[Agora Webpage] AgoraPicBk 16 2003: East Building

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 ... 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 furniture supports are perhaps best interpreted as holding bankers’ or money changers’ tables and suggest that the South Square served a primarily commercial function. ... Detail of the floor of the East Building, showing the marble slabs with cuttings for the attachment of wooden furniture, 2nd century B.C.

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: The Prytaneis

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 ... It is clear from written sources that the Tholos was used as a dining hall, but it is difficult to find a suitable arrangement for its furniture. Greeks usually ate reclining on couches, but there is no good arrangement whereby fifty couches can be made to fit into the building.