How can I begin to discuss Athens, where so much of ancient history was centered? Indeed, in school we studied it as the birthplace of democracy, though they would not have identified with our form of democracy any more than we would have theirs.
From a coinage perspective, they’re easily most well known for their famed owls.
AR Tetradrachm 22.5mm, 17.18g, 1h
Circa 454-404 BCE
Kroll 8; HGC 4, 1597
Ex CNG inventory June 2004
Ex CNG January 2021
Indeed, this is the most famous ancient coin of all. It’s the only one actively sought by people who don’t identify as ancient coin collectors and the type used to be rare until a massive cache of tens of thousands was dug up in Turkey. So huge was this hoard that they’re sitll making their way to market in numerous auctions.
By the time Philip II and Alexander the Great came onto the scene, Athens was a shell of what they had been. Since losing the Peloponnesian War, the city gradually fell into decline on the world stage. The coin below was minted roughly during Alexander the Great‘s time. When he became king, they initially rebelled, but then surrendered after his annihilation of Thebes.
circa 340-322 BCE
Æ 14 mm, 2,19 g
Obv: Head of Athena r., wearing Attic helmet.
Rev: OE. Double-bodied owl stg. on Eleusis ring; in each upper corner, olive spray
Sv. 22.37; Kroll 43c
After his death, they revolted again in the Lamian War and would nearly have beaten Antipater were it not for some bad luck. Not long after that, they strongly backed Demetrios Poliorketes in his quest to win over the other diadochi. They even let him live in the Acropolis and held an edition of the Mysteries just for him. Over time, their opinion of him dimmed.
circa 307-300 BCE
Æ 15 mm, 3,91 g
Obv: Head of Athena r., wear Corinthian helmet with crests and, on visor, snake ornament
Rev: HO- Owl standing, facing; all in olive wreath.
Sv. 22.85-88; Kroll 50b
The coin below was minted roughly during the time of Antigonos II Gonatas, when Athens again reverted to mostly a puppet of Macedon.
ca. 270 – 261 BCE
Ae 13.5mm, 2.9gms
Obv: Helmeted head of Athena right
Rev: A – OE; Owl standing right with head facing, poppy in right field
Ref: Walker Period I, 58
322/17-307 BCE
Ae 3.2g, 12h
Obv.: Helmeted head of Athena right within dotted border.
Rev.: Two owl confronted, heads facing, on thunderbolt, all within wreath. AΘΕ below.
REf.: Kroll 46, HGC 4, 1726
In 2023, I had the opportunity to visit Athens. Here are some of my photos from the stay.
Temple of Athena Polias completed in Athens.
Solon, the Athenian lawgiver, includes provisions for the protection of the Eleusinian Mysteries.
Solonian law established in Athens.
Pesistratos becomes tyrant of Athens.
Pisistratos ousted from office in Athens when two rival factions join.
Pisistratos lands at Marathon and routes an Athenian force. He becomes tyrant of Athens again.
The tyrant Peisistratos of Athens enhances the sanctuary at Eleusis, commissioning extensive building projects and promoting the Mysteries as part of Athenian culture.
Approximate date of Pisistratos of Athens’ decree that all graves within sight of the temple at Delos be dug up and moved.
Death of the tyrant Pisistratos, tyrant of Athens.
Chalkis is defeated by Athens in the Battle of Chalkis. As a result, Athens takes control of much of Euboea’s land and imposes a tribute on the city.
Athens, Eretria, and the Ionian cities are defeated by the Persians at the Battle of Ephesos.
479 BCE
August 7
August 27
Athens forcefully establishes a Cleruchy on Andros as punishment for their support of Xerxes.
Athenians create a colony in Eion, just south of Amphipolis.
The Athenian colony near Amphipolis is annihilated by the Thracians, with ten thousand colonists killed.
The Athenian navy under Kiimon destroys the Persians at the Battle of the Eurymedon. As a result, Aspendos joins the Delian League.
Athens, aligned with Sparta, sends a force of 4000 soldiers to help squash a helot uprising. Upon arriving in Sparta, they are dismissed while other allies remain. Angered, Athens repudiates their treaty with Sparta.
Argos joins an alliance with Athens and Thessaly.
459 BCE
Athens lays siege to Aegina as part of the Peloponnesian War.
Aegina is defeated by Athens, forced to join the Delian League, and pay tribute. Athens dismantles Aegina’s naval fleet, reducing its power and independence significantly.
Aegina is defeated by Athens, forced to join the Delian League, and pay tribute. Athens dismantles Aegina’s naval fleet, reducing its power and independence significantly.
Sparta defeats Athens, with 1000 hoplites from Argos, in the Battle of Tanagra. Casualties are heavy on both sides.
First mention of Airai in tribute records to Athens.
The shared treasury of the Delian League is transferred from Delos to Athens.
Erythrai secedes from the Delian League before Athens installs a garrison and they rejoin.
The alliance of Athens, Argos, and Thessaly dissolves.
Athens founds a colony on Imbros.
Construction of the Parthenon in Athens begins.
The Thirty Years’ Peace is signed between Athens and Sparta where they recognize each others rights to direct their own alliances.
Samos revolts from Athens. Sparta considers war in their support, but the matter is put to a vote and Corinth disagrees. Peace between Sparta and Athens continues and Athens squashes the revolt.
The famed Athenian playwright Sophocles is named general against the Anaians.
Athenians found a new colony at Amphipolis under the general Hagnon.
Athens imposes trade sanctions on citizens of Megara, which angers the Spartans and is one of the causes of the Peloponnesian War.
The Athenian general Phormio makes his base at Aphytis and leads his army against Pallene. He also takes Argos Amphilochian, removes the Ambrakians, and restores the town to the original inhabitants.
Decorations completed on the Parthenon in Athens.
Spartans vote that Athens has violated the Thirty Years’ Peace and declares war. The Peloponnesian War begins.
Pericles gives his famous funeral oration in Athens.
429 BCE
The Plague kills 30,000 people in Athens, including Pericles and his sons.
Athens attempts to invade Aetolia, but is forced back by the Aetolian League.
Ambrakia is crushed by Athens in the Battle of Idomene in an attempt to re-take Argos Amphilochian.
Athens decrees that it is illegal to be born or die on Delos.
The Battle of Sphacteria between Athens and Sparta is fought at the entrance to the Bay of Pylos, resulting in an Athenian victory. Ainos, Imbros, and the cities of Lemnos (Myrina, Hephaistia) provide support.
Anaktorion is captured by the Acarnanians and Athenians during the Peloponnesian War. The Acarnanians expel the Corinthians from the city, and Anaktorion becomes part of the Acarnanian League.
Athens defeats Sparta at the Battle of Pylos and traps 420 Spartans.
The Spartan general Brasidas convinces Akanthos to leave the Athenian Alliance.
Temple of Athena Nike is built in Athens.
The Athenian general Kleon recaptures Galepsos.
The Athenian general Kleon attempts to take Amphipolis, but fails in the attempt. Both Kleon and the Spartan general Brasidas perish.
The Peace of Nikias between Athens and Sparta is signed after the deaths of Cleon and Brasidas. They agree to break up the Chalkidian League, but this is not done.
Athens surrounds Melos and demands they ally with them. When the Melians reject, all adult males are slaughtered and the women and children are sold into slavery.
The Athenian general Demosthenes takes aboard heavy infantry from Zakynthos and Kephallenia (likely including Same) and crosses over to the opposite coast of Akarnania to Alyzeia and Anaktorion, already held by Athens.
The Athenian forces in Sicily are destroyed by Syracuse.
Under Darius I’s orders, Tissaphernes allies with Sparta over Athens and re-occupies most of the Ionian coast.
Chios, Erythrai, and Klazomenai revolt against Athens and is besieged until relieved by Sparta.
Euromos is among the Carian cities that revolt against Athens during the Peloponnesian War.
Andros proclaims its freedom from Athens.
Sparta defeats the Athenian fleet based in Samos.
Sparta takes Byzantion in an effort to force Athens into submission.
An Athenian fleet under Thrasybulus barely defeats a Spartan fleet at the Battle of Kynossema. Three days afterward, several boats from Harpagion are captured.
An Athenian fleet under Alkibiades, Thrasybulos, and Theramenes defeats the Spartans at the Battle of Kyzikos. Afterwards, Sparta offers peace but is rejected.
408 BCE
Abydos attacked by Athens but repelled by Pharnabazos.
Abdera subjugated under Athens by their general Thrasybulus.
Athens attempts to force Andros back into its orbit, but fails.
Athens under Alkibiades and Sparta under Lysander face off in the Battle of Notion. Sparta loses more ships, but Athens faces heavy losses when many are not rescued at sea. The resulting trial strips Alkibiades and the other Athenian generals of command.
Lysander destroys the Athenian fleet at the mouth of the Aigiospotamoi. Just before, the Athenian triremes arrive at Elaios to discover that Lysander is in control of Lampsakos.
Peloponnesian War ends in an Athenian surrender, and as a result Adramytteion is ruled by Mytilene. Residents of Aegina are allowed to return to their island.
Delos regains control over their sanctuary and island following Athens’ defeat in the Peloponnesian War.
Hamaxitos gains some freedom after Athens is defeated in the Peloponnesian War.
The Athamanians leave Sparta and join an Athenian alliance.
Athens begins administering the sanctuary at Delos again.
July
The Athenian general Thrasybulos threatens Aspendos. The inhabitants collect money to bribe him to leave, but he still orders his trips to trample their crops. Enraged, the Aspendians stab and kill him.
Amyntas III adopts the Athenian general Iphikrates, who has marriage ties to Kotys I.
The Academy in Athens is founded by Plato.
Eresos, Byzantion, Chios,Mytilene, Methymna, Rhodes, Thebes, Korkyra, Eretria, Kios, Samos, Naxos, Andros, Myrina (Lembos), Hephaistia, Imbros, and Thasos join the Second Athenian League, reaffirming its alliance with Athens in response to the growing threat of Persian interference and internal Greek conflicts.
Naval battle is fought near Alyzeia between Athenians under Timotheos and Spartans under Nikolochos.
The Chalkidian League leave Sparta and join and alliance with Athens, but that soon falls out over ownership of Amphipolis.
Amyntas III supports Athens’ claim over Amphipolis.
Autophradates lay siege to Ariobarzanes in Assos. In exchange for Athenian support, Ariobarzanes gifts them Sestos.
July 4
With Theban power down after the death of Epaminondas, Alexander of Pherai takes Tinos and sells the inhabitants as slaves, then besieges Peparethos. Athens defeats Alexander near Sounion and relieves Peparethos. Alexander then plunders Piraios.
355 BCE
The Aetolian League, Athens, and Thebes revolt against Macedon after the death of Philip II.
The Lyceum is founded in Athens by Aristotle.
326 BCE
Antipater barricaded in Herakleia Trachineia by Athens during the Lamian War.
Antipater and Krateros defeat Athens and the Aetolian League at the Battle of Krannon.
Antigonos I Monophthalmos Declaration of Tyre grants autonomy to all Greek cities. While its effects weren’t the same everywhere, it allowed Delos to regain control of its Temple to Apollo from Athens.
Antigonos Monophthalmos gives Athens grain and timber and removes his garrison from Imbros, giving the island back to Athens.
Demetrios Poliorketes pushes Kassander out of Athens and chases him to Herakleia Trachineia, who submit to him.
Athens is convinced by Chremonides to join Sparta in declaring war on Antigonos II.
Antigonos II blockades Athens and destroys a temple to Poseidon between it and Megara. Ptolemy II sends a fleet to break the blockade.
Athens and Sparta make peace with Antigonos II, who maintains his hold on Greece.
197 BCE
The Roman Senate gives Delos to Athens.
Athens is sacked by the Romans.