Within the sprawling city of Athens it is easy to imagine the golden age of Greece when Pericles had the Parthenon built. When the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides were performed in the Theater of Dionysus. And when democracy brought all citizens together to decide their common fate on the Pynx Hill.

Within the sprawling city of Athens it is easy to imagine the golden age of Greece when Pericles had the Parthenon built. When the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides were performed in the Theater of Dionysus. And when democracy brought all citizens together to decide their common fate on the Pynx Hill.

Athens is built around the Acropolis and the pinnacled crag of Mt. Lycabettus, which the goddess Athena was said to have dropped from the heavens as a bulwark to defend the city. (Athens currently has over four million inhabitants). The suburbs have covered the barren plain in all directions and the city is packed with lively taverns and bustling shops.

Dominating the Athenian landscape, the Acropolis is unsurpassed in its beauty, architectural splendor and historic importance. The entrance to the Acropolis is the Propylea, which extends 150 feet adjoining the temple of Athena Nike or Wingless Victory. The Parthenon is on the highest part of the Acropolis and was built between 447 and 437 BC. It was here that modern democracy began its early foothold.