History of ancient Greece. Attica is a historical region and the heart of Greece. Administrative divisions in ancient times.

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Attica translated from ancient Greek as “coastal country” - southeastern region Central Greece, connecting link between Balkan Peninsula and the Archipelago, with an area of ​​​​approximately 3808 km², borders on the north with Boeotia, on the west through the Isthmus of Corinth - with Megara and the entire Peloponnese. It is washed by the Saronic Gulf from the south, the Petalian Gulf from the east and the Euboean Gulf from the northeast. Aegean Sea.

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Geography

Most of Attica is covered with hills consisting of limestone and marble, and currently represents only bare, devoid of vegetation spaces.

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Only the higher parts of Cithaeron and Parnassus, as well as the northwestern slopes of Pentelikon, are covered with pine and spruce forests. The basis of all mountain system serves Kiferon (now Elatea, the so-called spruce hill, highest point which rises to 1411 m above sea level).

Kiferon, with its main ridge, separates Attica from Boeotia; Attica is separated from Megara by its branch going to the south and bearing the name Kerata (horns); the Parnassus (now Otsea), reaching 1413 m, merges with the south-eastern spurs of Kiferon, whose north-eastern branches, now bearing separate names (Beletsi, Armeni, Mavrovuno, Tsastany, Stavrokoraki, Kotroni), stretching to the eastern edge of the region, form in this part Attica is a real mountainous country (Diakria or Epakria of the ancients).

The southern continuation of Parnassus is Egaleos, rising much lower above the sea, which in the southern part, where it juts into the sea against the island of Salamis, is called Korydallos (now Scaramanta), and in the middle, where it is cut through by a gorge connecting the plains of Athens and Eleusis, called Paekilion.

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In the northeast, the Athenian plain is bordered by Brilettos, or, as it was usually called from the area lying on it. southern slope, Pentelikon (now still Menteli). This is a pyramidal hill reaching 1110 m in height with extensive, still successfully exploited marble quarries, which deliver excellent white marble of the finest grain, used for buildings and statues. A 4 km wide valley separates the base of the Pentelikon in the south from southern zone, almost exclusively consisting of bluish-gray marble, which in ancient times was used for architectural purposes. This ridge - Gimet (now Trelovuno) - rises to 1027 m, is almost devoid of forest vegetation, but is covered with fragrant herbs and is therefore inhabited by wild bees that produce excellent honey.

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The eastern edge of the region (near the ancient Paralia) is cut through by lower chains of hills, which south of Hymet, where the peninsula narrows, are united into one ridge - the Lavrion Highlands, which is surrounded by a cape steeply descending to the sea - Sunium, on which the ruins of the temple of Athena still stand , according to the columns of which the cape is still called Cap Colonnese by the sailors.

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The Lavrio Mountains, due to their wealth in silver, had in ancient times for Attica high value; but these mines, at first very profitable, were so intensively exploited that immediately after the beginning of the century. e. had to stop production. Only in later times did they try, and not without success, to extract benefits from the slag left over from previous work.

The mountains stretch partly directly to the sea, and partly alluvial soil has accumulated at their bases, forming more or less wide coastal plains, many of which were known in ancient times.

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The most remarkable of them is the Marathon Plain on the northern shore. It is a lowland 9 km long and 2-4 km wide, with an extensive swamp to the northeast. Here in 490 BC. e. The Persian army was defeated by the Athenian army.

There are only three more significant plains in the country, which either, starting at the coast, stretch far inland, or are completely separated from the sea: 1) the Athenian plain, often called simply “plain” (pedion); 2) the smaller Triassic Plain, separated from Athens by the Aigaleos Mountains (so-called Tria after the ancient area) and 3) the plain between Hymetos and the lower mountain ranges the eastern coast, which connects with the Athenian plain through the valley separating Pentelikon from Hymet.

The country's irrigation is extremely poor. The most significant streams flow through the Athenian plain, namely: Kefissus, starting at the southwestern foot of the Pentelikon in the forest-rich region of Kephisia, fed by various tributaries from Parnassus. It flows through the plain southwest direction and to the west of the city it is diverted into numerous canals for the irrigation of vegetable gardens and plantations; The Ilissus begins at the northern foot of Hymet, flows along the eastern and southern sides of the city and is lost in the sands to the southwest of it. In addition to them, it is necessary to mention another Kephis of the Eleusinian plain, the Enoe stream cutting through the Marathon plain (so named after the ancient area lying north of Marathon) and Erasinos, flowing further south of the eastern coast, near the ancient area of ​​Arafen (now Rafina).

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Story

The population of the country, not to mention some of the Pelasgic elements of the prehistoric era and the enormous number of foreigners who subsequently resided permanently in Athens, belonged in ancient times to the Ionian tribe. The inhabitants called themselves autochthons, that is, indigenous, since their ancestors came directly from the soil of the country and from time immemorial the land was in their continuous possession.

Like all Ionian peoples, the inhabitants of Attica fell into four tribes or classes (phyles): Heleonts (nobles), hoplites (warriors), Aegikoreans (shepherds in general and goats in particular) and Ergadeans (farmers). According to legend, since time immemorial there have been 12 independent cities or community unions in the country. These were part of separate, even later settlements, such as Cecropia (later Athens), Eleusis, Decelea and Afidna (the last two in the north of the country), Brauron (among east coast), Thorikos (in the southernmost part of the eastern coast), Kytheros (location unknown), Sphetos and Kefissia, partly unions of several settlements, like Epakria (northern Mountain country), Tetrapolis (union of four cities) on the Marathon plain and Tetrakomia (union of four villages) in the very south of the Athenian plain. According to legend, these 12 communities were united by Theseus into one political whole, the capital of which was Athens.

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Administrative division

On the map of prefectures (nomes), the decentralized administration of Attica is divided into 4 nomes (nomarchies), shown in the map below:

  1. Athens
  2. Eastern Attica
  3. Piraeus
  4. Western Attica

Following the administrative reform of 2011, the decentralized administration of Attica consists of 65 municipalities.

Agriculture and minerals

The soil of the country is almost entirely a light, rather thin layer of stony limestone, which is little suitable for the cultivation of wheat, more so for barley and grapes, but especially for olives and figs, and therefore the latter, both in ancient times and now, are the main products of the country and items for its export. Cattle breeding is still significant today, and in ancient times Attic wool enjoyed great fame. In the mountains, not to mention the already exhausted silver mines of Lavrion, excellent marble is mined; the soil in many places, especially on the coastal strip running southwest from the harbor of Piraeus and the Bay of Falernus and ending at the foothills of Kolias (now Gagios Kosmas), produces excellent clay for dishes, and therefore pottery was a flourishing branch of industry in ancient Athens and his products were widely sold.

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Helpful information

Greek Αττική
English Attica

Political structure in ancient times

Politically, Attica was in ancient times the most centralized region of Greece.

Main city was not only the seat of the administration, but the court, as well as the people's assemblies, in the hands of which, since the time of the democratic reforms begun by Cleisthenes and completed by Pericles, the supreme decision of all state affairs has been concentrated.

The significance that Attica, thanks to its main city Athens, had in political and cultural life Ancient Greece, can only be correctly assessed in connection with the presentation general history Greece.

Administrative division in ancient times

The division of the people into 4 phyla remained both under the kings and under the archons. Even the legislator Solon did not abolish this division, but in parallel with it, partly wanting to reduce the influence of ancient aristocratic families, partly in order to lead to a more equitable distribution of the tax burden among citizens, he created a new division of citizens into 4 classes according to their property.

Only Cleisthenes abolished the ancient Ionian division by tribe and put in its place the division of the people into 10 phyla, each of which bore the name of an ancient Attic hero (eponym).

Each of these phyla embraced a certain number of communities (demes) located in different parts of the country.

Usually, each not very significant locality constituted a special “deme”, while large ones, like the cities of Athens and Brauron, were divided into several demes. The number of dems was not the same in different time: - at the beginning of the Christian era there were 371.

Thanks to writers and inscriptions, the names of approximately 180 demes have reached us, but the location of many is now impossible to determine. The total number of citizens fluctuated, judging by the censuses, during the heyday of the state, by the Peloponnesian War, between 80-100 thousand. The number of metoiks under the protection reached 40,000, the number of slaves reached 400,000, so that the total number of free and unfree population exceeded 500,000. An increase in the number of phyla (10) by two new ones took place in 307 BC. e.

Out of a desire to flatter Demetrius Poliorcetes, the latter were named after him and the name of his father Antigonus - Antigonida and Demetrias. But the first one was renamed in 265 BC. e. in honor of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus in Ptolemais, the second in 200 in honor of the Pergamon king Attalus I in Attalida.

Finally, under the emperor Hadrian, the 13th phylum was annexed and named Adrianida after this benefactor of the city of Athens.

ATTICA

Ancient ("Attikn") - a region of Ancient Greece. Inhabited since the Neolithic era. The spurs of Cithaeron and Parneta divide Africa into small plains: Athenian, Eleusinian, Mesogean, Marathon - suitable for agriculture. In addition to the plain, terrace farming was widespread The main agricultural crops of A. in ancient times were grapes and olives. The harvests of barley and wheat were low, and there was a shortage of grain on the mountain pastures. A. was rich in salt, marble, clay, and silver (mined). in the Lavrion Mountains in the south of A.), crafts were developed in A. (pottery, metal processing, shipbuilding). - Piraeus, Phaleron). By the 5th century BC, A. gradually became the most developed socio-economic, political and cultural region of ancient Greece. .-territory units - nom.

Lit.: Kolobova K. M., Gluskina L. M., Essays on the history of Ancient Greece, Leningrad, 1958; Wrede W., Attika, Athen, 1934.

Attica at the time of Cleisthenes


Soviet historical encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Ed. E. M. Zhukova. 1973-1982 .

See what "ATTIKA" is in other dictionaries:

    In ancient times, the region southeast Wed. Greece. IN modern Greece Attica is one of the nomes (the center of Athens) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

    - (Attica, ή Άττιχή). The most important region of central Hellas, the country is mountainous and infertile; its capital was Athens. (Source: “A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities.” M. Korsch. Saint Petersburg, published by A. S. Suvorin, 1894.) ... Encyclopedia of Mythology

    Noun, number of synonyms: 1 area (62) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary

    Attica- (Attica), region. in southeast parts of the Center Greece. In ancient times there were several. small settlements, which gradually united into the city state of Athens. This process was completed by the 7th century. BC. Families of large landowners continued to live outside... ... The World History

    The style of this article is non-encyclopedic or violates the norms of the Russian language. The article should be corrected according to the stylistic rules of Wikipedia... Wikipedia

    In ancient times, a region in the southeast of Central Greece. In modern Greece, Attica is one of the nomes (the center of Athens). * * * ATTIKA ATTIKA, in ancient times a region in the southeast of Central Greece. In modern Greece, Attica is one of the nomes (the center of Athena) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

    Attĭca, ή Άττική (from ακτή, instead of ακτική), was also previously called Άκτή, “coastal country”, and among poets Μοψοπία, or Ίωνία, or Ποσειδωνι α and was the most important of the 8 regions that made up its own (middle) Hellas. It had the shape... Real Dictionary of Classical Antiquities

    - (Greek Attike) in ancient times, a region in the southeast of Central Greece. The political unification of Africa around Athens (Sinoicism) occurred, according to ancient Greek legends, under King Theseus (See Theseus), in reality this process lasted for ... Big Soviet encyclopedia

    - (Greek ή Αττική, which means coastal country) the southeastern region of Central Greece, the connecting link between the Balkan Peninsula and the Archipelago, approximately 2200 square meters. km of space; border on the N. Viotia, on the W. Megara, on the S. and E. ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

    Attica- (from the Greek coastline) peninsula, one of the largest regions in the southeast of the Middle East. Greece. Its mountains are branches of Cithaeron, a steep rocky ridge that formed the natural border of A. with Boeotia and Megara. Among… … Ancient world. Dictionary-reference book.

Books

  • Athens. Between Sky and Sea, Philippe Plisson. “Indeed, we Greeks are the world’s first navigators, and we entrusted Philip Plisson with the creation of this magnificent album. In it, Athens, and, in fact, the whole of Attica, looks...
  • Ancient Attica at the end of the V-IV centuries. BC e. Disposal of public land in the polis, E. Bulycheva. The book explores the problem of renting and selling public land in Attica in the 5th–4th centuries. BC e. The main source of study is epigraphic material. Based on ancient Greek...

About whose name the city will receive: Poseidon created the horse, Athena gave the olive tree (a source of wealth, since oil was made from its fruit), and the city was named Athens in honor of the goddess. The myth of Theseus is purely Athenian. Legend attributed to this hero the unification of all of Attica into one state by merging individual communities into one city. According to legend, Attica was invaded by the Dorians during the return of the Heraclides (in the middle of the 11th century), but was saved by its king Codrom. The Delphic oracle declared that the side on whose side the king would be killed would win. Kodr, dressed as a shepherd, sneaked into the enemy camp and was killed there. No longer hoping for victory, the Dorians retreated, and the Athenians declared that after Codrus no one could be worthy of the kingship. This is how the poetic legend explained abolition of royal power in Athens.

107. Geography of Attica

Attica, the southeastern part of Central Greece, juts out into the sea in a triangle, one side of which is adjacent to the land. This small country was in a very close proximity to the states in which navigation developed first in European Greece. On one of its shores, Attica adjoined the same Saronic the bay, near which they lay Megara And Corinnef and whose waters washed the island Aegina, the other coast of Attica was separated only by a narrow strait from the island of Euboea, on which there were located almost opposite Attica Chalkis and Eretria. Sunian The cape, which makes up the southern tip of the country, is closer than other points on the Greek mainland to the Cyclades. Thus Attica's position at sea was very favorable for the development of trade, but still Athens took an active part in trade a lot later the cities of Euboea and Isthmusu islands of Aegina. Attica was far from being fertile and did not produce enough grain to feed its inhabitants. The best terrain was the plain (Pedion) off the Saronic Gulf against the island Salamis: there were cities here Athens And Eleusis, of which one was surrounded in places with horticultural crops(grapes, olives, figs, etc.), and the other lay in the center of that part of the plain where the best grain fields.(This is where the cult of Demeter developed). Northern and northeastern Attica (Diacria) it was filled with mountain spurs and was dry and barren, just like the southern coastal part (Paralia). But the mountains of Attica abounded in mineral wealth. Pentelikon in the north he delivered beautiful white marble, Gimet(famous for its beekeeping) contained marble of a bluish tint, Lavrion in the south it was famous for its silver mines, with the income from which the Athenians subsequently built their first fleet. The Athenian plain was watered by the river Kefissom, near one of the tributaries of which, which dried up in the summer, stood the main city of Attica. Athens was built in a hilly area, and on one of its hills was the Athenian Kremlin, Acropolis, containing the temple of the goddess Pallas Athena and royal palace. The city was located about seven miles from the sea coast and had three harbors. The oldest of them was Phaleron, but this harbor was open and therefore not as convenient as Munichia and especially Piraeus, which were closed bays on both sides of the isthmus of a small peninsula (Piraeus).

108. Population of Attica

The population of Attica was classified as a tribe Ionian and was proud that it had never been conquered. Initially there were several states here (according to legend 12), but they merged into one state, making it the center of Athena and even settling some of their inhabitants in this common center (sinoicism). In memory of this event, a special holiday was established in Attica, called Panathenaic. Even in historical times, the inhabitants of Attica were divided into four tribes phyla with three phratries in each, whereby these phyla and phratries had their own gods and their own leaders. In addition to the citizens of the state, aliens from other places lived in Attica, engaged in fishing and trade, paying taxes and even being obliged to participate in the army, but not considered citizens; their name was tags. Compared to citizens, there were, of course, much fewer of them. The citizens themselves were divided into three classes: landowning nobility, small landowners And artisans. The Athenian nobility constituted the noble class, or eupatrids(i.e. having good fathers), whose clans occupied a leading position in the life of individual phratries, phyla and the entire state. Free peasants who lived on their own small plots were called geomors, artisans - demiurges: geomors and demiurges, taken together, constituted the demos.

109. The most ancient state system of Athens

Athens was originally led by tsar, who ruled from advice, consisting of elders of the most important Attic clans and bore the name Areopagus. Tsarist power, however, gradually passed to elected dignitaries Moreover, the title of king itself, however, was never abolished. First of all, they began to elect a special commander to assist the king in the war, polemarch, then they began to entrust some government and judicial affairs to a special dignitary, archon(ruler), who was appointed by the Areopagus, and even later created the position of six judges, fesmofetov. The position of the king after this was limited only to the performance of priestly duties, and basileus was no longer called the ruler of the state, but the high priest of Athens. Thus, royal power was divided between nine dignitaries, who all became known as archons.(In their college, the first place belonged not to the basileus or the polemarch, but to the eponymous archon, by whose name the Athenian year was designated). In the middle of the 8th century, when there were only the first three archons, they began to be elected for ten years, and not for life, as before, at the beginning of the 7th century. - only for one year. At first, the choice of king was made only within one clan, but little by little this title (and archonship in general) became available to all noble families. As royal power became fragmented among individual dignitaries, the former royal council, Areopagus, on the contrary, I received everything more and more meaning. It began to be replenished with archons who performed their duties well and became lifelong members of this institution. Athens became a real oligarchy in which the Areopagus was nothing more than the focus of the interests, aspirations and traditions of the Eupatrid class. All religious and government positions were in the hands of the landowning nobility; they owned the interpretation of all divine and human laws; they conducted the trial, guided exclusively by old customs and their understanding of them. It is clear that oligarchic rule could only be an oppression of the demos.

encyclopedic Dictionary

Attica

in ancient times, a region in the southeast of Wed. Greece. In modern Greece, Attica is one of the nomes (the center is Athens).

Ancient world. Dictionary-reference book

Attica

(from Greek- coast country)

peninsula, one of the largest regions in the southeast of the Middle East. Greece. Its mountains are branches of Cithaeron, a steep rocky ridge that formed the natural border of A. with Boeotia and Megara. Among the mountain ranges are the plains: Eleusinian, Kekropian, Mesogean and Marathon. The small rivers A. Kephis and Asopus were shallow, the land was infertile. But the hard work of farmers compensated for the scarcity of land: olives, grapes, figs, millet, spelt, and barley were grown in A. The mountains had a lot of limestone and marble suitable for construction. Silver, iron ore and clay were mined in Lavrion, which contributed to the early development of crafts, and thanks to large reserves of table salt, the population began to engage in food canning, marking the beginning of the development of an entire industry.

The population of A. considered themselves autochthons. OK. X century BC, under the legendary king Theseus, it began to unite under the rule of Athens, but this process was long and lasted for centuries. By the 6th century BC. Athens became the center of economic and political transformations in Africa. Large centers A. were Eleusis, Piraeus, Phorikos, Ramnunts and others.

(I.A. Lisovy, K.A. Revyako. The ancient world in terms, names and titles: Dictionary-reference book on the history and culture of Ancient Greece and Rome / Scientific editor. A.I. Nemirovsky. - 3rd ed. - Mn: Belarus, 2001)

Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Attica

(Greek ή Αττική, which means “coastal country”) - the southeastern region of Central Greece, the connecting link between the Balkan Peninsula and the Archipelago, approximately 2200 square meters. km of space; bordered on the north by Viotia, on the west by Megara, and washed by the sea on the south and east. Most of A. is covered with hills consisting of limestone and marble, and currently represents only bare spaces devoid of vegetation. Only the higher parts of Cithaeron and Parnassus, equally north-west. the slopes of Pentelikon are covered with pine and spruce forests. The base of the entire mountain system is Kiferon (now Elatea, the so-called spruce hill, the highest point of which rises 1411 m above sea level). Kiferon, with its main ridge, separates A. from Viotia; A. is separated from Megara by its branch going to the south and bearing the name Kerata (horns); Parnassus (now Otsea), reaching 1413 m, merges with the southeastern spurs of Kiferon, whose northeastern branches, now bearing separate names (Beletsi, Armeni, Mavrovuno, Tsastany, Stavrokoraki, Kotroni), extending to the eastern. the edges of the region form in this part of A. a real mountainous country (Diakria or Epakria of the ancients). The southern continuation of Parnassus is Egaleos, rising significantly lower above the sea, which in the south. the part where it juts into the sea opposite the island of Salamis is called Korydallos (now Scaramanta), and in the middle, where it is cut through by a gorge connecting the plains of Athens and Eleusis, it is called Paekilion. On the N.E. The Athenian plain is bordered by Brilettos, or, as it was usually called from the area lying on its southern slope, Pentelikon (now still Menteli). This is a pyramidal hill reaching 1110 m in height with extensive, still successfully exploited marble quarries, which deliver excellent white marble of the finest grain, used for buildings and statues. A valley 4 km wide separates the base of the Pentelikon in the south from the southern belt, almost exclusively consisting of bluish-gray marble, which in ancient times was used for architectural purposes. This ridge - Gimet (now Trelovuno) - rises to 1027 m, is almost devoid of forest vegetation, but is covered with fragrant herbs and is therefore inhabited by wild bees, which produce excellent honey. The eastern edge of the region (near the ancient Paralia) is cut through by lower chains of hills, which to the south of Hymet, where the peninsula narrows, are united into one ridge - the Lavrion Highlands, which is surrounded by a cape steeply descending to the sea - Sunium, on which the ruins of a temple still stand. Athens, after the columns of which the cape is still called Cap Colonnese by sailors. The Lavrion Mountains, due to their wealth in silver, were of high importance for A. in ancient times; but these mines, at first very profitable, were so intensely exploited that immediately after the R.H. they had to stop mining. Only in later times did they try, and not without success, to extract benefits from the slag left over from previous work.

The mountains stretch partly directly to the sea, and partly alluvial soil has accumulated at their bases, forming more or less wide coastal plains, many of which were known in ancient times. The most remarkable of them is the Marathon Plain in the north. shore. It is a lowland 9 km long and 2-4 km wide, with an extensive swamp to the northeast. Here in 490 BC the Persian army was defeated. There are only three more significant plains in the country, which either, starting at the coast, stretch far inland, or are completely separated from the sea: 1) the Athenian plain, often called simply “plain” (pedion); 2) the smaller Triassic Plain, separated from Athens by the Aegaleos Mountains (so-called Tria after the ancient locality) and 3) the plain between Hymetos and the lower mountain ranges of the eastern coast, which connects with Athens. plain by means of the valley separating Pentelikon from Hymetos. The country's irrigation is extremely poor. The most significant streams flow through Athens. plain, namely: 1) Kephis, starting at the southwest. the foothills of Pentelikon in the forest-rich region of Kephisia, fed by various tributaries from Parnassus. It flows through the plain to the southwest. direction and to the west from the city it is diverted into numerous canals for irrigating vegetable gardens and plantations; the second stream - Ilissus begins at the north. the foot of Hymet, flows at the east. and south sides of the city and to the southwest. from him he is lost in the sands. In addition to them, it is necessary to mention another Kephis of the Eleusinian Plain, the Enoe stream cutting through the Marathon Plain (so named after the ancient area lying to the north of Marathon) and about. Erasinos, flowing further south from the eastern coast, near the ancient area of ​​Arafen (now Rafina).

The soil of the country is almost entirely light, rather thin, stony limestone, little suitable for cultivating wheat, more so for barley and grapes, but especially for olives and figs, and therefore the latter, both in ancient times and now, are the main products of the country and its subjects. export Cattle breeding is still significant today, and in ancient times Attic. wool enjoyed great fame. In the mountains, not to mention the already exhausted silver. the mines of Lavrion produce excellent marble; soil in many places, especially on the coastal strips going to the S.W. from the harbor of Piraeus and the Bay of Falernus and ending at the foothills of Kolias (now Gagios Kosmas), provides excellent clay for dishes, and therefore pottery was a flourishing branch of industry in ancient Athens and its products had a very widespread market.

The population of the country, not to mention some of the Pelasgic elements of the prehistoric era and the enormous number of foreigners who subsequently resided permanently in Athens, belonged in ancient times to the Ionian tribe. The inhabitants called themselves autochthons, that is, indigenous, since their ancestors came directly from the soil of the country and from time immemorial the land was in their continuous possession. Like everything Ionic. The peoples and inhabitants of A. fell into four tribes or classes (phyla): Heleonts (noble), hoplites (warriors), Aegikoreans (shepherds in general and goats in particular) and Ergadeev (farmers). According to legend, since time immemorial there have been 12 independent cities or community unions in the country. These were part of separate, even later settlements, such as Kekropia (later Athens), Eleusis, Decelea and Aphidna (the last two in the north of the country), Brauron (among the east coast), Thorikos (in the southernmost part of the east coast), Kytheros ( location unknown), Sphetos and Kefissia, partly unions of several settlements, such as Epakria (northern mountainous country), Tetrapolis (union of four cities) on the Marathon plain and Tetrakomia (union of four villages) in the very south of the Athenian plain. According to legend, these 12 communities were united by Theseus into one political whole, the capital of which was Athens. The division of the people into 4 phyla remained both under the kings and under the archons. Even the legislator Solon did not abolish this division, but in parallel with it, partly wanting to reduce the influence of ancient aristocratic families, partly in order to lead to a more equitable distribution of the tax burden among citizens, he created a new division of citizens into 4 classes according to their property. Only Cleisthenes abolished the ancient Ionian division by tribes and replaced it with the division of the people into 10 phyla, each of which bore the name of the ancient Att. hero (Eponym). Each of these phyla embraced a certain number of communities (demes) located in different parts of the country. Usually, each not very significant locality constituted a special “deme,” while large ones, like the cities of Athens and Brauron, were divided into several demes. The number of demes varied at different times: - at the beginning of the Christian era there were 371 of them. Thanks to writers and inscriptions, the names of approximately 180 demes have reached us, but the location of many is now impossible to establish. A list of them is given by Lik, "Die Demen von A." (translation by Westermann, Brunswick, 1840); Ross, "Die Demen von A. und ihre Vertheilung unter die Phylen", Halle, 1846); G. Geltser in the appendix to Westerman’s book “Lehrbuch der Griech ischen Staatsalterthü mer” (5th ed. Heidelb., 1875). The total number of citizens fluctuated, judging by the censuses, during the heyday of the state, by the Peloponnesian War, between 80-100 thousand. The number of those under the protection of the metoici reached 40,000, the number of slaves reached 400,000, so that the total number of free and unfree population exceeded 500,000. Increase the number of philosophies (10) with two new ones took place in 307 BC. Out of a desire to flatter Demetrius Poliorcetes, the latter were named after him and the name of his father Antigonus - Antigonida and Demetrias. But the first was renamed in 265 BC in honor of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus to Ptolomais, the second in 200 in honor of the Pergamon king Attalus I to Attalida. Finally, under Emperor Hadrian, the 13th phylum was annexed and named Adrianida after this benefactor of the city of Athens.

Politically, Africa was in ancient times the most centralized region of Greece. The main city was not only the seat of the administration, but also the court, as well as the people's assemblies, in the hands of which, since the time of the democratic reforms begun by Cleisthenes and concluded by Pericles, the supreme decision of all state affairs was concentrated. The significance that Greece, thanks to its main city of Athens, had in the political and cultural life of Ancient Greece can only be correctly assessed in connection with the presentation of the general history of Greece (see this next). Wed. Bursian, “Geographie von Griechenland” (vol. I, Leipz., 1862); Curtius, "Erl ä uternder Text der 7 Karten zur Topographie von Athen" (Gotha, 1868); Curtius and Kaupert, "Karten von Attika" (2 volumes, Berlin, 1881). Currently, A., together with Megara, Viotia and the islands of Salamis (now Koulouri) forms the nomarchy of Attica and Viotia, which is divided into 5 dioceses (A., Aegina, Thebes, Livadia and Megara) and covers 6426 sq. km 185364 inhabitants (1879). In the diocese (district) of A. (including the island of Salamis) 116,263 women, rural population engaged in agriculture, winemaking and cattle breeding, and partly also in sericulture and tobacco growing. The Athenian plain is still rich in extensive olive plantations.

Attica is a historical region of Greece, which is located near the modern capital. Spread over a picturesque peninsula in southeastern Greece, it served as the cradle of ancient culture. It is difficult to imagine a more suitable place to explore Hellas and relax in the lap of nature, among wonderful beaches, amazing mountains and emerald vegetation.

Geographical features

Atika on the map of Greece resembles a triangle that runs along the sea coast and extends to the central part of the country. In its vastness there is the capital, the port of Piraeus and several cozy resort towns. The area is predominantly hilly, surrounded by calcareous and marble mountains. Their peaks are sparsely covered with vegetation, but the intermountain plains amaze with all shades of dense greenery.

The coastal part is very winding, there are numerous sandy beaches. The shores are washed blue waters Sardonic Gulf. The beaches are very clean and beautiful, many of them boast blue flag– the highest environmental award for cleanliness and safety.

Myths and historical facts

From the few surviving sources it follows that the first settlers, the Ionian Greeks, occupied the territory of Attica two millennia BC. Although Plato in his works claims that the inhabitants of Attica did not come from other lands, but always lived here. Numerous archaeological excavations indicate that people have long settled in this territory.

Later, society was divided into small communities, each of which worshiped a separate god. Periodically, wars arose between the settlements, which were also considered wars between the gods - the patrons of the communities. At the same time, the affected community and its god did not disappear completely, but the importance of one or another patron simply changed. Gradually, as a result of several internecine wars, a single pantheon was formed.

After the expansion of Attica and the inclusion of Athens, sanctuaries of other gods of the indigenous settlements began to appear next to the Acropolis and the Temple of Athena. Athens turned into a bright pearl of Greece, where culture, art, philosophy actively developed, and new foundations of the state were formed.

Sights of the region

Attica, a land with a rich historical heritage, boasts many attractions. For the most part, these are the ruins of temples and other important buildings, as well as places where the fate of the ancient Greeks was decided. Let's dwell on just a few of the most interesting sights of Attica.

Temple of Poseidon- a majestic structure located on Cape Sounion - the most southern point Attica. It seems that the god of the seas is still washing the remains of his temple, which is perched almost on a cliff at an altitude of 60 m. It is best to visit here in the late afternoon, when the rays of the setting sun pass through the preserved columns.

Acropolis- the oldest fortress in Athens, which even today evokes awe. Important historical events have left many traces on boulders. The Acropolis is a fairly large multi-level complex, where you can wander for a long time in search of unusual places and backgrounds for photography.

In the vicinity of Athens there is monastery of Daphne- Byzantine heritage of Greece. Initially it was built in honor of Apollo, but later the monastery came into the possession of Christians, then the building was used as a fortress wall and even as a psychiatric hospital.

Aegina- a small island off the coast of Attica in the Sardonic Gulf. Here you can endlessly admire the beautiful landscapes, as well as numerous churches. There are 365 religious buildings on a small piece of land. The abandoned city of Palaiochora is no less interesting.

Near Athens, in the thick of a cypress forest, an ancient monastery hid. It is located at the base of Mount Imittos, next to a healing spring. The structure is amazing in size, beautiful architecture, mosaics and frescoes.

Resorts of Attica

Having sated your mind with enough sightseeing, it’s time to head to the beach. Along the coast there are several cozy towns with developed infrastructure. They are united under the name "Athensian Riviera". It is difficult to find a deserted or secluded corner here, but there is everything for comfortable rest: yacht clubs, bars, hotels and nightclubs.

Just 15 km from the center of Athens is the famous Glyfada. Here you can have a fun night in the numerous clubs and during the day go to the huge golf course.

Lagonissi– a less noisy and very cozy resort. It is ideal for measured family vacation on the Aegean coast. The calm sea with a flat bottom and the beach with the finest sand allow you to forget about time. After lunch you can stroll through the dense lemon groves.

Loutraki– a town where you can not only enjoy the calm beach holiday, but also to improve your health in famous hospitals. The mild climate and healing springs will restore health and youth to everyone.

Vouliagmeni – prestigious resort With expensive hotels and luxury villas. The city has a lake of the same name, famous for its healing springs. With their help, it is possible to get rid of many serious diseases of the skin, bones, nervous system and reproductive organs. Within the city limits there are beautiful coniferous forests.

The maximum cosmetic effect will have rest in Sounione. There are many beauty centers here that use cosmetics based on local herbs, flowers and mineral complexes.

Things to do?

Attica is a place where everyone will find something to their liking. Most tourists begin their acquaintance with sightseeing or relaxing on famous beaches. In addition to passively lying on the shore and swimming, you can ride a scooter or water ski, and also enjoy the views from a pleasure yacht.

Adults and children will equally enjoy spending time in the water park. Lovers underwater world will be able to scuba dive. There are several diving centers on the beaches.

Connoisseurs of gambling and wild nightlife will not go unnoticed. They can head to the bustling casino in Loutraki or the numerous nightclubs along the coast.

Shopping

There are areas in Attica where people go shopping even from neighboring countries. In the center of Athens are located shopping centers and boutiques where you can buy jewelry and fur products. In memory of this paradise they buy aromatic herbal teas, leather goods, cosmetics based on minerals and olive oil, the oil itself and olives, as well as ceramic products from the masters of Maroussia.

How to get there?

Since the capital of Greece, Athens, is located in Attica, there will be no problems with the flight. The city has a large international Airport, which receives direct flights from various parts of the world.

You can get to more remote towns by comfortable regular buses or trains. They regularly operate in the suburbs. In order not to depend on the schedule, you can rent a car and create your own route to explore the region.

You can get to the island of Aegina by ferry from the port of Piraeus. It delivers passengers every hour from early morning until sunset.

 

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