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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 ... Here, inscribed copies of the full law code of Athens were on display, the annual oath of office was administered to all those about to serve the democracy (Fig. 63), and Sokrates was indicted for impiety in 399 B.C. ... "[The archons] took the oath near the Stoa Basileios, on the stone on which were the pieces of the victims, swearing that they would guard the laws." ... The lithos or oath-stone, set up on the steps of the Royal Stoa. |
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 ... A second inscription preserves the library rules: "No book is to be taken out because we have sworn an oath. [The library] is to be open from the first hour until the sixth" (Fig. 45). ... Rules of the Library of Pantainos: "No book is to be taken out because we have sworn an oath. (The library) is to be open from the first hour until the sixth." |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/citizenship_tribes_and_demes.html Citizenship: Tribes and Demes Every male Athenian, above and beyond the regular universal military training for service in the citizen army, was subject to universal political service. Besides being a ... In this way maximum participation was achieved, and every man was a public servant. 6.Oath stone (lithos) of the Athenians, on the steps of the Royal Stoa. ... All citizens about to serve the state took an oath of office, vowing not to transgress any of the laws or to overthrow the democracy. The oath stone (6) has been found in front of the Stoa Basileios (or Royal Stoa), headquarters of the Basileus, chief religious and legal magistrate of the city. |
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 ... 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). ... 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. ... The stone lies in front of the Royal Stoa and is clearly the stone on which magistrates stood to take the oath of office. Reconstruction drawing of the northwest corner of the Agora, ca. 300 B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/military_service.html Military Service After the 18-year-old was registered in his deme as a citizen and was approved by the Council, he entered military service as a young conscript (ephebe) with other members of his tribe ... “The fathers hold meetings by tribes and after taking oath elect three members of the tribe of more than 40 years of age, whom they think to be the best and most suitable to supervise the ephebes. . . . |
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 ... In a city of letters, even the problems faced by the librarians of the Library of Pantainos seem familiar: “No book shall be taken out for we have sworn an oath. Open from the first hour to the sixth.” |
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