Megara

Megara is a historic town and municipality in West Attica, Greece. It sits on the coast of the Saronic Gulf, on the Euripus Strait opposite the island of Euboea, and lies to the west of Athens. The modern municipality of Megara encompasses the town and surrounding communities and serves as an administrative center in the region.

In antiquity, Megara was an independent city-state (polis) in the Attic region. It developed as a maritime and commercial power with its own political institutions, religious sites, and fortifications. The city was at times allied with Boeotia and played a notable role in regional politics during the classical period. Megara minted its own coins and contributed to Greek cultural life. It is remembered in particular for the Megarian Decree of the 430s BCE, issued by Athens, which restricted Megarian trade and helped fuel tensions leading to the Peloponnesian War. The Megarians were also associated with the philosopher Euclid of Megara, founder of the Megarian school of philosophy, and with later thinkers such as Diodorus Cronus.

In later antiquity the site remained inhabited and left remnants of fortifications and public buildings, but the city gradually declined after the Roman era. In the modern era, Megara developed as a regional town and port.

Today Megara is a contemporary town in West Attica with a coastal economy and transport links to Athens. Archaeological remains from the ancient city are studied by scholars, and the area preserves sites related to Megarian history and the Megarian school of philosophy.