Athens was at no time so splendid as under the Antonines, when the magnificent works of from 8 to 10 centuries stood in view, and the edifices of Pericles were in equal preserva tion with the new buildings. Plutarch himself wonders how the ancient structures could re tain such a perpetual freshness. Pausanias, who traveled in Greece at this time, that is, in the 2d century A.D., has left a valuable account of the state of Athens as he saw it. Many of the edifices of later times were due to foreign potentates, rulers of Pergamus, of B Egypt, of Rome. But after a time the whole- sale robberies of collectors, the removal of great quantities of the works of art, first to Rome and then to Constantinople, Christian zeal, and the attacks of barbarians, made sad inroads among the monuments. When Justin ian closed the schools of the philosophers in 529, Athens soon ceased to be a centre of intel lectual activity. The Parthenon was turned into a church of the Virgin Mary, and Saint George stepped into the place of Hephastus. In 1456 Athens fell into the hands of the Turks, under whom the Parthenon became a mosque. In 1687 it was partially destroyed by the Vene tians. When it was selected as the capital of the modern kingdom in 1834, it had only a scanty population inhabiting a scene of ruins.
Modern Athens lies mostly northward and eastward from the Acropolis, and consists of well-built streets, the most important being Piraeus, Athens, Stadion and University, which radiate from the Place de la Concorde. Among the principal buildings are the royal palace, the university, the academy of science and art, the polytechnic, the national museum, the observa tory, the chamber of deputies, exhibition build ings, new theatre and new library. The palace (1834-38) is a conspicuous but unattractive building of limestone with marble portico. The beautiful gardens were laid out by Queen Amelia. The National University, founded in 1837, is a handsome structure, with a large number of teachers and an attendance of over 2,500 students. The academy is a beautiful building faced with Pentelic marble; the new National Library, also the University Library, is a fine building, containing 250,000 volumes and 2,300 manuscripts, and so is the Polytechnic School, part of which is occupied as a museum.
The National Archmological Museum, built 1866, contains the Schliemann and other priceless collections of antiquities. There is another in teresting museum on the Acropolis. The Metro politan Church is a tasteless modern structure. More noteworthy is the Small Metropolis dating from the 9th century, the oldest of the Byzantine churches. Athens is well equipped with educational institutions, possessing besides the National University and Polytechnic School, a number of high schools, a gymnasium, a school for the higher education of girls and female teachers, orphanages for boys and girls, and a national and four foreign archaeological schools or institutes, the French, German, American (opened 1882) and British. The city is governed by a mayor elected every four years, with a council of 18 members. There is a municipal fire department and the city con trols the gas, electric light and water works, but the water supply is so inefficient that the in habitants are obliged to have recourse to water carriers. Street cars cross the city in all directions and it is an important railroad centre. The bathing resort of Phaleron, adjoining the port of Piraeus, is connected with Athens by a suburban railroad. The city has very little manufacturing, although the financial centre of the kingdom, and its trade is concerned chiefly with its own requirements. Its industrial and commercial activities are centred in the Pirtens, now the chief port of the .1Egean, with a popu lation of 73,579. Pop. 167,479.
Bibliography.— Consult Leake, 'Topog raphy of Athens' (London 1841) ; Wachsmuth, 'Die Stadt Athen im Altertum' (Leipzig 1874 90) • Curtius, (Stadtgeschichte von Athen' (in cluding Milchhofer's (Sehriftquellen,) Berlin 1891) Judeich, 'Topographic von Athen' (Munich 1905, the most complete single treat ise) ; Gardner, 'Ancient Athens' (New York 1907) ; D'Ooges, 'Acropolis of Athens' (New York 1908) ; Frazer, 'Pausanias' Description of Greece' (London 1913) ; Weller, 'Athens and its Monuments' (New York 1913). For his tory see GREECE; consult Miller, 'Latins in the Levant' (London 1908) ; Ferguson, 'Hellenistic Athens' (London 1911). For modern Athens consult Horton, 'Modern Athens> (London 1901), and Whiting, 'Athens the Violet Crowned' (Boston 1913).