Greek authorities say a magnitude 4.4 earthquake has occurred near the capital, Athens, without causing damage or injuries.
The Athens Geodynamic Institute says the early temblor today, which was felt in the city of some four million people, had an epicenter some 22 kilometers east of Athens near the town of Pikermi.
Earthquakes are frequent in Greece, which lies in one of the world's most seismically active areas, but they mostly strike under the seabed and rarely cause loss of life.
In 1999, however, a quake a few kilometers west of Athens killed 143 people and caused extensive damage.
