Attica literally means "coastal country". This is a land where ancient Greek myths come to life, where ancient gods live, where harmony and beauty fill all living things, where you are born again and find happiness under the wonderful azure sky, in the warm gentle waters of the Aegean Sea.

Attica is a peninsular area of ​​approximately 2,200 square kilometers, which forms the southeastern tip of mainland Greece, bordered in the north by Central Greece and washed by the waters of the Saronic Gulf in the south. In the north of the nome are the mountains of Kiferon (1400 m) and Parnifa (1413 m), which form its natural border. The relief of Attica is mostly mountainous. The small rivers Illissos and Kathissos flow along the Athenian plain. Athens, Eleusis and Marathon are located in the flat part of the region. In the southwest and south, a low ridge of hills gently slopes towards the sea. In the Attic region there is also Athens, which is the capital of the country and its main administrative center.

Attica has a mild, dry Mediterranean climate. The small plantations of Attica are densely covered with vineyards, fruit trees, not to mention the olive trees that grow everywhere.

Attica was formed around 4-5 centuries AD. This region was greatly influenced by the presence of Greece as part of the Byzantine Empire, which was reflected in the architecture, painting and sculpture of Attica. Attica has experienced many wars and battles, famine, economic crisis, and at the same time retained its greatness and uniqueness.

Today Attica is the most industrialized region of Greece. The main volume of production is concentrated here and more than half of the population of the entire country lives. Also, it is large tourist centre... Tourists who come here from all over the world have a unique opportunity not only to relax and enjoy the wonderful nature, clean sea, sandy beaches, the services of modern hotel complexes, the amazing hospitality of the locals, but also to get in touch with the great past of this extraordinary country.

There are many interesting sights in Attica, many of which are not inferior in importance to the Athenian ones - for example, famous temple Poseidon (440 BC) at Cape Sounion, one of the most impressive images of Greek architecture. The powerful columns of the temple, standing on a promontory open to all winds, are an unforgettable sight. The temple is located 69 km from Athens.

The Temple of Dimetra in Eleusis is an ancient temple dedicated to the mysterious cult of the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone. The famous Eleusinian mysteries took place here: everyone knew about the rituals performed there, but the details of the ceremony and sacred texts were passed on from their mouths, it was forbidden to write them down. Therefore, the essence of the mystery is still unknown to modern scientists. The temple has Archaeological Museum... The temple is located 22 km from Athens.

Daphni Monastery is located 11 km from Athens. Built on the site of the former sanctuary of Apollo and surrounded by a fortress wall. The 11th century church is very picturesque on the outside and attractive for its mosaics decorating its interior.

The Kutuki Cave is located nearby. Natural cave with several rooms in the vicinity of the town of Peania. The visitor can see the most beautiful stalactites and stalagmites of various shapes.

Fans of outdoor activities can go horse riding, mountaineering, tennis, sailing. There is a golf club in Glyfada.

Lake Voliameni is a miracle of nature. It is 50 centimeters above sea level and constantly overflows its shores because of the hot springs filling it. The waters of the lake have medicinal properties, you can swim here all year round.

Piraeus has been the country's main port since ancient times. Now it is a beautiful city, famous for its fish restaurants and entertainment establishments. In the summer, the open-air theater of Castella (Veakio) is open, and in the winter you can visit the Piraeus Municipal Theater.

The beaches of Paleo Faliro, Kalamaki, Glyfada, Voula, Kavuri, Vouliagmeni, Varkiza, Lagonisi are magnificent.

The Palio Faliro resort is located very close to the sea. Convenient location, proximity to the center and the sea make this area attractive for outdoor enthusiasts. To services of tourists: beaches, fish and meat taverns, restaurants, night clubs, yacht clubs, cafes and bars. Here you will find everything you need for a comfortable seaside holiday.

The resort of Glyfada is one of the most fashionable coastal areas of Athens, located 15 km from the center, a favorite vacation spot for the Greeks themselves and tourists. A large number of hotels, restaurants, bars, taverns, sports centers and nightclubs are concentrated here. Luna Park is located on the coast. Glyfada has great shopping with many large shopping malls and boutiques. To reach the center of Athens, you need only 20 minutes by bus.

Vouliagmeni resort - located in a green bay 24 km from the center of Athens, on the seashore. This is a picturesque fashionable area with comfortable beaches, fish and meat taverns, restaurants, bars, yacht clubs, an abundance of greenery - one of the most popular resorts among tourists. By shuttle bus you can reach the center of Athens in 35 minutes. There is a unique radon lake in Vouliagmeni.

Resorts Kavuri, Varkiza, Voula - these resort areas follow one after another, along the highway leading to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon. There are beaches, cafes, taverns, restaurants and other entertainment venues here. The abundant coniferous groves along the coast give the air a unique character.

Lagonissi resort - the luxurious Lagonissi peninsula enchants with picturesque landscapes and azure sea waters. The attractive proximity to Athens (the capital of Greece can be reached by bus) makes this peninsula such an attractive tourist destination. The shallow coastline of Lagonissi is perfect for those who are vacationing with children, so this resort is ideal for a family vacation. Resting in Lagonissi, you can easily get acquainted with the sights of Athens.

The resort of Anavyssos is a picturesque green village on the southern coast of Attica, 49 km from Cape Sounion. This is beautiful place for vacation. It attracts tourists with its amazingly beautiful nature, clean sea and sandy beaches.
This corner is very fond of the Greeks themselves. Evidence of this is the many dachas, including government ones. The convenient location allows you not only to relax, but also to get acquainted with the sights of Greece. And the shallow sea and comfortable coast created a good atmosphere for family holidays with small children.

Sounion is a resort on the cape of the same name. Cape Sounion, or Cape Kolones, is one of the easternmost capes of Attica, stretching towards the Aegean Sea. In ancient times, a temple was built here, dedicated to the god of the sea, Poseidon. Cape Sounio is a landmark of Athenian Attica, a beautiful and fertile land. It has a mild climate, generous soil with olive groves, clean coastline and beautiful views of the surrounding islands.
The resort of Sounion is located near the capital of Greece, thanks to which there is a great historical heritage and the rapid development of hotel infrastructure. Sounion is an expensive and well-maintained resort, whose sandy beaches will give you an unforgettable experience from the sea, sun and Greece.

Mati - Nea Makri resorts are perhaps the most popular resorts in the eastern part of Attica. These resorts are located in the Marathon Valley area, where in 490 BC. NS. the famous Marathon battle took place. Great conditions for relaxation are provided here by nature itself: beautiful beaches, clear sea, healing aroma of pine forest.

Nea Makri is one of the very first resorts in Attica, located 33 km from Athens. The history of Nea Makri began in ancient times, during the Stone Age. Now this resort area, located next to the capital by the sea, is experiencing an economic and tourist boom. In Nea Makri you will find a lot of entertainment: discos, nightclubs, numerous bars and restaurants.

Mati is an area located 5 km from Nea Makri, 27 km from Athens. This is a quiet resort place, suitable for a good rest. On the rocky pine coast, you will find small, hidden gorges with sandy beaches.
The close proximity of the resorts to Athens will allow you to easily fulfill the "must" for every tourist program of exploring the sights of this wonderful city.

A vacation in Attica is a great opportunity to combine acquaintance with Athenian antiquities and relaxation at sea.

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Attica in translation from the ancient Greek "coastal country" is the southeastern region of Central Greece, a connecting link between the Balkan Peninsula and the Archipelago, with an area of ​​approximately 3808 km², bordered in the north by Boeotia, in the west across the Isthmus of Corinth - with Megara and the entire Peloponnese. From the south it is washed by the Saronic, from the east - by the Petalian gulfs and from the northeast - by the Euboean gulfs of the Aegean Sea.

TUBS, GNU 1.2

Geography

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

CrniBombarder !!! , Public Domain

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

Kiferon separates Attica from Boeotia with his main ridge; Attica is separated from Megara by its branch going south and bearing the name Kerata (horns); Parnassus (now Ocea), reaching 1413 m, merges with the southeastern spurs of Kiferon, which the northeastern ramifications, now bearing separate names (Belettsi, Armeni, Mavrovuno, Tsastany, Stavrokoraki, Kotroni), extending to the eastern edge of the region, form in this part Attica is a real mountainous country (Diacria or Epacria of the ancients).

The southern continuation of Parnassus is the Aegaleos 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 Scaramantha), and in the middle, where it is cut through by a gorge that connects the plains of Athens and Eleusis is called Pekilion.

BishkekRocks, Public Domain

In the northeast, the Athenian plain is bordered by Brilettos, or, as it is commonly called from the area lying on its southern slope, Pentelikon (now also 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, which goes to buildings and statues. A valley 4 km wide in the south separates the foot of the Pentelikon 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 grasses and therefore is inhabited by wild bees that give excellent honey.

H. Grobe, GNU 1.2

The eastern edge of the region (at the ancient Paralia) is cut through by less high chains of hills, which to the south of Gimet, where the peninsula narrows, join into one ridge - the Lavrion Highlands, which is enclosed by a steeply sloping cape - Sounium, on which the ruins of the temple of Athena still rise , according to the columns of which the cape is still called by the sailors of Cap Colonnese.

Apanag, CC BY-SA 3.0

The mountains of Lavrion, in terms of their riches in silver, were of great importance to Attica in antiquity; but these mines, at first very profitable, were so intensively exploited that already immediately after the beginning of AD. NS. I had to stop mining. Only at a later time did they try, and not unsuccessfully, to take advantage of the slags left over from previous works.

The mountains stretch partly directly to the sea, partly alluvial land accumulated to their soles, forming more or less wide coastal plains, many of which were known in antiquity.

Rabe! , GNU 1.2

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

There are only three more significant plains, which either, starting at the coast, stretch far inland, or are completely separated from the sea, there are only three in the country: 1) the Athenian plain, often called simply "plain" (pedion); 2) the smaller Triassic Plain, separated from the Athenian Aegaleos Mountains (the so-called Tria after the ancient area) and 3) the plain between Gimet and the lower mountain ranges of the eastern coast, which connects to the Athenian plain through the valley that separates Pentelikon from Gimet.

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

Grzegorz Wysocki, GNU 1.2

History

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

Like all Ionic peoples, the inhabitants of Attica fell into four tribes or classes (phylae): geleons (noble), hoplites (warriors), aegikoreans (shepherds in general and goats in particular) and ergadei (farmers). According to legend, 12 independent cities or unions of communities have existed in the country since time immemorial. These were part of separate, even later existing settlements, like Cecropia (later Athens), Eleusis, Dhekeleia and Afidna (the last two in the north of the country), Brauron (among east coast), Torikos (in the southernmost part of the east coast), Kyteros (location unknown), Sfethos and Kefisia, part of the unions of several villages) in the very south of the Athenian plain. According to legend, Theseus united these 12 communities into one political entity, the capital of which was Athens.

Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0

Administrative division

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

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

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

Agriculture and Fossils

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

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Helpful information

Greek Αττική
English Attica

Political structure in antiquity

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 whose hands, since the time of the democratic reforms begun by Cleisthenes and completed by Pericles, the supreme decision of all state affairs was concentrated.

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

Administrative divisions in ancient times

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

Only Cleisthenes abolished the ancient Ionian division by tribes 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 (demos) that lay in different parts of the country.

As a rule, each not very significant area constituted a special "demu", while large ones, like the cities of Athens and Brauron, split into several demu. The number of dem was not the same at different times: - at the beginning of the Christian era there were 371 of them.

Thanks to writers and inscriptions, the names of about 180 dem have survived to us, but the whereabouts of many are now impossible to establish. The total number of citizens fluctuated, judging by the censuses, during the heyday of the state, to the Peloponnesian War, within 80-100 thousand. The number of the Metoiks who stood under the auspices reached 40,000, the number of slaves reached 400,000, so that the total number of free and non-free population exceeded 500,000. The increase in the number of Phil (10) by two new ones took place in 307 BC. NS.

Out of a desire to flatter Demetrius Poliorketa, the latter were named after him and the name of his father Antigonus - Antigonis and Demetriada. But the first one was renamed in 265 BC. NS. in honor of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus in Ptolomais, the second in 200 in honor of the Pergamon king Attalus I in Attalis.

Finally, under the emperor Hadrian, the 13th Philae was annexed and named by Adrianides after this benefactor of the city of Athens.

sights

Region of Central Greece, located in the southeast of the Balkan Peninsula and washed by the waters of the Aegean Sea. Three gulfs approach the shores of this peninsula - Euboean, Saronic and Petalisky. A significant part of the peninsula is covered with low mountains of limestone and marble. The mountains are covered with coniferous forests.

Attica is a historical region of Greece, on its territory is the capital of Athens, legendary city Marathon, the city of Eleusis, where the inhabitants worshiped Demeter, the port of Piraeus. The first settlements on this land date back to the Neolithic era (III millennium BC). The ancient historians Plato and Herodotus wrote that the inhabitants of Attica were autochthonous - that is, not alien conquerors, but the original inhabitants, literally from the land itself. In ancient times, on the territory of Attica, each city or region represented a small state that venerated its deity. There were 12 such states, they were united, according to legends, by King Theseus. Athens, the cradle of Greek statehood and democracy, became the main city of Attica. Already in ancient times, Attica was ruled by nine elected officials, in whose hands the executive, military and judicial powers were concentrated. A year later, these nine transferred power to the newly elected magistrates, and themselves transferred for life to the Areopagus, the organ of power of the aristocracy. Athens itself became a place for the development of culture, arts, philosophy.

The climate of Attica is mild, temperate Mediterranean. Average summer temperatures are almost always above +30 degrees. At the end of September, the rainy season begins here, which lasts until April. April to September lasts bathing season, the sea warms up as much as possible by August (up to +26). In winter, here, in spite of freezing temperatures, snow can fall, which melts almost immediately and does not form a snow cover.

Transport

Located in Athens international Airport Eleftherios Venizelos, opened in 2001, serves as an air gateway to Greece and Attica in particular.

Inside Attica, you can move on railway transport(electric trains) and intercity buses. For the eastern and western parts of Attica, buses leave from two different bus stations in Athens. The first is located near the Acropolis, the second is on the Egyptian Square. To the islands of Aegina and Salamis, tourists are transported by ferries. One of the fastest ways to get around Athens is the metro with three lines, one of which is ground-based. Athens also has express bus routes to the airport, city buses, trolley buses, tram routes.

Resorts of Attica

Administratively, Attica is divided into four nomes: East and West Attica. The most popular, both in terms of beach, and in terms of cultural and historical recreation of Athens. The suburbs of the capital are resort towns with the general name "Athenian Riviera". They are located along the coast and, in addition to hotels and beaches, contain yacht clubs, nightclubs, golf clubs, and have their own specifics. So, it is considered a resort for the wealthy, Lagonissi - for families with children. Specialization and Vouliagmeni - health improvement.

Holidays in Piraeus will cost less than in Athens. Due to the location of the port, there is only one beach, but beautiful views and the ancient sights of Piraeus is guaranteed.

Attractions and excursions

We will start our acquaintance with the rich heritage of Attica with Athens and its sacred hill Acropolis. The second name of the hill is Cecropia, in honor of Cecrops, the first king of Athens. A well-defended place and a settlement located inside this fortress were also called Acropolis. In ancient times, the main city was located in the Acropolis. According to legend, it was the residence of the collector of the lands of Attica Theseus. When the cult of the goddess Athena was established in Athens, a temple was erected in her honor - the Parthenon.

On the territory of Attica, many sights of various eras have been preserved. The legacy of Hellas is the ruins of ancient cities and temples dedicated to the gods of the Greek pantheon. For example, at Cape Sounion, on the coast, the remains of the temple of Poseidon have been preserved. Christian monasteries and temples have survived from the Byzantines. One of them is the Daphni monastery near Athens. At the base of the monastery are the remains of the Temple of Apollo. Near Mount Imitos, surrounded by coniferous and cypress forests, is the Kesariani monastery, also of the Byzantine period.

The island of Aegina is visited to see Paleochora. It is called an abandoned city, but in fact it is a valley, in which buildings of about seven dozen churches and chapels from the Byzantine and later periods have survived. It is believed that each of these structures was built in fulfillment of a vow given for the salvation of a loved one. Relatives, wives of fishermen and soldiers came to this place for prayer.

Salamis, although it is called the "dacha" island, has such attractions as the cave of Euripides, another ancient Greek playwright. It is located at an altitude of more than a hundred meters; in the city of Salamis, a theater festival is held annually in honor of the ancient author. On the island, you can also visit a museum dedicated to folk art and the history of the ancient fleet, the Faneromeni monastery and the ancient city of Ambelakia with the ruins of the acropolis.

Wellness holiday

Loutraki, Vouliagmeni, Sounion are resorts where people come for health and beauty treatments. There is a hydrotherapy center in Loutraki, which specializes in the treatment of diseases of the skin, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system. The springs gushing out of the ground are saturated with radon and microelements.

Vouliagmeni resort grew up next to the lake of the same name, which is filled with water thermal springs... Here they treat problems of the skin, joints, diseases of the female reproductive sphere. The air is saturated with the aromas of coniferous forests and helps to strengthen the respiratory system and the nervous system.

Sounion specializes in cosmetology using preparations based on local herbs and minerals. It also uses methods using sea salt and algae.

Beach vacation

Many beaches of Attica have the highest European award for the purity of the sea and coastline - the Blue Flag. Many of the beaches are free. In the vicinity of Athens (the so-called Greater Athens), all the beaches are landscaped - Faliron, Glyfada, Rocket and others. The beach in Piraeus is called Votsalakia. On the west coast, the sandy beaches of Lagonissi are good, on the east, Schinias, near the town of Marathon, is recognized as the best.

In Loutraki, the beaches are covered with small pebbles. The resort offers a variety of accommodations ranging from five stars to inexpensive family hotels... The resort of Loutraki is also chosen due to the proximity of the cities of Corinth and Delphi with their famous landmarks.

There are beautiful sandy beaches on the island of Aegina, which lies in the Saronic Gulf. It is separated from Piraeus by a half-hour ferry ride. Another island of Attica, which can be reached from Piraeus, is Salamis. This island is popular primarily among the Greeks themselves. Salamina has beaches, but few hotels.

Vacation with children

Entertainment for children in Attica is found mainly in Athens. Perhaps you should start with a sightseeing tour of the city on a sightseeing bus to get to know Athens in general, and then move on to the entertainment that interests the child. As part of cognitive leisure, it is worth planning a visit to the main Athenian sights of the Acropolis and the Parthenon, to see with your own eyes the objects of everyday life and art created by the ancient Greeks.

Further rest may depend on the preferences of the child himself: animal lovers can visit the sea turtles rescue center and even feed them there, as well as visit the Attico zoo. Young artists will be interested in interactive museum children's creativity. A visit to the Harimidos puppet theater can be combined with a tour of the Agora, an ancient town square located nearby. The Athenian Planetarium awaits young astronomers.

And, of course, any child is unlikely to refuse to visit the Athenian pastry shops, National Garden with a park and a zoo, the city park Flizvos, the Allou Fun Park amusement park and water parks, two of which are located in Athens itself, one in the suburbs, the third near the town of Isthimia, 20 km from the capital. Not far from Athens there is an Adventure Park with a rope trail.

Active rest and entertainment

Attica will offer the restless many options active leisure... On the coast it aquatic species sports: rafting, windsurfing, scuba diving. Ancient city Megara, about 40 km north-west of the capital, is known to extremists as a center for parachuting. There is a parachute school here.

Tourists will be offered to explore mountain Attica on foot and with the help of off-road vehicles: the routes are designed in such a way as to be able to see the history of this part of Greece, and the modern life of the inhabitants of small villages, and admire the beauty of nature. Some of the routes are laid along ancient roads.

The foot of the Acropolis, a 156-meter hill in Athens, is the starting point for the Acropolis racing competition, which takes place in early June.

Club life is in full swing in Athens and resort suburbs such as Glyfada. Nightclubs host discos, concerts of world stars, parties and shows. Lovers of gambling come to Loutraki - there is a casino there.

Throughout the tourist season, festivals are held in various cities of Attica. The largest of these is the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in the capital. From June to September, performances and concerts take place in Athens, world stars come and Greek artists and groups perform. From April to October, the Acropolis hosts light shows dedicated to the history of the Greek capital. Eleusis becomes the site of a theater festival in honor of Aeschillus, an ancient playwright.

Cuisine and souvenirs

Called Greek in Russia, but peasant in Greece itself, this salad is served here with local olives of the local Kolomata variety. For dessert - local figs. The rocky soils of Attica are best suited for growing olives and figs, while the local melliferous herbs add their aromas to the honey produced here.

Residents of this part of Greece prefer avgolemono soup with egg and lemon juice, dolmadakyu - the local version of dolma, grilled seafood, hot peppers stuffed with cheese. In addition to raki and ouzo, it is worth trying here the masticha liqueur, which acquires a special taste after adding the resin of a tree from the pistachio family.

Clay is mined on the coast of Attica, so ceramic products are beyond praise here. The souvenir trade is concentrated mainly in Athens. Very often people come here to buy a fur coat or leather clothes, jewelry. The purchase of natural cosmetics, herbal preparations, ceramics, gastronomic souvenirs - oil, olives, cheese, honey and traditional honey desserts will be less expensive.

Attica

Attica Αττική
Capital	Athens
Nomes	Athens, East Attica, West Attica, Piraeus
Population	3 841 408 people (2005 year)
Square	3808 km²
Population density	1009 people / km²
Administrative regions of Greece
Attica

Geography

Most of Attica is covered with hills, consisting of limestone and marble, and is currently only bare, devoid of vegetation. Only the higher parts of Kiferon and Parnassus, as well as the northwestern 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 to 1411 m above sea level). Kiferon separates Attica from Viotia with its main ridge; Attica is separated from Megara by its branch going south and bearing the name Kerata (horns); Parnassus (now Ocea), reaching 1413 m, merges with the southeastern spurs of Kiferon, which the northeastern ramifications, now bearing separate names (Belettsi, Armeni, Mavrovuno, Tsastany, Stavrokoraki, Kotroni), extending to the eastern edge of the region, form in this part Attica is a real mountainous country (Diacria or Epacria of the ancients). The southern continuation of Parnassus is the Aegaleos 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 Scaramantha), and in the middle, where it is cut through by a gorge that connects the plains of Athens and Eleusis is called Pekilion. In the northeast, the Athenian plain is bordered by Brilettos, or, as it is commonly called from the area lying on its southern slope, Pentelikon (now also 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, which goes to buildings and statues. A valley 4 km wide in the south separates the foot of the Pentelikon 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 grasses and therefore is inhabited by wild bees that give excellent honey. The eastern edge of the region (at the ancient Paralia) is cut through by less high chains of hills, which to the south of Gimet, where the peninsula narrows, join into one ridge - the Lavrion Highlands, which is enclosed by a steeply sloping cape - Sounium, on which the ruins of the temple of Athena still rise , according to the columns of which the cape is still called by the sailors of Cap Colonnese. The mountains of Lavrion, in terms of their riches in silver, were of great importance to Attica in antiquity; but these mines, at first very profitable, were so intensively exploited that already immediately after the beginning of AD. NS. I had to stop mining. Only at a later time did they try, and not unsuccessfully, to take advantage of the slags left over from previous works.

The mountains stretch partly directly to the sea, partly alluvial land accumulated to their soles, forming more or less wide coastal plains, many of which were known in antiquity. The most remarkable of them is the Marathon Plain (belor.) Russian on the north bank. It is a lowland 9 km long and 2-4 km wide, with a vast swamp to the northeast. Here in 490 BC. NS. the Persian army was defeated by the Athenian army. There are only three more significant plains, which either, starting at the coast, stretch far inland, or are completely separated from the sea, there are only three in the country: 1) the Athenian plain, often called simply "plain" (pedion); 2) the smaller Triassic Plain, separated from the Athenian Aegaleos Mountains (the so-called Tria after the ancient area) and 3) the plain between Gimet and the lower mountain ranges of the eastern coast, which connects to the Athenian plain through the valley that separates Pentelikon from Gimet.

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

Agriculture and Fossils

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

History

The population of the country, not to mention some of the Pelasgic elements of the prehistoric era and the huge number of foreigners who subsequently permanently resided in Athens, belonged in antiquity to the Ionian tribe. The inhabitants called themselves autochthonous, that is, indigenous, since their ancestors originated directly from the soil of the country and from time immemorial the land was in their continuous possession. Like all Ionic peoples, the inhabitants of Attica fell into four tribes or classes (phylae): geleons (noble), hoplites (warriors), aegikoreans (shepherds in general and goats in particular) and ergadei (farmers). According to legend, 12 independent cities or unions of communities have existed in the country since time immemorial. These were part of separate, even later existing settlements, such as Cecropia (later Athens), Eleusis, Dhekelea and Afidna (the last two in the north of the country), Brauron (in the middle of the east coast), Torikos (in the southernmost part of the east coast), Kyteros (location unknown), Sfethos and Kefisia, part of the unions of several settlements, such as Epakria (northern mountainous country), Tetrapolis (union of four cities) on the Marathon plain and Tetrakomiya (union of four villages) in the very south of the Athenian plain. According to legend, Theseus united these 12 communities into one political entity, the capital of which was Athens.

Administrative divisions in ancient times == vitalik seryozhkin

The division of the people into 4 phylae remained both under the kings and under the archons. Even the legislator Solon did not abolish this division, but in parallel with it, partly wishing to reduce the influence of the ancient aristocratic families, partly in order to lead to a more equitable distribution of the tax burden among citizens, created a new division of citizens into 4 classes according to their property. Only Cleisthenes abolished the ancient Ionian division by tribes and put in its place the division of the people into 10 phyla, each of which bore the name of the ancient Attic hero (Eponymus). Each of these phyla embraced a certain number of communities (demos) that lay in different parts of the country. As a rule, each not very significant area constituted a special "demu", while large ones, like the cities of Athens and Brauron, split into several demu. The number of dem was not the same at different times: - at the beginning of the Christian era there were 371. Thanks to writers and inscriptions, the names of about 180 dem have come down to us, but the location of many is now impossible to establish. The total number of citizens fluctuated, judging by the censuses, during the heyday of the state, to the Peloponnesian War, within 80-100 thousand. The number of the Metoiks who stood under the patronage reached 40,000, the number of slaves reached 400,000, so that the total number of free and non-free population exceeded 500,000. The increase in the number of Phil (10) by two new ones took place in 307 BC. NS. Out of a desire to flatter Demetrius Poliorketa, the latter were named after him and the name of his father Antigonus - Antigonis and Demetriada. But the first one was renamed in 265 BC. NS. in honor of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus in Ptolomaida, the second in honor of the Pergamon king Attalus I in Attalis. Finally, under the emperor Hadrian, the 13th Phila was annexed and named by Adrianides after this benefactor of the city of Athens.

Political structure in antiquity

Politically, Attica was in ancient times the most centralized region of Greece. The main city was not only the seat of the administration, but the court, as well as the people's assemblies, in whose hands, since the time of the democratic reforms initiated by Cleisthenes and imprisoned by Pericles, the supreme decision of all state affairs was concentrated. The significance that Attica, thanks to its main city of Athens, had in the political and cultural life of Ancient Greece, can only be correctly estimated in connection with the presentation of the general history of Greece.