Athens

Situated on the Attic plain on the Greek mainland, Athens is surrounded by mountains on three sides,

The site was first inhabited about 3000 BC and it was named Athens after its patron goddess Athena.

Athena was the daughter of Zeus. She was born dressed in armor and is often depicted with a helmet and shield. She fought against Poseidon for the city of Athens.

Every year in Ancient Athens, citizens had the chance to vote their least favorite politician into exile.

Although most of the city dates from after the mid-19th century, important works of antiquity remain. The most prominent and famous landmark is the Acropolis, a flat-topped hill on which stand the remains of the Parthenon (below) and several other beautiful structures erected in the 5th century BC. 

By Steve Swayne 

On June 9, 411 BC, wealthy Athenians overthrew the democratic government of ancient Athens and replaced it with a short-lived oligarchy known as "The Four Hundred".

The Tower of the Winds is an octagonal Pentelic marble clocktower in the Roman Agora in Athens that is considered the world's first ever meteorological station. The structure features a combination of sundials, a water clock, and a wind vane. It was supposedly built by Andronicus of Cyrrhus around 50 BC, but according to other sources, might have been constructed in the 2nd century BC before the rest of the forum.

Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. It had a greater capacity (50,000) in 144 AD than today (45,000).

The Parthenon was severely damaged on September 26, 1687. An ammunition dump inside the building was ignited by bombardment from Venetian forces led by Morosini who were besieging the Ottoman Turks stationed in Athens.

The first modern Olympiad was held in Athens. Because Ancient Greece was the birthplace of the Olympic Games, the Greek capital city was considered to be an appropriate choice to stage the inaugural modern Games. The games officially opened on April 6, 1896 and closed ten days later. 241 athletes from 14 nations participated in 43 events in nine disciplines.

Athens authorities spent four years demolishing rooftop billboards in an effort to beautify the city for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Athens spent $16 billion on the 2004 Olympics. They only budgeted for $1.5 billion.

It is the capital and largest city of Greece. The municipality of Athens is the most populous in Greece, with a population of 664,046 people (in 2011). 

At the heart of the modern Athens is Constitution Square, on or near which are found the Parliament Building and several museums.

In Athens, Greece, a driver's license can be taken away by law if the driver is deemed either unbathed or poorly dressed.

Athens has less green space than any other European capital (4%).

Athens is the only capital city in Europe where the air is more polluted outside than inside.

Athens is an anagram of hasten as well as the less common words ‘sneath’ (the pole of a scythe) and ‘snathe’ (to prune or lop trees).

Sources Funk & Wagnells Encyclopedia, Daily Express