<P> In Ancient Greek , the name of the city was Ἀθῆναι ( Athēnai , pronounced ( a. thɛ̂ː. nai̯ ) in Classical Attic ) a plural . In earlier Greek , such as Homeric Greek , the name had been current in the singular form though , as Ἀθήνη ( Athēnē ) . It was possibly rendered in the plural later on , like those of Θῆβαι ( Thêbai ) and Μυκῆναι ( Μukênai ) . The root of the word is perhaps not of Greek or Indo - European origin , and is a possible remnant of the Pre-Greek substrate of Attica , as could be the name of the goddess Athena ( Attic Ἀθηνᾶ , Athēnā , Ionic Ἀθήνη , Athēnē , and Doric Ἀθάνα , Athānā ) , that was always related to the city of Athens . During the medieval period the name of the city was rendered once again in the singular as Ἀθήνα . However , after the establishment of the modern Greek state , and partly due to the conservatism of the written language , Ἀθῆναι ( aˈθine ) became again the official name of the city and remained so until the abandonment of Katharevousa in the 1970s , when Ἀθήνα , Athína , became the official name . </P>
<P> In Ancient Greek , the name of the city was Ἀθῆναι ( Athēnai , pronounced ( a. thɛ̂ː. nai̯ ) in Classical Attic ) a plural . In earlier Greek , such as Homeric Greek , the name had been current in the singular form though , as Ἀθήνη ( Athēnē ) . It was possibly rendered in the plural later on , like those of Θῆβαι ( Thêbai ) and Μυκῆναι ( Μukênai ) . The root of the word is perhaps not of Greek or Indo - European origin , and is a possible remnant of the Pre-Greek substrate of Attica , as could be the name of the goddess Athena ( Attic Ἀθηνᾶ , Athēnā , Ionic Ἀθήνη , Athēnē , and Doric Ἀθάνα , Athānā ) , that was always related to the city of Athens . During the medieval period the name of the city was rendered once again in the singular as Ἀθήνα . However , after the establishment of the modern Greek state , and partly due to the conservatism of the written language , Ἀθῆναι ( aˈθine ) became again the official name of the city and remained so until the abandonment of Katharevousa in the 1970s , when Ἀθήνα , Athína , became the official name . </P>
athens greece was named after which greek god
athens greece was named after which greek god
goddess Athena
goddess Athena