12 Ancient Cities That Defined the Classical World
TheCollector showcases 12 ancient cities that significantly influenced the classical era. Memphis, established by Menes circa 3100 BC, served as Egypt's capital in the Old Kingdom. Thebes took over as the capital during the Middle and New Kingdoms but faced destruction at the hands of the Romans in the 1st century AD. Nineveh, the Neo-Assyrian capital under Sennacherib in 705 BC, met its demise in 612 BC. Babylon, ruled by Nebuchadnezzar II, was overtaken by Cyrus the Great. Athens, known as the cradle of democracy, experienced a decline post-Peloponnesian War. Syracuse once rivaled Athens before succumbing to Rome. Ephesus, home to the Temple of Artemis, played a crucial role in early Christianity. Alexander burned Persepolis, while Alexandria emerged as a hub of Hellenistic scholarship. Carthage was annihilated by Rome, and Rome itself evolved into a sprawling metropolis, with Constantinople falling in 1453.
Key facts
- Memphis was founded by Menes around 3100 BC as capital of Old Kingdom Egypt.
- Thebes was home to the Temple of Karnak and Valley of the Kings, destroyed by Romans in 1st century AD.
- Nineveh became Neo-Assyrian capital under Sennacherib in 705 BC, destroyed in 612 BC.
- Babylon's Ishtar Gate and Hanging Gardens were built under Nebuchadnezzar II.
- Athens established democracy in 510 BC and built the Parthenon under Pericles.
- Syracuse defeated Athens' Sicilian Expedition in 415 BC, later taken by Rome in 212 BC.
- Ephesus had the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders, and population over 250,000.
- Persepolis was built by Darius the Great starting 518 BC, burned by Alexander in 331 BC.
- Alexandria was founded in 331 BC, home to the Great Library and Lighthouse.
- Carthage was founded in 814 BC, destroyed by Rome in 146 BC after the Third Punic War.
- Rome's population reached one million, with the Colosseum and Circus Maximus.
- Constantinople was founded by Constantine in AD 324, fell to Ottomans in 1453.
Entities
Artists
- Menes
- Ramesses II
- Alexander the Great
- Ptolemy
- Mentuhotep II
- Akhenaten
- Tutankhamun
- Hatshepsut
- Ashurbanipal
- Sennacherib
- Nebuchadnezzar II
- Cyrus the Great
- Xerxes I
- Cleisthenes
- Pericles
- Socrates
- Plato
- Aristotle
- Zeno
- Epicurus
- Cicero
- Dionysus I
- Aeschylus
- Darius the Great
- Darius III
- Julius Caesar
- Mark Antony
- Cleopatra
- Octavian
- Augustus
- Constantine the Great
- Apostle Paul
- Apostle John
- Mary (mother of Jesus)
- Herodotus
- Archimedes
- Euclid
- Heron
- Pompey
- Ptolemy XIII
- Ptolemy V
Institutions
- TheCollector
- Temple of Karnak
- Valley of the Kings
- Temple of Artemis
- Great Library of Alexandria
- Lighthouse of Alexandria
- Colosseum
- Circus Maximus
- Hagia Sophia
- Theodosian Walls
- British Museum
- Pergamon Museum
- Detroit Institute of Arts
- Yale British Art Center
- Tate, London
- State Museums of Berlin
Locations
- Memphis
- Egypt
- Nile River
- Delta
- Thebes
- Karnak
- Valley of the Kings
- Amarna
- Nineveh
- River Tigris
- Mesopotamia
- Babylon
- Euphrates
- Ishtar Gate
- Athens
- Acropolis
- Parthenon
- Agora
- Attica
- Syracuse
- Sicily
- Italy
- Ephesus
- Asia Minor
- Turkey
- Persepolis
- Iran
- Susa
- Alexandria
- Carthage
- North Africa
- Tyre
- Spain
- Rome
- Seven Hills of Rome
- Roman Forum
- Colosseum
- Circus Maximus
- Constantinople
- Istanbul
- Byzantium
- Golden Gate
- Hagia Sophia
- Theodosian Walls
- Europe
- Asia
- Mediterranean
- Messana
- London
- Berlin