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Since peace prevailed in the Balkans during the early decades of the twenty-first century, the region prospered and Athens became the capital of the wealthy Southeast European Federation by the end of the century. Furthermore, Greece has joined with Turkey to transport the oil and gas wealth of the Caucasus to Europe.
As for Athens itself, it has regained much of its former splendor. The Elgin marbles have returned after spending some 200 years at the British Museum in London. In addition, engineers working closely with archaeologists have encased the Parthenon and other temples on the Acropolis hill in a high-tech plastic bubble to protect them from atmospheric pollution and, thereby, allowing for the return of the ancient frieze to its original position atop the city's most famous landmark.
Using advanced satellite photography techniques, archaeologists pinpointed other ancient Athenian landmarks-even some of the sculptures that stood outside temples and public buildings-and excavation teams restored the sites as part of a giant archaeological...