Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world and was a center of cultural achievement long before the birth of Christ. It has earned the nicknames "Cradle of Western Civilization" and the "Birthplace of Democracy." It was the site of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum. One of the most renowned architectural structures of the ancient world, the Parthenon, still can be visited today; surviving examples of monuments and art can also be seen...