Did you know that Goddess Athena and God Poseidon fought over who would become the protector of the city? Poseidon struck hard on the ground with his trident and a wave of water created the Erechthiída sea.

Athena planted an olive tree on the rock. This tree would be ever so useful, providing Athenians with food, oil and wood. Thus the Gods proclaimed Athena winner of the fight and Athens was named after her!
Athens has been the capital of Greece since 1834, being the largest city in the country. It is located in Attica, in Eastern Central Greece and is considered one of the oldest cities in the world. Ancient Athens, originally a settlement on the Acropolis, evolved during the 6th century BC in a powerful city-state, developed in parallel with its port, which was originally Faliro and later Piraeus.

During the Classical era Athens was the worldwide center of arts, knowledge and philosophy, being home to Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s High School. It is worth noting that Piraeus, historically known as the “port of Athens”, is the largest port in Greece and a monument of ancient Western civilization. Athens hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and 108 years later hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics.