Athens

Ancient Athens was a thriving place for genius. In his marvelous book "Geography of Genius", Eric Weiner comes to the conclusion that to create an optimal environment to breed geniuses, it helps to have tolerance and open-mindedness. And Ancient Athens had this. As Eric Weiner puts it: "Athenians tolerated not only strange foreigners but also homegrowns eccentrics, of which were many. Hippodamus, the father of urban planning, was known for his long hair, expensive jewelry, and cheap clothing, which he never changed, winter or summer. Athenians mocked Hippodamus for his eccentricities, yet they still assign him the vital job of building their port city, Piraeus."