Athens: History, Former Names & Timeline
Birthplace of democracy, philosophy and drama; Pericles' Parthenon still stands on the Acropolis.
AthensExplore Athens in the interactive map
Former names of Athens
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 BC | Athenai |
Timeline of Athens
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 508 BC | Cleisthenes' reforms establish Athenian democracy |
| 480 BC | The Persians burn the Acropolis |
| 447 BC | Work begins on the Parthenon |
| 404 BC | Athens surrenders to Sparta, ending the Peloponnesian War |
| 399 BC | Socrates is tried and drinks hemlock |
| 387 BC | Plato founds the Academy |
| 1458 | The Ottomans take Athens |
| 1834 | Athens becomes capital of the Kingdom of Greece |
Who ruled Athens
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–324 BC | Greek city-states |
| 323 BC–301 BC | Empire of Alexander |
| 300 BC–201 BC | Kingdom of Antigonus |
| 200 BC–101 BC | Macedon and Hellenic League |
| 100 BC–2 BC | Roman Republic |
| 1 BC–299 | Roman Empire |
| 300–399 | Rome (Galerius) |
| 400–799 | Eastern Roman Empire |
| 800–1491 | Byzantine Empire |
| 1492–1879 | Ottoman Empire |
| 1880–today | Greece |
Battles and sites near Athens
- Battle of Marathon · 490 BC
- Battle of Thermopylae · 480 BC
- Battle of Salamis · 480 BC
Landmarks in and around Athens
ParthenonRuins · 438 BC
Nearby cities
- İzmir · about 302 km
- Thessaloniki · about 303 km
- Edirne · about 477 km