History glossary
Athens
an ancient Greek city-state, now Greece's capital, known for democracy, naval power, drama, and philosophy.
- Category
- City-state
- Region
- Modern Greece
- Date range
- especially influential fifth-fourth centuries BCE
What it means
Athens was a major polis in ancient Greece and is now the capital of modern Greece. In the fifth century BCE it became famous for direct democracy, naval empire, public debate, theatre, architecture, and philosophers such as Socrates and Plato.
Related terms
Stories using this term
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The Ottoman Empire
From a small frontier principality in Anatolia, the Ottomans built a multiethnic empire across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa before reform, nationalism, and world war ended imperial rule.
