dorians.).

According to legend, during the reign of Kekrop, the first mythical king of Athens (II-III millennium BC), whose name the first acropolis (Kekropia) was named, the inhabitants of Athens were Ionians who moved to the land of Attica. Then the city was renamed in honor of the goddess of wisdom, Athena, who gave him a fertile olive tree - the source of life and wealth, in connection with which she won the title of patroness of the city in a dispute with the god of the seas Poseidon.

The myth about Theseus and the Minotaur, familiar to everyone, testifies to the close connection of Athens with Crete back in when Theseus' father, Aegeus, sat on the Athenian throne, which passed after his death to his son.

“Athens is one of the greatest Greek cities. In the minds of people, he is associated with the whole of Ancient Greece. In part, this is deserved, because many of the achievements of the Hellenic civilization appeared in Athens. The city gave Greece dozens of philosophers, poets, playwrights, orators, historians, politicians. Athens imperiously pulled to itself the best people Greece. Even the conquering Romans paid tribute to the city, sparing the rebellious Athens for the sake of the glory of their ancestors.

Mycenaean and Homeric Greece

The territory of Athens has been inhabited since the Neolithic era. By the 15th century BC. e. attribute the appearance of an Achaean city on this site. On the Acropolis stood a citadel and a palace. But Bronze Age Athens was never a major political center like Mycenae, Tiryns or Pylos.

It is not clear whether the city suffered from the Dorians. The Athenians themselves were always proud of the fact that they were the autochthonous population of this land, and not settlers like other Hellenes. However, the beginning of Homeric Greece was a period of decline economic development Athens. In the XI century BC. e. Ionian migration began, many Athenians went overseas and founded new cities on the coast of Asia Minor.

From about 900 BC, Athens became a major center of trade. During the period of the "Dark Ages" and the era of the Archaic, Athens developed like other Greek states. According to tradition, kings ruled the state for a long time. The abolition of royal power historical tradition refers to 752 BC. e., when the hereditary basile was replaced by three officials - basile, polemarch and archon. The first was responsible for the religious sphere, the second was the commander of the army, and the third was engaged in internal affairs states.

Aristotle wrote that at first the positions of three archons were introduced, and later their number was increased to nine. Former archons filled the council of the Areopagus, which enjoyed influence in Archaic Athens. Membership in this council was for life. The monarchy in the policy was replaced by an aristocratic republic. In the 9th-8th centuries, the population of Attica grew. Burials of that time become richer, luxury items are found in them. But at the end of the 8th century, something happened, and the policy began to decline. There have been theories about an epidemic or drought during this time. The same years include an increase in the number of finds in places of worship. Natural disasters could be the reason for the growth of religiosity of the inhabitants of Attica. Trade declined and the Athenians became more involved in agriculture.

Synoykism and the annexation of Eleusis

An important process that allowed Athens to become a powerful city was Sinoikism. This word was called the union of several communities into one. Athenians managed to create a single state, the territory of which was comparable to the territory of neighboring Boeotia, where there were several separate city-states. The ancients attributed Sinoikism to the legendary king Theseus. According to them, the hero united Attica, which consisted of twelve independent states. Sinoikism did not imply the resettlement of the inhabitants of Attica to the city at the foot of the Acropolis. It consisted in the liquidation of all local authorities, whose place was now occupied by one general council in Athens.

In the West Attica the polis was located Eleusis. It has existed since Mycenaean times. In the VIII-VII centuries BC. e. Athens fought with Eleusis, and the struggle ended with the inclusion of this policy in the Athenian state. Sources close in time to the events report very sparingly about the war. The legends of the Greeks told about the war, where the legendary king Erechtheus commanded the Athenians, and the king Eumolpus commanded the Eleusinians. According to another version, Eleusis was subjugated by the grandson of Erechtheus, Ion. During excavations in Attica, the remains of an old border wall between the territories of the two policies were found. Probably, the conflict was not resolved by one battle, but dragged on for many years. In the 7th century BC e. the city became part of the Athens polis. After subjugation, Eleusis retained his governing bodies, which dealt with internal affairs. The nobility of the city, which was associated with the cult of the mysteries, retained a high position in the Athenian state. The temple of Eleusis was built in Athens, and the festival of the mysteries henceforth began there. But the mysteries themselves remained under the control of the Eleusinian clans.

7th-6th centuries BC e.: legislators and tyrants

By the end of the 7th century BC. e. Athens was an aristocratic republic. The inhabitants were divided into four phyla: Geleonts, Aegikoreas, Argads and Goplets. Their eponyms were the sons of the legendary Ion. Each phyla consisted of three trittia. At the head of the phyla were philobasilei, who were elected from among the noblest citizens. The estates of the population were divided into three categories - noble eupatrides, geomora farmers and demiurge artisans.

In the era of the Archaic, in many Greek policies, ambitious people seized power and became tyrants. In Athens, an aristocrat tried to become a tyrant Kilon. He was a young man from a noble family, the son-in-law of the tyrant Megara Theagenes. In 640 B.C. e. Cylon won the Olympic Games. In that era, victory in Olympia gave its owner a status close to sacred. The Delphic oracle gave the young man a prophecy that he would capture the Acropolis on the day of the greatest holiday in honor of Zeus. Cylon considered that Olympic Games and there is this holiday, and with a group of supporters captured the Acropolis. The Athenians did not accept the tyrant and, under the leadership of the archons, laid siege to Cylon and his associates. After a long siege, the failed tyrant and his brother fled, while their comrades-in-arms surrendered.

In 621 BC. e. in Athens, the famous laws of Draco were passed. Almost nothing is known about this man. He did not hold the office of archon when his laws were written. Only the section on murder survives from the Drakont code. The legislator made a distinction between intentional and unintentional murder. The code of laws made it possible for the murderer and the relatives of the murdered to reconcile.

About the rest of the laws dragon there are only references that speak of the extraordinary severity of the laws. Draco's murder laws were in effect as early as the 4th century BC. e., but it is assumed that the rest of the code was canceled. Draco's legislation was not a reform, but a record of the customary law of the Athenians, which had been in force before him.

Draconian legislation did not resolve the contradictions in the policy, and in the first decade of the 6th century BC. e. a new legislator, Solon, entered the scene. This man came, like all the leaders of that time, from a noble family. In ancient times he had a reputation as a sage. Solon's poems have been preserved, where he talks about his activities. Among his legislative measures was the division of the Athenians into four groups based on property qualifications. People from different property groups had different political rights. Representatives of the first two groups were elected to the post of archon. The poorest citizens, the fetes, generally had the right only to access to the people's assembly and the courts. The legislator also took measures to free the Athenians who fell into debt bondage.

After the reforms of Solon, the life of the policy went on as usual - politicians who came from noble families competed for power. One of them was destined to become the ruler of Athens.

Peisistratus born about 600 BC. e. in a noble family that erected its origin to the king of Pylos Nestor. In the 560s BC. e. the future tyrant became famous as a commander: during the war with Megara, he captured their fortification Nisei. After his victory, Peisistratus became one of the three most powerful politicians in Athens. In 560 B.C. e. he received a detachment of bodyguards from the people and with their help seized power. He was soon removed from power. Then Peisistratus, having made an alliance with Megacles from the Alcmaeonid clan, returned. Soon he was again forced to leave Athens.

Ten years later, Peisistratus decided to return power by force. In 546 B.C. e. he landed near Marathon with an army of mercenaries and volunteers from several cities of Greece - Thebes, Eretria, Argos, Naxos. The inhabitants of that part of Attica where he landed supported the tyrant and strengthened his army. After that, in one battle, Peisistratus easily defeated the Athenian militia. His soldiers attacked the Athenians suddenly and put them to flight. At the same time, supporters of Peisistratus tried not to shed the blood of fellow citizens.

The tyrant occupied Athens. The Alcmeonids were forced to leave the city. Peisistratus quietly ruled the polis for almost twenty years. Ancient writers spoke of him as a humane and just ruler who cared about both the nobility and the common people.

Peisistratus expanded the Athenian possessions in Thrace, conquered Sigey from Mitylene, captured Delos. Great Dionysia began to be widely celebrated in Athens. At the end of his life, the tyrant decided to erect in the city a majestic temple dedicated to the supreme god. On the outskirts of Athens, work began on the construction of the Temple of Olympian Zeus. But the creation of this temple was not completed under Peisistratus or his sons, but only after seven centuries, when Greece was already a Roman province. By order of the Athenian tyrant, a commission was created that wrote down the texts of Homer's poems.

In 527 B.C. e. the tyrant died of old age, and his sons took power in Athens. Hippias and Hipparchus ruled in Attica, another son of Hegesistrat during the life of his father ruled Sigei, dependent on Athens. At first, the Peisistratids ruled in the spirit of their father. Exiled aristocrats were allowed to return to the polis. Cleisthenes, from the Alcmaeonid family, even held the position of archon. At the court of Peisistratus and his sons lived prominent poets of Greece - Anacreon and Simonides of Ceos, the Orphic poet Onomacritus. In 514 B.C. e. Hipparchus died at the hands of the conspirators Harmodius and Aristogeiton. The assassins acted out of personal motives, but the ideology of democratic Athens made them fighters against tyranny. Later, bronze statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton stood in the city in a place of honor.

Supporters of the conspirators were executed, and Hippias began to rule harder. The aristocrats were again forced to leave Athens. Shortly thereafter, the Alcmeonids attempted to overthrow the tyranny. They occupied the fortress of Lipsidrius in Attica. But the troops of Hippias managed to drive out the Alcmeonids and their supporters from there. Aristotle quotes the drinking verses of the Athenian aristocrats, which glorify the courage of the Eupatrides who died defending the fortress.

During the years of exile, the Alcmeonids lived in Delphi. At their own expense, they rebuilt the Temple of Apollo. The priesthood of this city urged the Spartans to help the exiles. Finally, the army of Lacedaemon under the command of King Cleomenes entered Attica and defeated the supporters of Hippias. The tyrant surrendered, having been able to leave Athens safely.

After the fall of tyranny in the city, the aristocratic politicians Isagoras and Cleisthenes fought for power. The latter managed to win over the people of Athens by promising reforms. Having won the political struggle, Cleisthenes carried out a series of transformations.

The goal of Cleisthenes's reforms was to fight the old tribal orders. He created ten phyla instead of the previous four. Fifty representatives of each phylum formed a council of five hundred. The reformer divided one hundred demes of Attica into trittia. Each trittia included the demo of the city, the coastal and central parts. Three trittia were included in the phyla. The main territorial unit was the dem. Cleisthenes created a college of ten strategists, in whose hands was the military leadership of the policy. In the V-IV centuries BC. e. the post of strategist became the most important in Athens.

5th century BC e. rise and fall

In 507 B.C. e. Athenian embassy visited Persia. At Greeks and earlier there were contacts with the rulers of Asia Minor monarchies, so there was nothing unusual in it. But, not knowing the Persian customs, the Athenians provided the Persians with "land and water", which meant formal submission to the empire. During the Ionian uprising of 500-494 BC. e. the Athenians sent a small detachment of ships to help their relatives. The Athenian ships did not take part in the battles and soon returned back. But both of these events gave the Persians a pretext for war.

In 490 BC. e. The Persian army landed in Attica. The Athenians managed to win thanks to the military genius of their commander Miltiades. Immediately after the victory at Marathon, the commander offered to punish the Greek islanders who supported the Persians. Miltiades led an expedition against Paros, but was defeated. In the 480s BC. e. the leading role in Athens belonged to a man named Themistocles. He was a descendant of the aristocratic family of Lycomides, who was inferior in nobility and wealth to the families whose representatives set the tone in the politics of that time - the Alcmeonides, the Philaides, the Keriks.

For the first time Themistocles was archon in 493 BC. e .. In this position, he began work on the creation of the harbor of Athens in the deme of Piraeus. Returned to the city Miltiades pushed Themistocles into the background, but in the 480s BC. e. he regained his former influence. At the suggestion of Themistocles, silver from the discovery in 487 BC. e. the veins were not directed to distribution to the people, as usual, but to the construction of the fleet. The Athenians managed to equip two hundred battle triremes, and this was the largest fleet in Greece. During the Persian invasion of 480-478 BC. e. Themistocles was at the head of the Athenian contingent in the Greek fleet. He was the second man in the fleet. But it was thanks to the decisions of Themistocles that the battle of Salamis was won.

During the war, the Athenians evacuated the population of their city. They sent some of the civilians to Troezen in the Peloponnese, and some to the island of Salamis. Empty Athens was occupied by the Persian army and destroyed. After returning to the city, on the initiative of Themistocles, the Athenians erected Long Walls around the city and Piraeus, which made Athens impregnable.

After the victories at Salamis and Plataea, the Athenians continued to fight against Persia. The war was fought outside of Greece: in Thrace, Asia Minor, Cyprus, Egypt. Finally, peace between Athens and the Achaemenid Empire was concluded in 449 BC. uh..

During the Greco-Persian wars, Athens founded the Delian Symmachy. It was later transformed into Athenian Maritime Union. It united more than 200 Greek cities of the Balkans, islands, Asia Minor. The allies had to pay Athens a tax called foros.

At the head of Athens after the expulsion of Themistocles around 476 BC. e. stood several prominent politicians. Aristides, the rival of Themistocles, played an important role in organizing the union. Sea campaigns against the Persians until his death in 450 BC. e. led by Cimon son of Miltiades.

Two decades after 449 B.C. e. were the time when Athens was headed by a politician Pericles. Under him, work was carried out to rebuild the Acropolis: the hill above the city was decorated with the majestic temples of the Parthenon and the Erechtheion. By this time, a democratic form of government had developed in the city, but Pericles wisely knew how to direct the will of the people in the direction he needed.

In 457-446 BC. e. Athens and Sparta fought. Then it was possible to conclude peace on acceptable terms. But in 431 BC. e. the war broke out again. A new conflict that went down in history as Peloponnesian War, lasted until 404 BC. e .. It ended with the complete defeat of Athens and the dissolution of the Athenian Maritime Union. During the meeting of the Spartans and their allies, representatives of Thebes openly demanded the destruction of the city and the sale of its inhabitants into slavery.

School of Hellas: features of the cultural life of Athens

In the Classical era, the most important achievements of the artistic culture of Athens were created. Tragedies and comedies were staged at the Great Dionysia, Leney and Anthesteria.

The philosopher Plato put the theater on a par with the courts and the people's assembly among the institutions that ensure a democratic form of government. In the city there was a special fund "Theorikon", from which the poorest Athenians were given money to buy tickets. Orator Demad called this money the cement of democracy.

It is believed that Pericles laid the foundation for the distribution of "theatrical money". It is known for certain that they existed at the time Demosthenes. Mentions of the theorikon after the subjugation of Athens to Macedonia in 322 BC. e. no. Most likely it was abolished.

An official was elected to manage the theorikon. In the 350s BC. e. the politician Evbul, who held this post, passed a law according to which all cash surpluses replenished the theorikon. This law established death penalty for suggesting that the entertainment fund's money be used for other purposes. After a long struggle, just before the Battle of Chaeronea, Demosthenes was able to get this law repealed.

In the 380s BC. e. a former student of Socrates, Plato created his own philosophical school. The place for her was a grove near Athens, dedicated to the hero Academ. In honor of him, Plato's school got its name - the Academy. Classes included lectures by mentors and talks. It is not known how long the training at the Academy took - presumably one to two years. But Aristotle was a student of Plato for about twenty years.

Students flocked to Plato from all over the Greek world. Around 370 B.C. e. Aristotle arrived there from the provincial Stagira. After twenty years of living in Athens, he traveled for some time, and in 335 BC. e. founded his own school. It was called Likey after the place where it was founded.

In the summer, Panathenaic celebrations were celebrated in the city. Initially, they were celebrated for one day, then the celebrations were extended to three. The earliest mention of the Panathenaic dates back to the 7th century BC. e .. The Athenians called the founders of the holiday the legendary king Kekrop or the hero Theseus. It was also assumed that Theseus made Panathenaic a holiday common to all Attica.

Initially, the celebration consisted of offering the goddess a new peplos. In 566 BC. e. Panathenaic began to be accompanied by sports competitions. Since that time, the Panathenaic celebrations began every year, and once every four years, the Great Panathenaic, accompanied by the offering of peplos and competitions. To organize the holiday in the National Assembly, ten aflofetes were elected, one from each phylum. They held this position for four years. Under Peisistratus, the Great Panathenaic began to include competitions of rhapsodes performed by Homer's poems. Later, competitions of musicians were added to them.

Sports competitions included running, pentathlon, fisticuffs, pankration. There were three age categories of participants - boys, youths, adult men. The winners were awarded amphoras with olive oil. The musicians were awarded with a golden wreath and a sum of money.

Chariot races were held outside the city. The team competition was the performance of the dance in full armor. During the Great panathenaic Trier race took place. Each phyla fielded one ship with a crew, and they competed in speed between the harbors of Piraeus and Munichius.

The offering of the peplos was a solemn procession that left the Keramik region at dawn and went to the Acropolis. A robe for Athena was carried on a wagon. The peplos itself, nine months before Panathenaia, was woven by girls from the noble families of the policy. To guide the work, the archon-basiles chose two girls aged 7-11 from noble families. A pattern was embroidered on the robe, depicting the exploits of the goddess in the battle with the giants.

At the head of the procession on the Panatheneas were girls weaving peplos. Behind them are girls with vessels and censers for rituals and soldiers of the Athenian militia. There were many Athenians, Metecians and citizens of allied policies in the procession. A separate category was the canefor girls (“basket-bearers”), who carried the implements for the sacrifice in baskets. To become a canephora, a girl had to come from a good family, be beautiful and have a spotless reputation. The fathers of the Canefors received honors and rewards from the state. Girls who repeatedly performed this duty (not only in Panathenaia) were awarded honorary decrees and even statues.

Difficulties of the 4th century

The year after the Peloponnesian War became a time of new tyranny for Athens. After the conclusion of peace, a commission of 30 Athenian citizens became the head of the city. It was declared that they should draw up new laws for Athens. Contemporaries called them the Thirty, but later the Greeks and Romans gave this government a more catchy name - "thirty tyrants."

At the head of the Thirty stood the Athenian Critias son of Kalleskhra. He came from a noble family of Codrids. His father was one of the participants in the Four Hundred coup that tried to overthrow democracy. Critias himself was a student of Socrates in his youth, was friends with Alcibiades, even his epigram has been preserved, in which he claims that he proposed to return the disgraced commander from exile. Later he himself was expelled, lived in Thessaly, where he participated in some troubles.

Critias did not hide his contempt for the bulk of the people and the Meteki. The government of the Thirty under him established a regime of real terror in the policy: Meteks were arrested and executed without trial, and their property was appropriated. Only 3,000 Athenians were considered full citizens. Critias was reputed to be a fan of the Spartan order, and in his actions they see an attempt to rebuild Athens in the likeness of Sparta. Three thousand is an analogue of the Spartan homeys, the rest of the population of Athens are incomplete perieks.

Theramenes, another outstanding member of the government, criticized the actions of the head of the Thirty. But Critias, during a meeting of the assembly of three thousand, forced his colleague to commit suicide. Theramenes courageously took the goblet of poison, splashed some of its contents on the ground, as in a game of kottab, and drank the rest.

Thrasybulus, another friend of Alcibiades, took refuge in Thebes. From there he went out with 70 companions and occupied the fortress of Phil. She became the center where the Athenians began to flock, ready to fight the tyrants. The defenders of Philae repelled the attack of the Thirty warriors, and then gave them a battle, in which Critias died. Three thousand expelled the surviving members of the government and organized a new one, wanting to continue the fight against Thrasybulus. After negotiations, both sides managed to reconcile. In 403 BC. e. democratic government was restored in Athens. The People's Assembly has decreed that no one has the right to question another for his actions during the reign of the Thirty and the civil war. An exception was made for the surviving members of the government, but even they could justify themselves by giving an account of their actions. Separate trials took place, and the philosopher Socrates became the victim.

In 395 BC. e. Athens, Thebes, Argos and Corinth started a war against Sparta. When in 399 BC. e. The war between Sparta and Persia began, the Athenian strategist Konon, who lived at the court of the ruler of Cyprus, Evagoras, offered his services to the Persians. In 394 BC. e. Conon and the satrap Pharnabazus defeated the Spartans at sea near the island of Cnidus. After that, the Athenian returned to his homeland with Persian gold, with which they restored the fleet and the Long Walls of Piraeus.

At the end of the war, Persia began to support Sparta, and in 386 BC. e. with her participation in Susa, the Greeks concluded a peace treaty. He forbade interpolis unions, but transferred the islands of Lemnos, Imbros and Skyros to Athens.

The next thirty years were for Athens maneuvering time between Persia, Sparta and Thebes. In 378 B.C. e. Athens and Thebes started a war with Sparta. Created this year Second Athenian Maritime Union. The decree on its creation declared the non-interference of the Athenians in the internal affairs of the members of the union. In 377-376 BC. e. Athenian mercenaries under the command of the famous strategist Chabrius defended Boeotia from the Spartans. In 371 BC. e. the Thebans defeated the Spartans at Leuctra, and this victory made Boeotian Union the strongest state in Greece.

At the same time, Athens took up the old ways in relation to the allies. There were cases of interference in the internal affairs of cities. In 357 BC. e. The Allied War began. The city of Pallas was opposed by the former members of the alliance - Byzantium, Rhodes, Chios, who were supported by the Carian ruler Mausolus. Athens lost this war, but the Second Athenian Maritime Union existed in a truncated form for another two decades.

The allied war coincided with the first conflict between Athens and King Philip II of Macedonia. The struggle was for control of the cities of the Halkidiki peninsula. The confrontation between Athens and Macedonia ended with the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC. uh..

The Athenians lost the battle but retained their independence. During the reign of Alexander the Great, the politician Lycurgus was at the head of Athens. Thanks to him financial genius the policy, not receiving income from foros, was able to increase its income several times. The Athenians accumulated strength - new ships were built (the Athenian fleet was never as large as it was in these years).

After the death of Alexander, Athens and some other policies decided to give battle to Macedonia. Thus began the Lamian War of 323-322 BC. e .. Under the command of the talented strategists Leosthenes and Antiphilus, the Athenians achieved some success, but in the end they were defeated at the Battle of Crannon. At the same time, the Macedonians defeated the Athenian fleet three times, which no longer revived as a serious military force.

Oligarchic rule was imposed on the city, which was soon overthrown. In 317 BC. e. one of the commanders of Alexander, Cassander, imposed on Athens his protege, Demetrius of Phaler, who ruled the city for ten years.

In 307 BC. e. Athens was liberated by the prince Demetrius, son of Antigonus, and Demetrius of Phaler fled. The Athenians restored the democratic constitution, destroyed the statue of the deposed ruler and repealed some of his laws.

For the first time in the history of the polis, they honored the kings with divine honors, and this marked the beginning of a tradition in the history of Hellenistic Athens. The cult of the savior gods Antigonus and Demetrius was established in the city, games were held in their honor. The priest was responsible for the cult of the new gods. Two more were added to the ten phyla - Antigonides and Demetrias, who received first place in the list of phyla. The podium, where the statues of the eponymous heroes of the phyla stood, was expanded and statues of kings were placed on it. Other statues of them were erected next to the monument to Harmodius and Aristogeiton.

In subsequent years, the Athenians retreated from Poliorket and again swore allegiance to him. In 287 BC. e. Athens rebelled and drove the king's garrison out of the city. But Piraeus and some fortresses of Attica remained under the control of Macedonia. The next 25 years the policy was independent. In 267 B.C. e. Athens ventured in alliance with Sparta and Egypt to challenge Macedonia. The war was unsuccessful, and Athens again became dependent on Macedonia. But in 229 B.C. e. the Athenians managed peacefully with the help of a sum of money to force foreign garrisons to leave Athens, Piraeus and other fortresses in Attica.

After the restoration of independence, the Athenians established the state cult of Demos. Its hereditary priests were the descendants of Mikion and Euryklid, by whose efforts in 229 BC. e. freedom has been achieved. Statues of citizens who had distinguished themselves before Athens began to be dedicated to the temple built by Demos.

In 224 BC. e. divine honors were awarded to the king of Egypt, Ptolemy III. A state cult was established for him and the position of a priest was introduced. The thirteenth phylum of Ptolemais was established. The number of members of the bule increased to 650. One deme from other phyla was attributed to the phylum, and a dem Berenicedes was also established in honor of Ptolemy's wife. The statue of the king took its place among the statues of the eponymous heroes of the Athenian phyla. A Ptolemaic public holiday was established.

On the eve of the war with Macedonia in 200 BC. e. King Attalus arrived in Athens. The people of the city received him with honor. The Athenians established a new phylum Attalis in honor of the king, and in its composition dem Apollonia, named after Attalus's wife.

At the end of the III century BC. e. a new power appeared in the Balkans - Rome. During the 2nd century BC. e. Athens was an ally of the Roman Republic, which was increasing its influence on the peninsula. In 88 BC. e. Athens ventured to support King Mithridates VI of Pontus in his war with Rome. At first, the Peripatetic philosopher Athenion became the head of the anti-Roman movement in the city. Later he was replaced by another native of Athens - Aristion, a follower of the philosophy of Epicurus. He was sent to the city by Mithridates.

The Pontic commander Archelaus made Piraeus his headquarters. In 87 B.C. e. Attica became a battlefield. The Roman general Sulla laid siege to Athens and Piraeus. Archelaus was a capable commander, and the siege of the port was difficult. By order of the Roman, the groves of the Academy and Lyceum were cut down and siege engines were made from the trees. March 86 B.C. e. Legionnaires captured the city with a night attack. A massacre began in Athens, but Sulla, at the request of the exiles and senators from his headquarters, stopped it, declaring that he spared the living for the sake of the dead. Aristion with loyal people defended the Acropolis for some time, but hunger forced him to surrender. The philosopher, the soldiers of his guard, the magistrates of Athens that year were executed. Archelaus escaped Piraeus with his army by sea.

After the war ended, Sulla returned to Athens. There, the honors of the Athenians awaited him: he was glorified as a liberator from the tyranny of Aristion, they held a feast of Silleia in his honor, and a statue of the commander was erected.

During the civil war between Caesar and Pompey, Greece became the battlefield, and its policies supported Pompeii. Several Athenian ships reinforced his fleet, and Athenian hoplites entered his army and fought at Pharsalus. After Caesar's victory, the Athenian embassy arrived to beg him for mercy. Julius Caesar forgave the city for the glory of the ancestors of the Athenians. The Athenians habitually erected a statue of the Roman, on the pedestal of which they glorified him as a savior and benefactor. A few years later, the Athenians were again dragged into the civil wars of the Romans. After the assassination of Caesar, Athens supported his assassins. October 44 B.C. e. Brutus and Cassius sailed to Greece. Honorary decrees were passed in her cities in honor of the murderers of Caesar, and the Athenians erected their bronze statues next to the statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton.

Brutus lived for some time in Athens. He attended lectures by the philosophers of the Academy and the Lyceum. At the same time, he was working to gather forces, attracting to his side the influential Romans who held posts in the Balkans.

After the defeat of Brutus and Cassius, Mark Antony lived in Athens for some time. He tried to win over the inhabitants of the ancient city and enjoyed being called "the friend of the Athenians." In 39-37 BC. e. Mark Antony lived in Athens with his wife Octavia, who was very much loved by the townspeople.

In 32 BC. e., when the war with Octavian began, Antony with Queen Cleopatra visited Athens. Keeping in mind the popularity of Octavia, the ruler of Egypt tried to win over the citizens of the policy with gifts. After the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. e. August occupied the city without a fight. This ended the period of independence of Athens, which was to become part of the province of the Roman Empire. Achaia.