At its time, Thebes, also called the city of seven gates, used to be an avowed enemy of Athens and Sparta with who it fought to gain supremacy and establish dominance. And it actually did gain the upper hand and finally became the most significant Greek city. Yet this success didn’t last for too long. Despite that, Thebes is, although damaged by the turns of history and a violent earthquake, a place where you can feel the breath of history. According to mythology, Thebes is the birthplace of several gods and other important figures: Dionysus, the god of fertility and harvest; the heroic Zeus’ son, Heracles; Oedipus who didn’t manage to escape his prophecy, his daughter Antigona, or the proud Niobe. Today in Thebes, this ancient city, you will find the remains of the first settlers from the Stone Age and the original Mycenaean settlement. Another site worth seeing is the local museum with an exhibition of the findings from the city surroundings.