Science in Athens

In the fifth century before Christ, the city state of Athens, having defeated the Persian Empire, became the center of Greek culture and science. This city, with a population of at most 300,000, gave birth to an astoundingly rich culture whose influence is strongly present in our western heritage. Sculpture and architecture flourished. The masters of tragedy Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides created drama. Thucydides founded critical historiography. Socrates (469–399 BC) wandered the streets of Athens delighting and angering people with his unusual questions. Athens was also a “think tank” for new ideas on celestial phenomena.