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The five most important ancient capitals in European history
1. AthensAthens may not be as long as Istanbul, the capital of a thousand years ago, and may not be as powerful as Rome, the eternal city, in terms of its influence on contemporary European civilization, but it is not too much to call Athens the first ancient capital of Europe as the starting point of European civilization. Athens is now the capital of Greece, a country in southern Europe, located on the Balkan Peninsula and bordering the Aegean Sea, with a typical Mediterranean climate. Originally just one of the many city-states of ancient Greece, Athens eventually rose to become the center of civilization thanks to its developed maritime trade and powerful navy. However, with the rise of the Roman civilization, centered on the Apennines, the Athens-centered civilization gradually declined. Athens became less prominent than it had been in the long period of European medieval history that followed. In modern times, with the independence of Greece from the Ottoman Empire, Athens became the capital of the modern Greek Republic, and in 1896 it hosted the first modern games.
May 01, 2024
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