People of Ancient Athens

Bios of prominent citizens of Athens reside here. Read and discover why all of them, even the ones who seem despicable, were probably better men than you will ever be.

You'll find some of the first playwrights ever to walk the earth, teachers and philosophers, politicians, and more. However, you'll notice that most of them, regardless of their "day job" were also warriors or generals. They defended their homeland. Yes, even the people involved heavily in theater.

"Battle-hardened warrior" doesn't exactly come to mind when you think of modern day drama clubs. Another reason ancient Athens is better than your city.

A true citizen. While best known for being the playwright to help bring Greek Tragedy to maturation, he also took up arms several times as a soldier and defender of Athens.
For some, he exemplified what it meant to be a citizen of Athens during the Golden Age. He led the city-state both on and off the battlefield.
Phocion "the good" strove to avoid war and was a prominent politician who lived as frugally as a monk, although he was elected strategos, the general of his tribe, a monumental total of 45 times (the elections were held yearly), despite never campaigning for the office.
The teacher of Plato is one of the biggest influences on modern Western Philosophy. An unassuming childhood blossoms to something great.
Contemporary playwright of Aeschylus and just as decorated, he was a priest, treasurer, politician, actor, and military commander.
One of the most controversial figures of ancient Athens, Themistocles rose from relatively modest beginnings to become a powerful statesman prime architect of the naval strategy that saved Athens from a Persian invasion, establishing the Athenian Empire.
Probably one of the first actors in history, at least as far as we define the term, Thespis transformed the presentation of stories forever.