Ancient Sights nearby Athens

Ancient Sights nearby Athens

During ancient times, it was the Athenians that were proud of themselves for being the first that occupied the Attica region. They were the original inhabitants of the area and had never moved there from any other place.

In the Hellenic ages, Attica used to be the refuge for all of the Ionian people that belonged to a tribe from northern Peloponnese. The Ionians themselves had evacuated their homeland after the Achaeans forced them into exile.

They integrated with the ancient Atticans, who later adopted the Ionian dialect and became a part of the latter's' tribe. Later in time, the Ionians left Attica region to colonize the Aegean Sea and Asia Minor, where they later created the 12 cities of Ionia.

During the period that Mycenae was the capital of Greece, the Atticans used to live in agricultural societies. In the areas around Attica, like Marathona & Rafina, Elefsina & Vravrona, Spata & Aghios Kosmas, Menidi, Markopoulo, and Aphidnae, prehistoric remains were found. These ancient settlements flourished during the Mycenaean period.

In the time of Cecrops, the legendary Ionian king of ancient Attica, there were 12 small communities. It is Strabo that assigns these names of Decelea, of Tetrapolis and Exacria, of Cecropia, of Elefsina and Aphidna, of Thoricus, Vravrona, Sphettus, Cephissia, Cytheris and Phalems.

During the reign of the ancient legendary king of Athens, Theseus, these settlements were said to be incorporated into an Athenian state. It is modern historians that state that this occurred during the 8th and 7th Century B.C..

Attica had its time of aristocracy until the 6th Century B.C. when families lived independent lives in the suburbs. The central government in Athens was formed right after Peisistratos's tyranny and after Cleisthenes's reforms.

Attica was divided into approximately 100 municipalities and demes as well as into 3 large sectors which are the following: the city of Athens (including Ymmitos Mountain, Aigaleo and the foot of Mount Parnitha), the coast (that encompassed the area between Elefsina and Cape Sounio), and last but not least, the area around the city (where people living in the area of Mount Parnitha, Mount Pentelic and Mount Ymmitos used to live).

Basically, each unit would include equal numbers of people, seamen as well as farmers. A 3rd of each sector constituted a tribe, thus, Attica was comprised of 10 tribes.