Explore Attica - Athens

Attica includes cities known since ancient times, such as Athens, Piraeus, Eleusis, Megara, Lavrio, Sounion, and Marathon. The Isthmus of Corinth connects it to the Peloponnese.

The prefect of Attica today includes some islands of the Aegean Sea: Aegina, Salamis, Hydra, Spetses, Kythira, and Antikythera. Each of these is historically of great importance to the history of Attica and Greece more broadly, both in ancient times and in recent times.

Attica’s history is closely related to the history of Athens, particularly of the 5th century BCE Athens, the “Golden Age” of the classical period. In the 2nd century BCE, Attica became a Roman province, followed later by Byzantine, Venetian, and then Ottoman rule. In 1821, a successful revolution against the Ottomans began, and in 1829, Athens was chosen as the capital of the newly formed Greek state.