Ancient Greece was made up of many independent city-states. In the fifth century B.C., Athens was the most impressive. The Golden Age of Athens was 479 B.C. to 431 B.C.
After it was destroyed in the Persian Wars, Athens was rebuilt. Giant temples again rose from the hill known as the Acropolis. Trade made the city rich. The best sculptors, architects, philosophers, and writers came to this new center for learning and the arts.
Democracy started in Athens around 510 B.C. Citizens could vote and have a say in how their government ran. More than 100,000 people lived around the Acropolis. The agora was a marketplace. It was the heart of the city’s economic and social life. People came to buy and sell things and to see other people.
Come along and see the great buildings, shiny metal statues, and giant marble temples of ancient Athens.
