Athens is the capital of Greece and one of the
most famous cities in the world. The name
Athens comes from the Goddess Athena.
Athena was the ancient Greek goddess of
wisdom, strategy, and war.
Modern Athens is a large and cosmopolitan city.
Ancient Athens was a powerful city-state and
famous across the world as the center of
learning. During the "Golden Age" of Greece
(from about 500 BC to about 300 BC) Athens
was the world leader in culture, commerce,
politics, and philosophy. In fact, the ideas
practiced in ancient Athens created what is now
known as 'Western Civilization'.
The heritage of Athens has left it with a number
of ancient buildings, monuments and artworks.
The most famous of these buildings is the
Parthenon on the Acropolis, which is considered
the finest example of Classical Greek art and
architecture. Many of these cultural landmarks
were renovated for the 2004 Olympic Games.
Modern Athens is more than just ancient ruins
and philosophy. It has many 5 and 4 star hotels,
shopping malls, festivals, bars, restaurants, and
casinos. There are also more theatres in Athens
than any other European city. Athens also has
quite a beautiful and scenic coastline.
Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympic
Games. It was the first time that the games were
hosted in city since 1896. In preparation for the
2004 Olympics, Athens was transformed into a
modern city with renovated buildings, stadiums,
roads, and transportation systems. The 2004
Games were a huge success.
