Athens

Athens controls the prosperous region of Attica and its fleets are a force to be reckoned with in the eastern Mediterranean. During the Persian Wars the Oracle at Delphi advised the Athenians to put their faith in the city's wooden walls. Since then, Athens has always had a powerful and effective navy. Citizens are still expected to fight on land as well, although mercenaries now supplement their numbers.

Renowned for its architecture, art and writing, Athens has long been famed for its achievements. Its buildings, such as the Parthenon, dedicated to Athena the patron of the city, and culture including the works of Aristophanes, Plato, Socrates, and Sophocles, mean that Athenian culture is almost synonymous with Greek culture.

During the Greco-Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, the city state remained both fiercely independent and a leading power of the time, but became part of the wider Macedonian Empire following Phillip II’s decisive victory at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC. Following the death of Alexander the Great, his generals fought over Athens. In 270 BC, due to the support of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, Athens is once again a free city. Athens could potentially found a third Athenian League, asserting authority over long term allies and rivals alike.