Athens summary
Explore the early history of Athens, the source of many of the West’s intellectual and artistic conceptions, including that of democracy
Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Athens.
Parthenon Summary
Parthenon, temple that dominates the hill of the Acropolis at Athens. It was built in the mid-5th century bce and dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena Parthenos (“Athena the Virgin”). The temple is generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order, the simplest of
Olympic Games Summary
Olympic Games, athletic festival that originated in ancient Greece and was revived in the late 19th century. Before the 1970s the Games were officially limited to competitors with amateur status, but in the 1980s many events were opened to professional athletes. Currently, the Games are open to
Battle of Chaeronea Summary
Battle of Chaeronea, (August 338 bce), battle in Boeotia, central Greece, in which Philip II of Macedonia defeated a coalition of Greek city-states led by Thebes and Athens. The victory, partly credited to Philip’s 18-year-old son Alexander the Great, cemented the Macedonian hegemony in Greece and
Delian League Summary
Delian League, confederacy of ancient Greek states under the leadership of Athens, with headquarters at Delos, founded in 478 bce during the Greco-Persian wars. The original organization of the league, as sketched by Thucydides, indicates that all Greeks were invited to join to protect themselves