Today mostly covered over by modern Thebes, ancient Thebes of the 7 Gates, like Troy for example, is a city that has enjoyed several incarnations at least two of which were purposely destroyed. In recent years haphazard building have further obliterated what little remains of ancient Thebes.
Few parts of the ancient city remain to be seen and the best vestiges are to be found in the museum. Open daily in summer from 08:00 to 19:00 except Monday when it opens at noon Tel: 2262-27913.
In winter the museum closes at 3pm and is closed on Monday.
Modern Thebes or "Thiva" occupies a plateau (or Kadmus) which rises 60m above the surrounding plain and is 800m long and 400m wide. The city was twice destroyed by earthquakes, once in 1853 and again in 1893. Defensively situated it is surrounded by rock gullies sometimes littered with refuse.
The Thebans were always independently minded and head strong but not quite large enough to sustain dominance. Consequently Thebes often found itself at odds with other more powerful foes such as Macedonia to the north.
Varying its long standing policy of opposition to Athens Thebes sided with the Athenians against Phillip of Macedon, Alexander the thirds father. Alexander the third is better known as Alexander the Great and following the Battle of Chaironeia in 338 BC he was the first to raze it to the ground.
Alexander, not wanting to leave an enemy to his rear and after his ascension to the crown of Macedonia and effectively Hellas made an example of Thebes and killed 6,000 inhabitants and sold the rest (30,000) into slavery, probably on the sacred island of Delos.
Rebuilt by Casander in 316 Thebes was merely sacked in 290 by Dimitrios Poliorketes. Later in 86 BC Thebes was razed for a second time by the Roman General, and later dictator Sulla in 86 BC after it had sided with Mithridates in his war against Rome.