Classical Athens (ancient Greek Αθήναι) is an ancient Greek polis, a city-state in Attica, which played from the 5th century BC. e. along with Sparta a leading role in the history of ancient Greece. Democracy was formed in Ancient Athens, philosophy and the art of theater received classical forms. According to K. Raaflaub, at that time there was an extremely low level of urbanization, and therefore it is impossible to talk about the masses of the urban population[1].
The archaeological study of Athens began in the 1830s, but excavations became systematic only with the formation in Athens in the 1870s and 1880s of the French, German and British archaeological schools. Literary sources and archaeological material that have survived to this day help to recreate the history of the Athenian policy. The main literary source on the history of Athens during the formation of the state is Aristotle's "Athenian polity" (4th century BC).
