[Agora Webpage] AgoraPicBk 16 2003: South Stoa I

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 ... AgoraPicBk 16 2003: South Stoa I

[Agora Webpage] AgoraPicBk 16 2003: South Stoa II

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 I was put out of use by South Stoa II, and much of the earlier building was quarried away at the west to accommodate the lower floor levels of the South Square.

[Agora Webpage] Overview: The Notebooks

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, ... The first two pages of Nb. Ε I, dated April 20, 1931. ... Perhaps a trifle over life-size” (Nb. Ε I, p. 4; April 21, 1931).

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: Solon the Lawgiver

http://agathe.gr/democracy/solon_the_lawgiver.html

Solon the Lawgiver By the early 6th century B.C. social tensions in Athens had become acute, pitting the poorer citizens against rich and powerful landowners. Many citizens were reduced to the status of ... As he tells us in his own words: For to the common people I gave as much power as is sufficient, Neither robbing them of dignity, nor giving them too much; and those who had power, and were marvelously rich, even for those I contrived that they suffered no harm. I stood with a mighty shield in front of both classes, and allowed neither of them to prevail unjustly. ... This middle course pleased no one, as he himself tells us: Wherefore I stood at guard on every side, A wolf at bay among a pack of hounds.

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: Women

http://agathe.gr/democracy/women.html

The Unenfranchised I - Women Numerous people resident in Athens and Attica had little part in the political life of the state. Most glaring by modern standards was the exclusion of women, although a similar ... The Unenfranchised I - Women Numerous people resident in Athens and Attica had little part in the political life of the state. ... Perikles' comment on women in his great funeral oration is illuminating: If I am to speak also of womanly virtues, referring to those of you who will henceforth be in widowhood, I will sum up all in a brief admonition: Great is your glory if you fall not below the standard which nature has set for your sex, and great also is hers of whom there is least talk among men whether in praise or in blame.

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: The Athenian Navy

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The Athenian Navy With thousands of kilometers of coastline and hundreds of islands, the Greek world was likely to be dominated only by a naval power. A generation after the establishment of democracy ... Now, in discussing the Athenian constitution, I cannot commend their present method of running the state, because in choosing it they preferred that the masses should do better than the respectable citizens; this, then, is my reason for not commending it. Since, however, they have made this choice, I will demonstrate how well they preserve their constitution and handle the other affairs for which the rest of the Greeks criticize them.

[Agora Webpage] AgoraPicBk 16 2003: History of the Agora

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 ... [King Cyrus speaks]: "'I have never feared men who have a place set apart in the middle of their city where they lie and deceive each other. If I keep my health, the Hellenes will have their own sufferings to worry about, not those of the Ionians.' ... The Stoa Poikile [28], Tholos [6], New Bouleuterion [7], Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios [3], South Stoa I [14], Mint [16], and Lawcourts [23] were all added to the periphery of the great square, as were fountain houses, temples, and shops.

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: The Boule

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 ... During the first century of its use, it served also as a display area for numerous important documents, laws, and treaties: Nevertheless I still wish you to hear the words on the stone in the Bouleuterion concerning traitors and those who attempt to overthrow the democracy ... ... Athens, Agora Museum I 4869. The fragment preserves part of an inscription around the rim which reads: ΟΒΟΛΕΥ, "of the Bouleuterion", indicating ownership of the basin by the Senate, or Boule.

[Agora Webpage] AgoraPicBk 16 2003: Middle Stoa

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 ... Of the Classical buildings, the Aiakeion and Southwest Fountain House were incorporated, South Stoa I was demolished, and the Southeast Fountain House and Mint were left out.

[Agora Webpage] AgoraPicBk 16 2003: Royal Stoa

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 ... [Sokrates speaks]: "I must now present myself at the Stoa Basileios to answer the indictment of Meletos, which he has brought against me."

[Agora Webpage] AgoraPicBk 4 2004: The Agora and Pnyx

http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_agora_and_pnyx.html

The Agora and Pnyx Center of public activity, the Agora was a large open square where all the citizens could assemble (2, 3). It was used for a variety of functions: markets, religious processions, athletic ... In letters which run right to left the inscription reads: “I am the boundary of the Agora.”.

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: Sokrates

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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 ... Plato, in the Apology, tells what Sokrates suggests: What penalty do I deserve to pay or suffer, in view of what I have done? ... I tried to persuade each one of you not to think more of practical advantages than of his mental and moral well-being, or in general to think more of advantage than of well-being in the case of the state or of anything else ...

[Agora Webpage] AgoraPicBk 16 2003: Boundary Stones and House of Simon the Cobbler

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 ... Two have been found in situ, inscribed with the simple text "I am the boundary of the Agora," in letters that should date somewhere around 500 B.C.

[Agora Webpage] AgoraPicBk 16 2003: Introduction

http://agathe.gr/guide/introduction.html

Introduction Classical Athens saw the rise of an achievement unparalleled in history. Perikles, Aeschylus, Sophokles, Plato, Demosthenes, Thucydides, and Praxiteles represent just a few of the statesmen ... The council chamber (Bouleuterion), public office buildings (Royal Stoa, South Stoa I) and archives (Metroon) have all been explored.

[Agora Webpage] AgoraPicBk 4 2004: Athenian Citizenship

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Athenian Citizenship The government of ancient Athens concerned itself with many aspects of the lives of its citizens. In the pure democracy of Athens the government was not only of the people and for ... In short, I say that as a city we are the School of Hellas.”

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: Marble Stele

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Law Against Tyranny In 338 B.C. Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander defeated the Athenians and other Greek states in a battle at Chaironeia in central Greece. In the following year (337/6 B.C.) ... Athens, Agora Museum, I 6524. The inscription is an Athenian law forbidding cooperation with those plotting an antidemocratic coup and calling for the acquittal of anyone accused of murdering the tyrant.

[Agora Webpage] Overview: The Museum

http://agathe.gr/overview/the_museum.html

The Museum On display in the public galleries of the stoa is a selection of the thousands of objects recovered in the past 75 years, reflecting the use of the area from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1500. The public ... On the left side of the stone can be seen the holes for an attachment, a mechanical device that would have made the selection by chance (I 3967, Agora Museum).

[Agora Webpage] Overview: The Stoa of Attalos

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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 ... The “Law against Tyranny” inscription (I 6524) was also erected in the colonnade before the dedication ceremony.

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: Practice of Ostracism

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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 ... "None whatever," was the reply, "I do not even know the fellow, but I am sick of hearing him called 'The just' everywhere!

[Agora Webpage] Overview: Photography

http://agathe.gr/overview/photography.html

Photography A photograph made using the traditional silver halide process is a visual record largely unaltered by the photographer. It is this quality of capturing a mirrored image of the scene that lends ... Total height preserved: 1.36 m” (Nb. Ε I, p. 140; June 4, 1931).

[Agora Webpage] Overview: The Excavations

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The Excavations Excavations in the Athenian Agora by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens commenced in 1931 under the supervision of T. Leslie Shear. The systematic excavation of this important ... Digging confined to area occupied by House 22 until it shall be levelled off. 28 men / 135 wagons" (Notebook [Nb.] E I, p. 74; May 25, 1931).

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: Political Organization of Attica

http://agathe.gr/democracy/political_organization_of_attica.html

Political Organization of Attica: Demes and Tribal Representation Each tribe was divided into three parts, and each third (trittys) was from one of the three regions of Attica, plain, coast, or hills ... Athens, Agora Museum I 7030. Found inside the remains of the South Stoa, this inscription is a record of the metronomoi, the inspectors of weights and measures, of whom Aristotle wrote in the Athenian Constitution (51.2): "There are ten metronomoi appointed by lot, five for the city and five for Piraeus.

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: The Ekklesia

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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 ... In phase I (about 500 B.C.) the Pnyx utilized the natural slope of the hillside, but either political concerns or the exposure of the seating area to northeast winds made a reversal of the structure necessary.

[Agora Webpage] Overview: The Church of the Holy Apostles

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 ... There is so far no trace of early work west of the door on either side” (Nb. HA I, p. 2). View of the Church of the Holy Apostles from the southwest, August 1954, after demolition of the later additions had been completed Interior of the church before the start of the restoration project, March 2, 1954.

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: Overthrow and Revolution

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Overthrow and Revolution In 514 B.C. the tyrant Hipparchos was stabbed to death. The murder, actually the result of a love feud, was quickly deemed a political act of assassination and the perpetrators, ... Athens, Agora Museum I 3872. This fragment is probably part of the original base under the statues of Harmodios and Aristogeiton, who assassinated Hipparchos.

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: State Religion

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 ... Preliminary arguments were held in the Royal Stoa, as we learn from Plato, quoting Sokrates: "Now I must present myself at the Stoa of the Basileus to answer the indictment which Meletos has brought against me" (Theatetos 201D) Photograph of the Lithos, or Oath Stone, late 6th century B.C.

[Agora Webpage] Overview: The Staff

http://agathe.gr/overview/the_staff.html

The Archaeologists The First Generation The Agora Excavations staff and work force, 1933. Archaeologists, staff, foremen, and workmen gathered under the Hephaisteion for a group photograph. The staff of ... E.V. studying the text of the “Law against Tyranny” inscription (I 6524). Affectionately known by students and colleagues by only his initials, Eugene Vanderpool began his career at the Agora in 1932.

[Agora Webpage] Birth of Democracy: Tyranny

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 ... Athens, Agora Museum I 4120. Broken from a large marble block inscribed with a list of archons of Athens, this piece preserves parts of the names of six archons of the 520's B.C.; two of them are members of the family of Peisistratos: In the second line we read Hippias, his son, and in the last line, Peisistratos the younger, his grandson.

[Agora Webpage] Publications: Monographs

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Monographs Excavations in the civic and cultural center of classical Athens began in 1931 and have continued almost without interruption to the present day. The first Athenian Agora volumes presenting ... The earliest datable Ottoman coin is from the reign of Mehmed I (1413-21). Most of the coins come from overseas mints such as those of Istanbul, Cairo, Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia. ... B.Publication Date: 1991ISBN: 978-0-87661-219-4Volume: 19 The three types of inscription from the Athenian Agora presented in this volume are all concerned with important civic matters. Part I, by Gerald V. Lalonde, includes all the horoi found in the excavations; most of them had been brought into the area for reuse at a later period. ... TownsendPublication Date: 1995ISBN: 978-0-87661-228-6Volume: 28 A comprehensive, three-part study of the sites and procedures of Athenian lawcourts in the 5th, 4th, and 3rd centuries B.C. Part I discusses various courts, their names and possible sites, and reconstructs their history and daily workings, synthesizing literary, documentary, and physical evidence.

[Agora Webpage] Publications: Picture Books

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 ... Google Books | English PDF | Buy Online | Search for Items Inside Graffiti in the Athenian Agora Author: Lang, M.Publication Date: 1988ISBN: 0876616333Picture Book: 14 “Return the stamnos to Philippa’s brother Philip,” “cheap wine,” “Alkaios seems beautiful to Melis,” “Of Tharrios I am the cup.” Like fragments of overheard conversations, the thousands of informal inscriptions scratched and painted on potsherds, tiles, and other objects give us a unique insight into the everyday life of the Athenian Agora.