Overview and Description of the Ancient City of Athens - Assignment Example

Historical account of an ancient Greek or colony Introduction Geography is a thought-provoking discipline that facilitates explorations of various aspects in the past and present movements. The geography subject borrows from a variety of other disciplines to explain various aspects of fauna and flora. History is among the most used secondary sources of information to aid in the study of geography. The focus of this paper is to discuss the various aspects of the ancient Athens city state. Athens is a renowned ancient urban center that has undergone progressive transformations over the years. The subsequent sections contain an annotated bibliography of ten books that contain useful information regarding the historical account of the ancient Athenian city state. Ray, F. E. (2009). Land battles in 5th century B.C. Greece: A history and analysis of 173 engagements. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland. The author draws heavily from the primary sources of information such as the Herodotus, Plutarch, and the Thucydides to explain the nature and structures of various Greek land engagements in the 500 century B.C. In essence, the author presents a formative domain in understanding the history of Western warfare. The map below is a representation of ancient Greece city states that had come into existence in the 500 century B.C. the map clearly shows the settlements in the ancient Greece and the surrounding natural features such as the seas and other natural landscapes. From the map, it can be observed that the Athens City is among the notable City-States that existed in the early 500 century B.C. and was surrounded by rival city states such as Thebes and Corinth. Source:http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/imaps/AC_12_389_citystates/AC_12_389_citystates.html Smith, M. L. (2004). Athens: A cultural and literary history. Oxford: Signal Books The author gives a critical overview of the birth of the Athens City State and cultural diversity. The author notes that Athens is located at latitude 37 58’ 20” N and longitude 23 43’ 9” on the Attica plains. At the heart of the Attica plain, there exists a range of hills (presently referred to as Tourko Vouni) that spread from the northeast to the south. The hills separate the Kephisos and ILissos valleys that are boards a spur to the south. The spur can be termed as the link to the Athens City states. It is worth noting that the highest point of Athens is known as Acropolis. From the book, it can be identified that Athens has experienced dramatic transformations since its existence. Currently, the city is occupied by people from diverse origins in terms of race, ethnic background and religious affiliations. As a result of the settlement of people from diverse origins, the city is characterized by a rich a dynamic culture. Different people have different cultural construction and, therefore, meeting of residents in a common place leads to cultural blending and development of unique lifestyles. In summary, the book illuminates the journey of Athens from the ancient to present days. The map below shows the longitudinal and latitudinal location of Athens Whitfield, P. (2005). Cities of the world: A history in maps. Berkeley: University of California Press. The author discusses the uniqueness of the Athens city states. Apparently, the author points out that the Athens city holds an important history of the western civilization. Moreover, the city is comprised of a conglomeration of both the past and the present social construction of the western social structure. The population of the city has increased rapidly over the past few decades. The migration of people to the city has led to the development of an urban subculture that is not popular in the rural areas of Greece. The city has offered a platform for cultural diversity and interaction. In the ancient days, the Athens residents were very conservative on matters of religion, marriage, education and other social aspects. People could only marry within the ethnical, racial and religious boundaries. However, the massive transformation of the social constructions of the city has taken place. The ancient prejudice based on racial, ethnic or religious grounds has been overtaken by time. People residing in the city have transformed and do not base their daily activities on social prejudice. Presently, people of different races, tribes or religious background marry, unlike in the ancient times where marriage was based on by people’s origin. In essence, it can be observed that Athens has grown to a cosmopolitan city as it offers residence to people from different parts of the world irrespective racial or religious backgrounds. In summary, the author tried to send some light on the social transformation of the Athens city by giving a comprehensive overview of the various transformations that have taken place. Roberts, P. (2006). Excel HSC ancient history. Glebe, N.S.W: Pascal Press. The author discusses the history of various settlements in various parts of the world. The book has touched briefly on the transformation development of the world systems. Apparently, the author has highlighted the development history of some ancient urban areas such as the Athens. From the book, we can recognize that the development process of the ancient cities has not been that easy. For instance, some challenges such increased crime rates, prostitution, insufficient clean water, poor drainage systems, poor housing and many others have been facing the Athens city. In essence, it can be observed that the rapid rural to urban migration has led to then increased economic and social problems in many urban centers. Millett, P. (2002). Lending and borrowing in ancient Athens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. The author discusses major economic practices in the ancient Athens. Leading and borrowing were very popular in the ancient Athens. Some people had established structures that facilitated saving money for future withdrawal at an interest. The saved money was then loaned to people who were expected to refund the borrowed money with additional interest. Essential, the lending and borrowing system in the ancient Athens was just like the present banking system. It is worth noting that leading and borrowing in the ancient Athens aided in establishing good relation and strong ties among the Athenians. Papazarkadas, N. (2011). Sacred and public land in ancient Athens. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. The author discussed precisely the sacred and public land in the ancient Greece. Athens being a major city state in the ancient Greece was relevant for inclusion in the discussion. Landed wealth was a crucial component of the economy in the ancient Athens. In the ancient Athens, wealth was hereditary and families were keen on wealth management. People with political powers or influential political backing had high chance of being rich. Moreover, religious leaders were regarded sacred, and the society rewarded them with various kinds of gifts. Essentially, awarding gifts to religious leaders was one way of wealth creation in the ancient Athens. Brock, R., & Hodkinson, S. (2002). Alternatives to Athens: Varieties of political organization and community in ancient Greece. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford Univ. Press. The authors discussed the development of democracy in the ancient Athens. The year 1993 was a global turning point as the world celebrated the 2500th anniversary of the inception of democracy in Athens. Democracy is one of the major factors that distinguished Athens from other ancient Greek city states. Apparently, the authors discuss various forms of political systems and the diverse ideologies expressed in the various political structures. The book gives a rich background of the various forms of political structures in the ancient Athens and an overview of democracy on leadership. The political system employed by a nation is very influential on developmental programs and peaceful coexistence among the citizens. Essentially, the book gives a limelight on the matters of leadership and the world political systems. Dynneson, T. L. (2008). City-state civism in ancient Athens: Its real and ideal expressions. New York: Peter Lang. The author focuses on the contribution of Civism to the ancient Greek culture. The development of civism in Athens aided in molding the psychology of citizenship in the history of western civilization. The approach unemployed by leaders in the ancient Athens to navigate developmental programs can be attributed to the subsequent transformation experienced in the city. Essentially, the intellectual autonomy portrayed by the leaders of the ancient Athens has elicited curiosity in scholars from different across the world. In this regard, many scholars in the fields of history and physical geography have initiated comprehensive studies to understand the geography and historical structures of the ancient Athens. Fredal, J. (2006). Rhetorical action in ancient Athens: Persuasive Artistry from Solon Demosthenes. Carbondale (Ill.: Southern Illinois university press. The author examines the features of rhetoric artistry as observed in the ancient Athens. The field of creative arts was quite dynamic in the ancient Athens. The Athenians works of art demonstrate the impacts of persuasive skills on developed. Several studies have revealed that the ancient Athens had one of the best artists that ever existed. The level of proficiency seen in most of the ancient Athenian works of art reveal that the ancient Athens was comprised of talented artists. In essence, the general designing of the ancient Athens city is an enough proof of the importance of outstanding skills in the general development and planning of the infrastructure. In essence, discusses important aspects the provided a direction for further studies on the same subject. The representation below shows a photo of the ancient Athens. Source:https://www.google.com/search?q=ancient+athens&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=628&tbm=isch&imgil=lFQh2jsYiRYGgM%253A%253Bz2HE5ZHfMLar7M%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.awesomestories.com%25252Fasset%25252Fview%25252FAthens-View-of-the-Ancient-City&source=iu&pf=m&fir=lFQh2jsYiRYGgM%253A%252Cz2HE5ZHfMLar7M%252C_&usg=__Y_l0wmukjsZJq0wyVn4Ha-DYtX8%3D#imgrc=lFQh2jsYiRYGgM%253A%3Bz2HE5ZHfMLar7M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.sikyon.com%252Fathens%252FMonuments%252Fathens_view1.jpg%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.awesomestories.com%252Fasset%252Fview%252FAthens-View-of-the-Ancient-City%3B540%3B300 LeGates,R., & Adams, T.(2004). Early Urban Planning, Volume 9. Taylor & Francis The authors discuss the early urban planning of the ancient Athens. The ancient city of Athens was planned and re-planned by various rulers. The rulers wanted to ensures that the structures established would give Athens a unique look compared to the surrounding city states. In essence, the infrastructure for the residents social welfare was more advanced in Athens compared to the surrounding city sates. The sanitation and drainage system were of comparatively higher standards compared to the surrounding. However, it is worth noting that, even though the social infrastructure for the ancient Athens was better than that of the surrounding cities, it was not full filling. In essence, the issues of shortage of social amenities, poor drainage systems, lack of playgrounds for school children were common to almost all ancient urban centers. Basically, the authors outline an overview of how urban planning was done in the ancient days. Conclusion The above discussion gives a brief overview of the ancient Greece, especially the Athenian city state. It is important to understand historical developments in major cities to establish structures that facilitate future growth of urban centers. In essence, history should never be ignored in the development of any sector. 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