The Shortest History of Athens

A vivid chronicle of the Greek capital’s 2,500-year history—from its origins as the cradle of democracy to the iconic sights that make it one of Europe’s most visited cities today

Athens is known around the world for its remarkable golden age in the 5th century BCE—the time of Pericles, Socrates, and Sophocles. Yet most of us know little about the thousands of years of turbulent change the city has survived since. Millions of tourists have seen the Parthenon, but how many know that it was on...