| Piraeus Greece History |
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The history of Piraeus It's situated in an important geographical location in the south of Athens in the edge of Saronic Gulf. It is a promontory, in the antiquity it was an island but after being increasingly silted and flooded it connected with the mainland. It is known as "dimos", municipality, of Attica from the period of Cleisthenes.The importance of its geographical position it hasn't been evident from the beginning. It was Themistocles, the person who set in evidence of the Athenians the strategical potential of Piraeus and also the one whose advice made Athenians decide to move the shipyard and the trimeres of the Athenian fleet from the near sandy Phaleron Bay to its actual position. Since then it has been used as a navy base for the powerful Athenian fleet in the Aegean Sea from their navy forces. The Golden age of Pericles has been the period when Piraeus reached its biggest splendor. During that period, Piraeus was connected to Athens by the Long Walls and it has been then when the construction of the great Themistoclean Walls completed. The second period of glory of Piraeus has been when Thrasybulus defeated the Thirty Tyrants saving the city of Athens. During the years of Konon the construction of Piraeus started and the sanctuary of Zeus Sotiros and Athena Goddess were built.The reconstruction of the city proceeded during the years of Alexander the Great but after him different invaders like Romans, Goths and Ottomans destructed the city. A few years before the beginning of the Greek War of Indipendance against the Ottoman empire on 1821 , known as Greek Revolution of Indipendance, the monastery of Saint Spyridon with 8-12 monks was the only thing that was residing into the city of Piraeus. After the settlement of King Othon to Nafplion, Piraeus started to become again the most beautiful centre for commercial and shipping activities. People from the islands of Chios and other islands started to populate the town and Piraeus become municipality on 27 December 1833. Its rapid growth and progress has been continued during the reign of King George A'. Piraeus first mayor was Kyriakos Sofoklis from the island of Hydra and was followed by Petros Skylitsis-Homiridis, Antonios Theoharis and Loukas Rallis. Nowadays Piraeus is a town with the best natural harbour, beautiful gardens, neoclassical and modern buildings and it is a center for commercial and cultural events.
•Piraeus |
