By Felix Liu
Athens was the center of knowledge.
The citizens of Athens had no need to fear about anything. No fear of famine, the had lots of food and water. No fear of conquest, their army was the second largest in Europe. No fear of betrayal, everybody was happy. No fear of disease, they thought had the best medicine in the whole world. There were slaves to help them do the dirty work that they had to do.
The first philosophers were from Greece, they were the natural philosophers, their questions were about nature. Then there was a theory of atoms, how atoms could not die and was the smallest thing int he world. Then to society as seen in Socrates’s, Plato’s, and Aristotle’s thinkings.
The architecture there was beauty, the carefully trimmed roof of marble stacked on top of pillars the color of elephant tooth white. The temple of Artemis carefully created piece after piece. The triangle looked like a perfect isosceles. The statue of Zeus standing proudly against Greece in his own temple, his huge face wearing a big fat smile.
Athens was a city that was extremely well-produced. It was strong and well into its golden age. But still Athens crumbled at the foot of the Roman Empire. Before who had the best military would be the ruler of the world. Roman Empire had a better army, Athens had more deep knowledge.
But now, it is different, now which country can either have the best economy, or change the world in a benefitting way is the leader of the world. So now we need to learn from Athens, how Athens became a city of knowledge.
Athens was a great city, following its steps will make a great country as well.
Athens is our target
And Athens, we will become.
雅典
雅典是知识的中心。
雅典公民不必担心任何事情。不怕饥荒，他们很多的食物和水。没有被征服的恐惧，他们有欧洲第二大的军队。没有被背叛的恐惧，每个人都很快乐。无需恐惧疾病，他们认为有全世界最好的药。他们也有奴隶帮助他们做那些肮脏的工作。
在这样的环境中，他们无需对生活需要操心，而是有很多时间进行思考。有些人提出问题，以满足自己的好奇心，他们成了很多哲学家。有的通过表达自己的创造力追求美，他们成了雕塑家、艺术家。有人追求权力，对统治权力上瘾，他们成了领袖。雅典在公民手中走向繁荣，是欧洲的中心。
第一批哲学家就来自希腊，他们是自然哲学家，他们的问题是关于自然的。比如他们提出原子理论，认为原子是世界上最小的东西，且原子不死。苏格拉底、柏拉图和亚里士多德分别从自己的观点看社会。
那里的建筑特别美丽，精心修剪的大理石屋顶堆放在如大象牙齿洁白的柱子上。阿尔忒弥斯神庙是一块石头接一块石头精心建造的，像一个完美的等腰三角形。宙斯的雕像傲慢地站在他自己的庙宇里，脸上带着一个大大的微笑。
雅典是一个建设得很完美的城市，经历了其黄金时代。但希腊仍然在罗马帝国脚下崩溃了。那个年代谁拥有最好的军队，谁将是世界的统治者。尽管希腊有最深刻的知识，但罗马帝国有当时更好的军队，他们被迫让位于罗马帝国。
但是现在，情况不同了，并非军事决定国家地位。现在哪个国家拥有最好的经济，或者可以为世界带来利益改善，就可以是世界的领导者。所以现在我们需要向雅典学习，学习它当年如何成为一个知识之城。
雅典是一座伟大的城市，跟随它的步伐会发展成为伟大的国家。
雅典就是我们的目标
雅典，我们一定会成为你。