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http://agathe.gr/guide/east_building.html East Building Running southward from the east end of the Middle Stoa is the East Building. Its eastern half takes the form of a long hall with a marble chip floor and stone slabs designed to carry wooden ... East Building Running southward from the east end of the Middle Stoa is the East Building. Its eastern half takes the form of a long hall with a marble chip floor and stone slabs designed to carry wooden furniture, presumably tables (Fig. 40). ... The western half of the building consisted of four rooms and a stairway designed to take people down to the lower (ground) level of the South Square. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/metroon.html Metroon (Archives) The Metroon served two functions; it was both a sanctuary of the Mother of the Gods and the archive building of the city, a repository of official records (Fig. 19). The present remains ... Metroon (Archives) The Metroon served two functions; it was both a sanctuary of the Mother of the Gods and the archive building of the city, a repository of official records (Fig. 19). ... The Hellenistic building had four rooms set side-by-side, united by a facade of fourteen Ionic columns. ... Cutaway view of the Metroon in the late 2nd century B.C.; the building housed both a cult of the Mother of the Gods and the State Archives. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/south_stoa_ii.html South Stoa II South Stoa II ran westward from the south end of the East Building, parallel to the Middle Stoa (Figs. 38, 41). Dating to the second half of the 2nd century B.C., it consisted of a single ... South Stoa II South Stoa II ran westward from the south end of the East Building, parallel to the Middle Stoa (Figs. 38, 41). Dating to the second half of the 2nd century B.C., it consisted of a single Doric colonnade of limestone, the superstructure reused from a building of the 4th century B.C. Its only adornment is a small fountain set into the back wall. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/stoa_of_zeus_eleutherios.html Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios Lying just south of the railroad tracks, along the west side, are the remains of the Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios (Freedom) (Figs. 8, 9). This cult of Zeus was established after the ... Though dedicated to a god, the building takes the form commonly used for a civic building: a stoa (colonnade or portico), with two projecting wings. ... According to Pausanias it was decorated with paintings done by Euphranor, a famous 4th-century artist, and the shields of those who died fighting for the freedom of Athens were displayed on the building. Rooms were added to the back of the stoa in the Early Roman period and may have housed a cult of the Roman emperors. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/mint.html Mint Just east of the fountain house lie the miserable remains of a large square building with several rooms; the northern half lies under the Church of the Holy Apostles and the Southeast Temple (Early ... Mint Just east of the fountain house lie the miserable remains of a large square building with several rooms; the northern half lies under the Church of the Holy Apostles and the Southeast Temple (Early Roman) (Figs. 36, 37; see also Fig. 41). ... Dozens of bronze flans or unstruck coin blanks were found scattered throughout the building, along with evidence of industrial debris. There is nothing to suggest that Athenian silver coinage was minted in this building. Figure 37. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/southwest_area.html Southwest Area - Industry and Houses Leaving the area of the boundary stone, one can head southwest up a valley leading toward the Pnyx, meeting place of the Athenian assembly. Here are the complex remains ... Southwest Area - Industry and Houses Leaving the area of the boundary stone, one can head southwest up a valley leading toward the Pnyx, meeting place of the Athenian assembly. Here are the complex remains of a residential and commercial area, used for hundreds of years (Fig. 27). ... One larger structure, the so-called Poros Building, has a long corridor flanked by square rooms, with a courtyard at the rear (Fig. 28). |
http://agathe.gr/guide/southwest_fountain_house.html Southwest Fountain House Closer to the agora proper a row of five public buildings lined the south side of the square in the Classical period (Fig. 29, 36). They comprise several important monuments, though ... Southwest Fountain House Closer to the agora proper a row of five public buildings lined the south side of the square in the Classical period (Fig. 29, 36). ... The westernmost building takes the form of the letter L (Fig. 30). A colonnade on two sides gave access to a large reservoir, the terminus of a long stone aqueduct that approached the building from the east, running under the south street. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/middle_stoa.html Middle Stoa The appearance of the south side of the Agora was radically changed during the 2nd century B.C. with the construction of several new buildings. This South Square, as it is called, was made ... This South Square, as it is called, was made up of two long stoas with a third building linking them (Fig. 38). ... The new square can best be understood from the so-called East Building, just north of the Church of the Holy Apostles. ... Except for its size the stoa is a relatively modest building, made of limestone, with a terracotta roof (Fig. 39). |
http://agathe.gr/guide/tholos.html Tholos The south half of the west side was given over to the major administrative buildings used to run the Athenian democracy (Fig. 14). The buildings are poorly preserved, but the identifications are ... In a sense, then, the Tholos represents the heart of the Athenian democracy, where citizens serving as senators could be found on duty twenty-four hours a day. ... Built around 470 B.C., the building was an unadorned drum, with six interior columns supporting a conical roof of large diamond-shape terracotta roof tiles (Fig. 15). The round form of the building is ill-suited for its primary function as a dining-hall and it may be that the usual Greek practice of reclining on couches during meals was abandoned here in favor of sitting on a simple bench. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/bouleuterion.html Bouleuterion Just uphill from the Tholos was the Bouleuterion, meeting place of the boule, or senate. Five hundred Athenian citizens were chosen by lot to serve for a year, and met in this building every ... Five hundred Athenian citizens were chosen by lot to serve for a year, and met in this building every day except during festivals to prepare legislation for the meetings of the ekklesia (assembly of all citizens), which met at the Pnyx every ten days. ... The remains are in a miserable state of preservation, with only the outlines of walls discernible in trenches sunk into bedrock. The building dates to the last quarter of the 5th century B.C., replacing an earlier version dating to ca. 500 B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_prytaneis.html The Prytaneis (Executive Committee) The senators administered their meetings themselves. Each tribal contingent in the Boule served in rotation for a period of 35 or 36 days as the Prytaneis, or Executive ... The Prytaneis had their headquarters in the Tholos, a large round building which lay just adjacent to the Bouleuterion. ... The floor was clay. The building was famous for its roof shaped like a sun hat, which gave it the nickname skias, sunshade. ... Greeks usually ate reclining on couches, but there is no good arrangement whereby fifty couches can be made to fit into the building. It may be that in this instance the senators ate sitting up, on a bench around the inner face of the wall. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/aiakeion.html Aiakeion Immediately to the east are the poor remains of a large square enclosure, open to the sky and measuring about 30 meters on a side. Built in the early 5th century, at the command of the oracle ... Aiakeion Immediately to the east are the poor remains of a large square enclosure, open to the sky and measuring about 30 meters on a side. Built in the early 5th century, at the command of the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, it was dedicated to Aiakos, a hero of the island of Aegina. ... Aiakos was one of the judges of the underworld and the results of judgments handed down in Athens were displayed on the walls of the building. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/library_of_pantainos.html Library of Pantainos Lying partially under and behind the Late Roman wall are the remains of a building identified by its inscribed marble lintel block as the Library of Pantainos, dedicated to Athena ... Library of Pantainos Lying partially under and behind the Late Roman wall are the remains of a building identified by its inscribed marble lintel block as the Library of Pantainos, dedicated to Athena Archegetis, the emperor Trajan, and the Athenian people in the years around A.D. 100 (Figs. 43, 44). It consists of a large square room and a paved courtyard, surrounded by three stoas that had shops behind their colonnades. As a cultural and educational building, the library reflects the role of Athens as the principal university town of the Roman empire. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_stoa_of_attalos.html The Stoa of Attalos The Stoa of Attalos was originally built by King Attalos II of Pergamon (159–138 B.C.), as a gift to the Athenians in appreciation of the time he spent in Athens studying under the ... What he gave the city was an elaborate stoa, a large two-storeyed double colonnade with rows of shops behind the colonnades. ... Elsewhere the modern reconstruction rests on the original foundations and is an almost exact replica of the ancient building, with representative pieces of the original included in order to allow the visitor a chance to check the validity of the restoration for him- or herself. The Stoa of Attalos in November of 1952 The Stoa of Attalos in December of 1956 The reconstruction leads the visitor to appreciate why stoas were such a common form of public building among the Greeks, used in agoras, sanctuaries, near theaters, and wherever many people were expected to gather. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/stoa_of_attalos.html Stoa of Attalos Lining the east side of the Agora square is the Stoa of Attalos (Fig. 47), built during the reign of Attalos II of Pergamon (159–138 B.C.), who studied in Athens under the philosopher Karneades ... Stoa of Attalos Lining the east side of the Agora square is the Stoa of Attalos (Fig. 47), built during the reign of Attalos II of Pergamon (159–138 B.C.), who studied in Athens under the philosopher Karneades before becoming king. In a sense, this is a gift from a loyal alumnus, and what he gave the Athenians was a shopping mall. ... The column capitals used upstairs for the inner colonnade are of an unusual type ("Pergamene"), a late adaptation of early Egyptian prototypes. ... The reconstruction demonstrates the effectiveness of the stoa as the ideal architectural form for a public building in Greece: the colonnaded walkways provide light and fresh air for literally thousands of people, while protecting them from the intense sun of summer or the wind and rain of winter. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/sources_and_documents.html Sources and Documents Our understanding of the workings and history of Athenian democracy comes from a variety of sources. Most useful, perhaps, are the ancient literary texts that survive, many of which ... The central archives building of Athens, known as the Metroon because it also housed a sanctuary of the Mother of the Gods (meter), contained thousands of documents, now lost. ... Toward the end of the 5th century, the senate moved to the New Bouleuterion, but the archives stayed behind in the Old Bouleuterion, and the building became known by a new name, the Metroon, named for Rhea, Mother of the Gods, whose cult was also housed in the building. ... Over fifty such references in the ancient sources describe a full range of documents kept in the building: laws, decrees, records of lawsuits, financial accounts, lists of ephebes, sacred offerings and weights and measures. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_notebooks.html The Notebooks The process of excavating an archaeological site is essentially destructive but the irrevocable features are preserved in a notebook. The excavator records his thoughts and observations, ... In the walls was found a piece of coarse moulding: Pentelic marble.” The first building to be demolished, House 21, Block 631 (Section Ε). ... Perhaps a trifle over life-size” (Nb. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_boule.html The Boule (The Senate) The Athenian legislature also included a deliberative body known as the Boule. It was made up of 500 members -- 50 from each of the 10 tribes -- who were chosen by lot and served ... The Boule (The Senate) The Athenian legislature also included a deliberative body known as the Boule. ... Excavations have revealed the foundations of a nearly square building (23.30 m. ... The Boule met in a building known as the Bouleuterion, which lay along the west side of the Agora square. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/temple_of_ares.html Temple of Ares Just north of the Odeion lie the ruins of a building identified by Pausanias as a temple of Ares (Figs. 56, 57). The foundations are of Early Roman construction and date, but the marble ... Temple of Ares Just north of the Odeion lie the ruins of a building identified by Pausanias as a temple of Ares (Figs. 56, 57). ... They can be restored as a Doric peripteral temple, close in plan, date, and size to the Hephaisteion [5]. ... This is the best example of a phenomenon known as "wandering temples," of which there are several similar examples in the Agora, dating to the early years of the Roman empire. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/south_stoa_i.html South Stoa I Measuring some 80 meters long, South Stoa I takes up much of the south side; its eastern end is the better preserved (Figs. 31, 32). It had a double colonnade, with sixteen rooms behind. It ... South Stoa I Measuring some 80 meters long, South Stoa I takes up much of the south side; its eastern end is the better preserved (Figs. 31, 32). It had a double colonnade, with sixteen rooms behind. ... Numerous coins found in the excavations also reflect the commercial function of the building. The stoa was dismantled in the middle years of the 2nd century B.C. to make way for South Stoa II. ... Reconstruction of a dining room in South Stoa I, ca. 430–420 B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/hephaisteion.html Hephaisteion Overlooking the Agora from the hill to the west (Kolonos Agoraios), is the Hephaisteion, the best preserved example of a Doric temple in mainland Greece (Fig. 12). It was dedicated jointly ... Hephaisteion Overlooking the Agora from the hill to the west (Kolonos Agoraios), is the Hephaisteion, the best preserved example of a Doric temple in mainland Greece (Fig. 12). ... It is built largely of Pentelic marble and carries a lavish amount of sculptural decoration. ... George, 7th century A.C. The building owes its remarkable state of preservation to two factors: Athens is not in a major earthquake zone, and the temple was converted into a Christian church in the 7th century A.D. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/state_religion.html State Religion: The Archon Basileus There was no attempt in Classical Athens to separate church and state. Altars and shrines were intermingled with the public areas and buildings of the city. A single ... Public lawsuits fall to him on charges of impiety and when a man is involved in a dispute with someone over a priesthood. ... The king archon held office in the Royal Stoa, a small colonnaded building along the west side of the Agora square. ... In addition, several ancient texts refer to the great unworked stone (lithos) found in place in front of the building (19.3), which was used by the king archon when, as chief of the religious magistrates, he administered their oath of office: "They took the oath near the Royal Stoa, on the stone on which were the parts of the (sacrificial) victims, swearing that they would guard the laws" (Pollux 8.86) and "the Council took a joint oath to ratify the laws of Solon, and each of the thesmothetes swore separately at the stone in the Agord' (Plutarch, Life of Solon 25.2). |
http://agathe.gr/guide/odeion_of_agrippa.html Odeion of Agrippa Late in the 1st century B.C. the Athenians were given money for a new marketplace by Caesar and Augustus, and the northern half of the old Agora square was filled with two new structures, ... It was a huge two-storeyed structure that must have dominated the square (Fig. 52). ... The exterior of the building was elaborated with Corinthian pilasters. ... The Giants and Tritons were reused for a monumental entranceway, and their present position on high piers dates to this last phase of the building. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/stoa_poikile.html Stoa Poikile Across modern Hadrian Street are the most recent excavations (2003), along the north side of the square. Here have been revealed the remains of another large stoa, identified on the basis ... Pottery suggests a date in the years around 470–460 B.C. for the construction. ... Most famous, perhaps, was a picture of the battle of Marathon (490 B.C.) by Polygnotos. ... The stoa, unlike many of the buildings of the Agora, was a true public building, with no one official, group, or function claiming priority for its use. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/southeast_fountain_house.html Southeast Fountain House The slight traces just south of the Church of the Holy Apostles have been identified as the remains of an early fountain house (Figs. 33, 34). The identification is based on a ... The identification is based on a large terracotta pipeline that delivered water to the rear of the building from the east, and overflow channels designed to carry water away from the two side chambers (Fig. 35). The central hall is restored with a colonnaded facade. A date of ca. 530–520 B.C. is suggested by pottery found under the floor and the use of polygonal limestone masonry, with Ζ-clamps to join the blocks. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/royal_stoa.html Royal Stoa On the west side, lying just south of the Panathenaic Way, are the remains of the Royal Stoa (Stoa Basileios), one of the earliest and most important of the public buildings of Athens (Figs ... The identification of the building is secure, thanks to Pausanias and two inscribed herm bases dedicated by king archons and found in situ on the steps of the building. ... (Plato, Theaetetos 210d) The building is small for a stoa, only 18 meters long, with eight Doric columns across the front and four down the middle (Fig. 64). |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/factional_politics.html Factional Politics: The Ostracism of Themistokles A group of ostraka found together in a pit on the North Slope of the Acropolis is of special interest. There were 190 ostraka, mostly the round feet of ... Factional Politics: The Ostracism of Themistokles A group of ostraka found together in a pit on the North Slope of the Acropolis is of special interest. ... Seen in retrospect, Themistokles was as great a figure in Athenian history. When a great find of silver was made in southern Attica, it was he who convinced the Athenians not to distribute the money among themselves but to spend it building a great fleet of 200 triremes (war ships). |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/athenian_currency.html Athenian Currency Many of the specialized administrative boards have left material traces of their activities. Most prolific of these were the moneyers, or Overseers of the Mint. Throughout her history ... The unit of the coinage was the drachma, which represented a day’s wage for a skilled workman in the late fifth century. ... Found in the neighborhood of the building now identified as the Mint (32) (southeastern corner of the Agora), a bronze rod and blanks cut from it (33) show one of the early stages in the manufacture of coins. ... Bronze rod and coin blanks from the Mint, third–second centuries B.C. The building identified as the Mint is a large rectangular structure, over 25 meters long on one side and, in addition to the coin blanks, it produced evidence of industrial activity such as furnaces and large water basins. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_ekklesia.html The Ekklesia (Citizens' Assembly) All Athenian citizens had the right to attend and vote in the Ekklesia, a full popular assembly which met about every 10 days. All decrees (psephismata) were ratified ... The Ekklesia (Citizens' Assembly) All Athenian citizens had the right to attend and vote in the Ekklesia, a full popular assembly which met about every 10 days. All decrees (psephismata) were ratified by the Ekklesia before becoming law. As a rule, the Ekklesia met at its own special meeting place known as the Pnyx, a large theater-shaped area set into the long ridge west of the Acropolis. ... Decorated with various images-a bow, a cow, a dolphin, crossed torches, rosette, Nike, a ship, as well as letters (E or K) - these small tokens were turned in for pay, allowing poor citizens to participate without losing a day's wages. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_council_and_magistrates.html The Council and the Magistrates Like selection for military service, allotment to the Council was organized according to the division by tribes; 50 members from each tribe acted as a unit in the Council ... The Council and the Magistrates Like selection for military service, allotment to the Council was organized according to the division by tribes; 50 members from each tribe acted as a unit in the Council and held the presidency (prytany) of the Council for one of its 10 prytanies, with a third of their number constantly on duty and in residence in the Tholos, the round building next to the Council House (Bouleuterion) (14, 15). 14. ... Various aspects of the housekeeping necessitated by the use of a public building as an official residence are attested by the excavations. ... Remains of a kitchen built out on the north side of the building were found, and roundabout were many of the cups and vessels used by the men on duty. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/tyranny.html Tyranny As happened in many other Greek states, a tyrant arose in Athens in the 6th century B.C. His name was Peisistratos, and after several unsuccessful attempts he seized power in 546 B.C. and ruled ... Tyranny As happened in many other Greek states, a tyrant arose in Athens in the 6th century B.C. ... Such tyrannies were a common feature of Greek political life as states made the transition from an aristocracy to either a democracy or an oligarchy. ... The fountainhouse shown here is small, but we know of one fountainhouse built at this time that had nine waterspouts, the Enneakrounos, a building that has not so far been located by archaeologists. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/late_roman_fortification_wall.html Late Roman Fortification Wall East of the East Building and Mint we arrive once again at the Panathenaic Way, which in this area is lined along its eastern side by a massive wall built in the 3rd century ... Late Roman Fortification Wall East of the East Building and Mint we arrive once again at the Panathenaic Way, which in this area is lined along its eastern side by a massive wall built in the 3rd century A.D. ... The wall was constructed in the years following the sack of Athens by the Herulians in A.D. 267; it starts at the Acropolis with a new gate, runs north down the east side of the roadway, takes in the ruins of the Stoa of Attalos, and then turns eastward toward the Library of Hadrian. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/sokrates.html Sokrates The philosopher Sokrates was one of many Athenians critical of the people and their control over affairs of state. His probing public debates with fellow citizens led to his trial for impiety ... The photograph shows the foundations of a house to the left of a roadway. ... What else is appropriate for a poor man who is a public benefactor and who requires leisure for giving you moral encouragement? ... Sokrates' confinement and execution in the state prison of Athens are described in some detail by Plato, and his description corresponds in several respects to a large building lying southwest of the Agora square. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/practice_of_ostracism.html Ostracism Soon after their victory over the Persians at the battle of Marathon in 490 B.C., the Athenians began the practice of ostracism, a form of election designed to curb the power of any rising tyrant ... The procedure of ostracism was simple. Once a year the people would meet in the Agora and take a vote to determine if anyone was becoming too powerful and was in a position to establish a tyranny. If a simple majority voted yes, they met again in the Agora two months later. ... He may often have been a candidate for ostracism but was never ostracized. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/boundary_stones_and_house_of_simon_the_cobbler.html Boundary Stones and House of Simon the Cobbler Inscribed marble posts were used to mark the entrances to the Agora wherever a street led into the open square. Two have been found in situ, inscribed with ... Boundary Stones and House of Simon the Cobbler Inscribed marble posts were used to mark the entrances to the Agora wherever a street led into the open square. ... One such building, found just behind the northern boundary stone (horos, in Greek), produced bone eyelets and iron hobnails, suggesting that a cobbler worked here in the 5th century B.C., while a fragmentary drinking cup found nearby preserved the incised name of Simon (Figs. 25, 26). ... Material found at the house of Simon the cobbler: bone eyelets, iron hobnails, and the base of a cup inscribed with Simon’s name. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_popular_courts.html The Popular Courts The popular courts, with juries of no fewer than 201 jurors and as many as 2,500, heard a variety of cases. The courts also had an important constitutional role in wielding ultimate ... The Popular Courts The popular courts, with juries of no fewer than 201 jurors and as many as 2,500, heard a variety of cases. ... Bronze ballots and a ballot box were found in a complex of rooms constructed in the late 5th and 4th centuries B.C. and identified on the basis of these finds as lawcourts. ... Before reaching a jury, the case was heard by a magistrate or arbitrators in a preliminary hearing. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/church_of_the_holy_apostles.html Church of the Holy Apostles Several churches were removed following the excavation of the modern neighborhoods overlying the Agora. The Church of the Holy Apostles, because of its early date, was deemed ... The original plan is unique: a standard cross-in-square arrangement, but with apses at each of the four ends of the cross. ... The fragments of frescoes inside are of the 17th century, some from this building and the rest recovered from other churches in the area. |
http://agathe.gr/publications/picture_books.html Picture Books The Athenian Agora Picture Book series, started in 1951, aims to make information about life in the ancient commercial and political center of Athens available to a wide audience. Each booklet ... Using original materials and techniques, the modern builders learned much about the construction and purpose of stoas, a ubiquitous classical building type. ... In addition to the mostly bronze and copper coins themselves, a building that may have served as the Athenian mint is described in this booklet. ... B.Publication Date: 1984ISBN: 0876616260Picture Book: 21 While this booklet is illustrated solely with materials from the Athenian Agora, it also provides a concise introduction to building styles and techniques that will be useful to anyone interested in ancient Greek architecture. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/history_of_the_agora.html History of the Agora The excavations of the Athenian Agora have uncovered about thirty acres on the sloping ground northwest of the Acropolis (Fig. 3). Material of all periods from the Late Neolithic to ... During the Late Bronze Age it was used as a cemetery, and some 50 graves have been found, dating from 1600 to 1100 B.C. ... Three large stoas were built in the Agora in the 2nd century (Middle Stoa [17], South Stoa II [19], and Stoa of Attalos [22]) and the archive building (Metroon [8]) was rebuilt with a colonnaded facade. ... The area was given over to a variety of large villas in the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_church_of_the_holy_apostles.html The Church of the Holy Apostles Though several churches were removed in the clearing of the site for excavation, it was decided to save and restore the little Byzantine church dedicated to the Holy Apostles ... The south wall seems to have suffered at least one major destruction, and from a point ca. 2 m. west of the southern apse little original masonry remains above the lower course. ... Building the centering for the vaults of the central saucer dome and completing the ribbing, February 21, 1955 Theophanes Nomikos carving the marble lunette for the central doorway, March 8, 1956. ... The two watercolors represent just a tiny fraction of the work he left behind. |
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