Greece

Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilization, being the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, Western literature, historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, theatre, and the Olympic Games. Philip II of Macedon united most of present-day Greece in the fourth century BC, with his son Alexander the Great rapidly conquering much of the known ancient world from the eastern Mediterranean to northwestern India. The subsequent Hellenistic period saw the height of Greek culture and influence in antiquity. Greece was annexed by Rome in the second century BC, becoming an integral part of the Roman Empire and its continuation, the Byzantine Empire, which was predominately Greek in culture and language. The Greek Orthodox Church, which emerged in the first century AD, helped shape modern Greek identity and transmitted Greek traditions to the wider Orthodox world. After the Fourth Crusade in 1204, Latin possessions were established in parts of the Greek peninsula, but most of the area fell under Ottoman rule by the mid-15th century.

Athens

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. The city is still dominated by 5th-century BC landmarks, including the Acropolis, a hilltop citadel topped with ancient buildings like the colonnaded Parthenon temple. The Acropolis Museum, along with the National Archaeological Museum, preserves sculptures, vases, jewelry and more from Ancient Greece. Ancient Agora of Athens, Temple of Hephaestus, and Temple of Olympian Zeus worth a half day visit.

The Temple of Poseidon is an ancient Greek temple on Cape Sounion. According to Greek mythology, King Aegeus of Athens jumped to his death from the seaside cliff at the Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion, hence the name of the Aegean Sea. The Plaka is a shopping district at bottom of the Acropolis. Benaki Museum is a good one.

Corinth Canal

The Corinth Canal is an artificial canal in Greece that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, making the peninsula an island. The canal was dug through the Isthmus at sea level and has no locks. It is one of earliest man-made channel.

City of Olympia

The ancient Olympic Games were started in Olympia from 776 BC to 393 AD. The games were held every four years in the sanctuary of Zeus, a sacred site in the northwestern Peloponnese.