Introduction
It’s time to travel back to ancient Athens! Where would you go if you wanted to socialize and find out the latest news and gossip from around the city and the then-known world? To the Agora, of course! The heart of ancient Athens, the core of political and social activity, the hub where everyone from philosophers and priests to politicians and prostitutes crossed paths.Hello! My name is Nick, and I will be your guide through the historical and thought-provoking ruins of the ancient Agora here in Athens. I will be telling you about the importance of this archaeological site. I will be sharing with you many aspects of the daily life of the ancient Athenians, and together we will explore and stroll around the birthplace of democracy. We will see, among other things, Greece’s best-preserved ancient temple and a rebuilt stoa housing a fine museum which highlights the diverse character of the place.Now, let’s dive into the pulsating heart of Athens!If you are not already in front of the main entrance of the site, please follow my directions. The nearest urban railway station to the Ancient Agora is Monastiraki, a 5-minute walk away from ancient Agora. Just walk all the way down Ifaistou street and at the end of it turn left on Agiou Philippou str. Then make a left again on Andrianou str. and after a few meters, you will find the entrance on your right.The open space of the Ancient Agora provided an area for the citizens of ancient Athens to meet each other, communicate and meditate on the issues of the day, hence the use of the word "agora", which derives from the Greek verb that means “to assemble”.Ancient Agora was an interactive place, where the great thinkers Sophocles, Socrates, Protagoras and many others would meet and where ordinary people could come and argue with their fellow citizens, voice their concerns, agree or disagree on solutions.This ancient city with its temples, "stoas", the courts of law, and the gymnasiums, achieved its most remarkable contributions to humankind in planting the ideals of citizenship, political consciousness, and the foundations of democracy right here.Even though it is not hard to imagine how busy the agora of classical-era Athens would be, as the area outside today is still quite vibrant and crowded with people since it remains one of the main, one of the usual walks for modern-day Athenians and visitors alike, it is, however, challenging to comprehend the diversity of the area, the buildings and the people who were gathering every day here, in the heart of ancient Athens to pray, to buy supplies, to make political decisions, to meet friends, to learn about the news or just to spend time. The area in in the prehistoric era was a graveyard, but much later in preclassical times it changed into the city's gathering place, with political, commercial, religious characteristics. However, the commercial aspect was a by-product of the primary function of it, which was to talk, discuss. That might be a political discussion, common gossip, philosophical inquiry, or hard bargaining. We shall try to navigate through the ruins of ancient Athens's heart and locate the presence of the city's brightest mind, Socrates It’s time to go inside! Purchase your ticket, present it and here we are at the majestic Ancient Agora.
The Entrance
While at the entrance of the archaeological site, two things strike the visitor; the difference between the level between the modern city and the ancient city but also the train that goes through the excavated area. The train got here first, and when archaeologists started bringing the buried remains to light, the tracks split the site into two. Today, there are findings on both sides of the train tracks, even behind the tavernas at Andrianou street.Though the first excavations took place in the late 19th century, systematic campaigns commenced in the 1930s. Then some 350 houses of the Vryssaki neighborhood and 10 churches had to be demolished to reveal the ruins as the only things already visible was the temple to Athena and Hephaistos at the top of the Kolonos hill and the statues from the façade of the Odeon of Agrippa at the center of the archaeological site today. The table with the reconstruction of the Agora in the 2nd c AD really helps a lot to understand how it was organized.Just after the ticket booth, on your right, there is a small balcony from where you can see a bridge with the train tracks and just to the right of the rails is the Stoa Vasileos or otherwise the Royal Stoa. This Stoa is located outside of the archaeological site, but you can see it clearly from this point.
The Royal Stoa Basileos
The Stoa Vasileos is one of the earliest and most important administrative buildings of Athens, the oldest probably secular building, where Doric order columns were used. That was where the archon basileus (king-archon) was based, second in command in the Athenian government and the official responsible for religious matters and the laws of the state. 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, and Socrates himself was indicted for impiety in 399 B.C.The identification of the building is thankfully secure, thanks to Pausanias, a 2nd century AD traveler and two inscribed hermaic bases dedicated by king archons and found in situ on the steps of the building. The building is small for a stoa and should date originally to the years around 500 B.C. but was extensively rebuilt in the 5th century. Two projecting wings were added between 410 and 400 to display new copies of the law-code of the city.It was there were the dialogue Euthyphro was set, a discussion about piety issues, just a few days before the philosopher’s trial. Socrates is the defendant on a case of impiety and Euthyphro, a holly person, a diviner, a prophet, is the prosecutor of his father for murder. Ironically enough we have here the ‘pious’ man being tested by the man accused of impiety. Although no definition is reached, Euthyphro retreats from one position to another as he falls victim to the questioning of Socrates’.This is where Socrates had come to defend himself against Meletus’ charges. Sometimes, since the dialogues reveal the next or the previous of his meetings, we can reimagine the schedule of the philosopher which was full. Such an important spot!Now, let’s dive into the Agora, walking in its main street – the Panathenaic Way. Start walking down the ramp. The ramp spills you onto the Panathenaic Way. As you reach the bottom, find a spot with a clear view of the street, and let me set the scene.
The Panathenaic Way
Numerous roads led in and out of the Agora. However, the most important was the broad street known as the Panathenaic Way, the city's principal thoroughfare. It led from the main city gate, named Dipylon, crossed diagonally the Agora, went up to the Acropolis and served as the processional way for the grand parade, the Great Panathenea festival's highlight.It was basically packed gravel, and it is amazing that the archaeologists have unearthed some 66 layers of gravel proving the road’s continuous use since the 6th century BC making it the oldest road in Europe. Towards the south, where the ascend to the Acropolis starts, it was paved with large slabs in the roman times. At its south side the road acquired a stone gutter with basins every here and there to collect sediment and keep the channel clean. Since the panathenaic way was quite straight, it served also as the track for running competitions or chariot races. Today it would seem weird putting runners to compete at a road with such an inclination, but we must keep in mind that, what mattered to them back then the most, was only that everyone should compete under the same rules and conditions, even if they were not ideal, or, in this case if the terrain was not levelled. Finally, it served as training place for the hoplites (infantry men) of the Athenian army.The Agora's main square gradually became full of temples, and public buildings, and temporary tables for commercial use, that later were replaced by proper buildings. There were also many trees, statues, fountains, and altarpieces.At any time, this road, the Panathenaic Way, was the street where common or eccentric characters like Socrates have walked. Since we have already said a few things about him and inevitably the name “Socrates” keeps coming back, let me tell you a bit about this great personality while you are standing on this ancient street.
Socrates
The sources we have provide only a small amount of information about the life and personality of Socrates, particularly in some of the works of Plato or Xenophon and others. We know the names of his father, Sophroniscus (probably a stonemason), his mother, Paenharete, and his wife, Xanthippe, and we also know he had three sons. In Plato’s dialogue Theaetetus, Socrates likens his way of approaching philosophy to the occupation of his mother, who was a midwife: while not pregnant with ideas himself, he assists others with the delivery of their ideas. Portraits depict him with a flat nose and bulging eyes, suggesting he was unattractive by all conventional standards, ancient or modern. He served as a hoplite in the Athenian army and fought in several important battles. He never travelled to other cities to pursue his intellectual interests. When the others considered participation in the public affairs the ultimate virtue of a citizen, he was avoiding office as much as possible and opted for persuasion on a ‘man-to-man’ basis. He did however serve a term as a member of the Boule, the senate, let’s say, of the city, which prepared legislation for the assembly of the people, the really ruling body of Athens. Socrates was mostly at home in the Agora, he would be every day there, meeting people, discussing things, asking questions. No wonder Xanthippe, his wife, was always angry at him for not being a serious and capable breadwinner, as he would spend his days in the agora receiving absolutely nothing for his “teachings”, coming home empty handed.The impact of his life was, however, all the greater because of the way in which it ended: at age of 70, in 399 BC, he was brought to trial on a charge of impiety and corrupting the youths of Athens and was eventually sentenced by a jury of his fellow citizens to death by poison (he had to drink the hemlock). Plato’s Apology of Socrates claims to be the very speech Socrates gave at his trial in response to the accusations made against him (the Greek word “apologia” means, among other things, “defense” in English). Its powerful advocacy of the examined life and condemnation of the Athenian democracy have made it one of the core documents of Western culture.While he was alive, he was the object of comic ridicule, “Nefeles” or “Clouds” being the main example. Although Socrates was the protagonist of the play, Aristophanes did not want to give an accurate portrait of the philosopher, but rather to use him to comment on certain intellectual trends in his contemporary Athens—the study of language and nature and, as Aristophanes implies, the amoralism and atheism that accompany those pursuits. The value of the play as a reliable source of knowledge about Socrates is thrown further into doubt by the fact that, even in Plato’s Apology, Socrates himself rejects it as a fabrication. It remains however a fun play to see and I say we are lucky to have it!Our next stop is the Odeon of Agrippa. Follow the sign to the temple of Hephaistos and you will see some impressive statues on high pedestals. They are so difficult to miss!
The Odeon of Agrippa
Making a time-jump into the future, in the 1st c BC the Athenians were given funds to build a new marketplace so the central part of the square of the agora was occupied gradually by the Odeon and the temple to Athena. Built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Roman statesman, general, and son-in-law of Augustus Caesar, it was a two-story auditorium that could seat an audience of 1,000 approximately. It practically was a large concert hall. The wide span of the auditorium, however, proved too wide and the roof collapsed around the mid-2nd AD.Later the structure was rebuilt as a lecture hall with half the capacity of the original building, but with an impressive façade with statues of giants and tritons. This lecture hall was destroyed in 267 AD and was rebuilt, once again, later as part of a huge complex, probably a palace, with a great number of rooms and courtyards. Then the giants and tritons were set on tall pedestals, which we can see until today.
The Temple of Ares
Looking at the statues, just behind you, behind an olive tree and a few bushes, try to find the temple of Mars or, better, the place where this temple was, as today almost nothing has been saved. This temple has a peculiar history. It was one of the so-called “wandering temples”. The architectural fragments that have been found around the temple indicate it was most probably built around 450-440 BC. The architect, whose name is unknown to us, is also considered to have designed three other temples: The Temple of Hephaistus here in the Agora, the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, and the Temple of Nemesis at Rhamnus, eastern Attica. Nevertheless, when excavating these remains, it was revealed that some blocks had been inscribed with single letters, which were typically used in the 1st century BC. The excavators also found pottery shards of that period below the temple floor. For this reason, they concluded that the “Temple of Ares” must have originally stood somewhere else and had been carefully disassembled, piece by piece, and then rebuilt in the Agora in the period of the Roman Emperor Augustus. In the process, pieces of other temples were added, perhaps to make up for those that had gone missing since the original construction of the Temple, some 400 years earlier.Recent excavations have uncovered what are, most probably, the original foundations of this temple. If this identification is correct, it also shows that the temple was initially dedicated to the goddess Athena. So, we can assume that the Romans did not only transfer the temple but also re-dedicated it to another god, probably to promote the worship of the Roman Emperor and his family You see, in inscriptions of the time, Augustus' grandson was also called" the new Ares". Imperial worship was strongly connected to the worship of Ares or the roman Mars. Therefore, the temple may have been rededicated in his honor, occupying a prominent place right in the middle of the old and much crowded Agora.At this point, let me tell you a quite interesting story about the statues we saw before. When Pausanias came to Athens around 150 AD in the area between the Odeon of Agrippa and the temple of Mars he saw not only one, but two pair of statues of the famous Harmodius and Aristogeiton, the heroes who killed Hipparchus the tyrant in 514 BC thus paving the way that eventually led to the establishment of the democratic system. Both were killed shortly after the act, but soon democratic Athens named them heroes of the city and erected statues of them in the Agora. They were the first mortals to receive such an honor back then. When the Persians invaded Athens in 480 BC, they stole those and brought them to Susa. The Athenians had to replace them with new statues. Later, in the 4th C BC Alexander the Great found the original statues and returned them to Athens where both pairs stood at least until the 2nd c AD. The original statues do not exist, but they are known to us thanks to Roman era copies.So, as we move forward, you will meet the back of a statue, that of Emperor Hadrian. Turn right and head under the pine trees. There, you will find the foundations of the Stoa of Zeus Eleftherios or Zeus the liberator.
The Stoa of Zeus Eleftherios
I trust you have reached the spot. So, let me continue. This cult of Zeus was established here after the battle of Plataea in 479 B.C., when the Greeks drove the Persians out of their land. It was a stoa (colonnade or portico) with two projecting wings. Built of marble and limestone in the years around 425 BC, during a break of the Peloponnesian war, the stoa had doric columns on the exterior and ionic columns within. It was unusual for a religious building to take the form of a stoa rather than a temple and, considering its central location, it is likely that the building also served other civic purposes. Possibly that was one of the accomplishments of Mnesikles, the visionary architect of the Propylaea, the monumental entrance of the Acropolis. According to Pausanias, it was decorated with paintings of Euphranor, a famous 4th-century BC artist, and the shields of those who died fighting for the freedom of Athens were displayed on the building. Rooms were added at the back in the Early Roman period and may have housed imperial cult statues.This is another place where we can spot the presence of Socrates. The stoa of Zeus Eleftherios was the location for two platonic dialogues, Eryxias (wealth and its worth and virtue are the issues in question here, and the final conclusion of dialogue is that the wealthiest are the most wretched because they have so many material needs) and Theages (in this dialogue, Demodocus introduces Socrates to his son Theages, who wishes to study "how to become wise". Here, Socrates makes mention of his daemonion, the inner voice he also mentions in the Apology and other works by Plato. Theages is quoted by Nietzsche in his Will to Power work, where he says, "In Plato's Theages it is written: 'Each one of us would like to be master over all men, if possible, and best of all God. This attitude must exist again»), and even though both are in the platonic corpus, they are not considered genuine, even though in antiquity they were. So, in the Theages dialogue, Demodocus meets Socrates and wishing to consult him, he asks “Would you come away from the traffic in the stoa of Zeus Eleftherios?” This very stoa provided shelter from the noise and the crowds of the marketplace but also offered places to sit, as becomes clear from the Eryxias and other texts.The south end of the west side of the square of the Agora was given over to the major administrative building of the Athenian democracy. The buildings generally here are poorly preserved, but identification is secure thanks to the account of the traveler Pausanias, who visited Athens in the years around A.D. 150. We will go that way, but first let’s hike to the top of the hill and talk about the best-preserved temple in Greece.On the way up, there is a bench from where you can enjoy one of the best views of the city of Athens.
The Temple of Hephaestus
Impossible to miss and overlooking the whole area from the hill on the west, is the The Temple of Hephaistos, the landmark of the Agora, the best-preserved example of a doric temple in mainland Greece. It was dedicated jointly to Hephaistos (God of the forge, the Roman Vulcan) and Athena (goddess of arts and crafts, Minerva in Latin), and dates from the second half of the 5th century BC. It was built largely of pentelic marble and carries a great amount of sculptural decoration still in situ. The Labors of Herakles occupy the east facade, while the trials of Theseus, a local hero, adorn short sections of the long north and south sides. The Theseus scenes named the temple the "Theseion," which survives as the name of the district outside the archaeological site even today. Battle scenes decorate the east and west freezes, with a lively struggle against centaurs at the west. The two bronze cult statues, created by Alkamenes and described by Pausanias, do not survive unfortunately.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., saving it from later being quarried for building material, though deep depressions in the steps show where the lead that was used to seal metal clamps was gouged out eventually. Conversion to a church led however to the deliberate mutilation of the sculptures, except for the Minotaur scene at the southeast corner who has retained his head and the fight between humans and centaurs on the west side. In the early 19th century, the church was used as the Protestant cemetery, and many European philhellenes who died in the War of Independence, were buried here.Leaving the temple behind you and after an approximately five-minute walk through the path, you will see two benches. Probably, on the way, you will observe a little grave on your right hand before you reach the benched. Sit down if you like, take a rest and in front of you, you will see our next point of interest, Tholos.
Tholos
The Tholos building, easily recognizable by its round-shaped foundations, served as the headquarters of the prytaneis (the executive committee) of the Boule according to Aristotle. It was practically the government, the council of the prime ministers. Here the fifty senators of the presiding tribe were fed at public expense, and at least seventeen spent the night in, available to deal with any emergency that might occur, whatever the hour. In a sense, then, the Tholos represents the heart of the Athenian democracy. 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. What is interesting also here is that 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. Wine jars and cups labeled as public property were found around the building and are shown in the museum. Today visible at the center is a fragment of an altar where the holy flame of the city was always burning.By chance, the philosopher Socrates, while holding public office for the only time in his life, was epistates (leader of the prytanic council and then of the summit of the Ecclesia, the Assembly) on the day that the Athenian generals were tried for what happened after the victory at the Arginusae battle in 406 BC during the Peloponnesian war. The news of the victory itself was met with joy at Athens. Their joy was tempered, however, by the aftermath of the battle, in which a storm prevented the ships assigned to rescue the survivors of the 25 disabled or sunken Athenian triremes from performing their duties, and a great number of sailors drowned. Public anger erupted at Athens when the public learned about this and, after a bitter struggle in the assembly, six of the eight generals who were in command of the fleet were tried as a group and executed. Declaring that he would "do nothing that was contrary to the law", Socrates refused to put the measure to a vote, as each had to be tried separately according to the law. Emboldened, Euryptolemus, a statesman, rose to speak, and persuaded the assembly to pass a motion ordering that the generals be tried separately. Parliamentary maneuvering, however, undid this victory, and in the end the original motion was carried; a vote was taken, and all six generals were found guilty and executed, including the son of Pericles, Pericles the younger.Just next to the Tholos, to the right, you will meet Voulefterion.
The Bouleuterion
The Voulefterion was the meeting place of the Vouli, which was like a Senate, we would say today. Five hundred Athenian elder 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 Ecclesia, the assembly of all citizens (always free Athenian men), which met at the Pnyx every ten days. The remains are in a bad state of preservation, with only the outlines of walls 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. that lies under the Metroon foundations that are just north of these remains.
The Monument of Eponymous Heroes
Leaving the Bouleuterion, behind the bushes, lie the remains of the Monument of the Eponymous Heroes. When Cleisthenes introduced the democratic system in 508/7 B.C., he assigned all the Athenians to ten newly formed tribes. He then sent 100 names of Athenian heroes to Delphi, where Apollo’s oracle picked ten, after whom the tribes were named. Citizenship depended on membership in a tribe, the army was arranged in tribal contingents, one served in the Boule as a member of their tribe, and festivals were held in honor of one’s tribal hero. Obviously, the tribal system was the actual foundation on which the newborn then Athenian democracy was built.The monument took the form of a long base for the ten bronze statues representing the ten eponymous heroes of the tribes. It served as a public notice board and announcements concerning citizens would be hung on the face of the high base beneath the appropriate tribal statue. Military conscription, public honors, upcoming legal events, and proposed legislation would all be displayed there. In the days before radio, television, newspapers, the telephone or internet, this monument was essential for the dissemination of official information. This was the very notice board where the news about the trial of Socrates would be announced, then his indictment etc.Only parts of the stone sill and the surrounding fence survive, along with five limestone blocks from the base itself and two marble blocks from the crown of the complex. Literary references indicate that the Eponymi heroes were erected as early as 425 B.C., though the remains here go back no earlier than ca. 330 B.C. Cuttings in the sill show that the monument was refurbished on several occasions thereafter and these adjustments may well reveal changes in the tribal system itself. New tribes were created, and new heroes were added from time to time to flatter powerful rulers in the Hellenistic and Roman periods; the number of tribes -and therefore heroes– fluctuated between ten and thirteen.
The Commercial side of the Agora
As we continue forward to the open space of this archaeological site, facing the Acropolis, I take the chance to talk to you a little more about the commercial side of Agora.Many of the philosopher’s discussions are said to have taken place nearby ‘the tables’, as Socrates states in the Apology, in the open parts of the Agora and in various shops and workshops around there, just south-east of Tholos. The barbers, the wreath makers, the sandal makers, the perfume makers, they all provided Socrates with vivid examples and metaphors from their respective crafts and Xenophon in Memorabilia provides enough evidence. The different merchants were selling their products in the beginning using temporary tents and tables, according to their guilds, and later stoas (long colonnades) were built to house their activities.Xenophon specifically speaks of a leather worker whose workshop was frequented by young learner Euthydemus who would come every day to meet Socrates because he could not enter the agora as he was underage. Simon the cobbler was also a student of philosophy himself and the first one to have written dialogues with Socrates as the main character since he was taking notes while listening to him talking to his students at his shop. A copy of the relative boundary stone is set next to the ruins of his shop/workshop marking the limit between the public area of the Agora and areas where private people could have properties. The foundations of that building can be seen between the Tholos’ and the Middle Stoa’s ruins.
The Middle Stoa
The so-called nowadays “Middle Stoa” was the first that was built between ca. 180 and 140 B.C. It was divided into two unequal halves and was just under 150 meters long. It was the largest building in the Agora, with colonnades at both north and south sides, as well as along its axis. That means there were no walls, just the open space that was punctuated with lines of columns. The original steps and three columns remain in situ at its eastern end; to the west, only the heavy foundations of reddish conglomerate survive. Except for its size, the stoa must have been a relatively modest building, made of limestone, with a terracotta tiled roof.Now, as we walk, we will reach the area where in the 1950’s they were excavating quickly, planning on building a museum for the site over there, but the findings made them change their minds.
Poros Building
One large structure, the so-called Poros Building because of its building material, has a long corridor flanked by square rooms, with a courtyard at the rear side. There are also foundations of a building with thick walls that suggest an upper floor. It has been proposed that this might be the State Prison (desmoterion), where Socrates and others convicted of political crimes were executed. The date, location, and plan are all appropriate, though the building may equally well have served some commercial function. It is really tempting to say the square rooms were the cells of the prison and the building with the upper floor was the tower for the guards. Finally, the tiny bottles that were excavated here and now are shown in the museum of the Agora might have been the poison vessels.The agora provides, as noted, the setting for the judicial episodes that lead to the death of Socrates’ in prison, possibly the building that used to be right here. Summing up, the conversation with Euthyphro took place in front of the Stoa Basileios while waiting to appear in front of king archon, accused of impiety. The usual procedure in both public and private cases was that the prosecutor who could be any Athenian citizen, came to the defendant with one or two witnesses and stated their complaint and summoned them to appear in front of a specific magistrate on a specific date. In this case, Meletus had no difficulty finding Socrates in the agora or the palestra nearby and broke the conversation he had with Theaetetus according to Plato and went to the Stoa Basileios, then the magistrate would write the accusation on a whitened board and publish it on the Monument of the Eponymous Heroes.In the trials such as in Socrates’ now there was a magistrate presiding but no professional judge or lawyer, just the plaintiff and the defendant. A jury of 500 listened to the speeches of both and then voted first on the indictment, whether the plaintiff had made his case or if the defendant was innocent of the charges. In case of conviction, then another pair of speeches followed, regarding the penalty and the jury would vote again. What Plato and Xenophon say about the speeches of Socrates was that they were quite likely the things he said, since they were writing for an audience who knew him or heard him or even were at the trial. It seems that he was not really interested in spending time preparing a solid defense speech. When he was asked why he was not preparing his defense, he said “Do I not seem to have been practicing for this throughout my life?”.When the jurors voted 280 to 220 to convict Socrates, the prosecution proposed death as penalty. Socrates did not then propose exile, which the jurors might have preferred, as getting rid of him without the onus of an execution was better for them, but he provoked them even more by the audacious suggestion that he should be given free meals at state expense as a public benefactor. Plato has him go on to propose more seriously a fine which his friends will help pay, but Xenophon insists that he refused either to propose a penalty or to let his friends do so, on the grounds that this would be to admit that he had done wrong. In either case the jurors seem to have resented his attitude as arrogant and voted, by an even larger majority, the penalty of death. The location of the Heliaia, the meeting point of the body of jurors, has not been absolutely certified yet, but the finding of ancient ballot boxes underneath the Stoa of Attalos, suggests it had to be near that.Moving on, heading to Stoa of Attalos, and leaving the remains of the middle stoa behind you, you will see some ancient steps with some remnants of Byzantine walls. Go down the steps, follow the small narrow path till the end and you will see an imposing building lined with columns. This is the Stoa of Attalos. Approach the entrance of the stoa and welcome to an ancient shopping mall!!
The Stoa of Attalos
Yes, you heard right. The Stoa of Attalos was the gift of Attalos II, King of Pergamon, to the city of Athens, where he had previously studied philosophy. So, this building was a “thank you” gesture for the education he received in Athens.Built in the 2nd c. BC the Stoa served as a modern shopping center, the first and the largest one of antiquity and became the central meeting point of the Athenians during that period. Along its two floors 21 shops were housed on each floor. On the ground floor, the exterior colonnade was Doric, and the interior Ionic was without flutings. On the upper floor, the outer colonnade was Ionic, and the interior had capitals of a Pergamene type. This mix of Doric and Ionic was typical of buildings from this period. The building material that was used for its construction reflects the attention to luxury: white Pentelic marble, the same as the Parthenon, azure grey Hymettian marble and hard Piraeus limestone.The Stoa was destroyed in 267 AD, and its restoration was carried out in 1953-1956 by the American School of Classical Studies in Athens to host an archaeological museum.Continue down the arcade and you will meet the entrance of the Agora Museum on your right.
The Museum of the Ancient Agora
The museum visit is necessary because no Agora tour is complete without it. The exhibits narrate the history of the place and the changes it went through. Plus, it makes the democratic system of 5th c BC Athens more comprehensive.When we enter, we see findings from graves and wells from the Neolithic era to the bronze age and then on to the geometric. There is golden jewelry and ivory jewelry boxes showing wealth and taste of an elite upper class, showing also trading networks with Africa and central Europe.We see examples of burials and cremations and what kind of gifts the dead were offered. There is an almost intact grave of a baby girl from 1000BC and there we can see the skeleton almost intact and bronze pins and earrings that were offered to her. There is also a large vase with geometric decorations inside which they would keep the ashes of a dead warrior. Usually, the dead soldier was ceremoniously burnt on the spot of the battle, then they would put the ashes in vases and bury the vases in their homelands.There is a real pottery panorama, with some very fine examples. The decoration indicates the era the piece was created in and helps with the dating. For examples when we see horses depicted, we are already in the 8th c. BC, the era of aristocracy, since only rich ones can afford horses. We see also how the geometric decoration starts from small parts and gradually covers the whole of the jar. Later we have mythical creatures and humans, first with the black-figure technique, later with the red-figure technique. The Athenian potters were always experimenting with clay and colors reaching a very fine level and their products were popular in the markets.Now, find exhibit #26 and see one of the most impressive findings in the museum, the 7th BC child’s commode that was found in pieces and then reassembled. That really makes us think how similar or different people are, no matter where or when they live.Most of the museum is dedicated to findings from archaic, classical, and Hellenistic times, shedding light to the procedures of the Athenian democracy of each era. We see some of the official measures and weights that were always kept in the Tholos building. From the same building we also see stamps, exhibit 68, that the prytanic council was using to verify products, making sure they were legit and houseware they were using since they were fed there on public expense.Intriguing is the collection of ostraca (fragments of pottery vases) that were used in the precautious measure called ostracism. Please, find exhibit #29 and #30. They gathered once a year and etched on pottery fragments the name of a person, they thought was too powerful or too popular and whoever got the majority had to leave the city for ten years and then return. Easily visible are some very famous names: Pericles, Themistocles, Kimon or Alcibiades. Ostracism became a political game obviously and was in use for no more than a century roughly.We also see an allotment device at exhibit #31, that they used to pick judges each time, since they didn’t have professional ones. Connected to that we see bronze ballots used for voting. It really is impressive that they would leave something extremely important like pick the judges to luck. The public offices were given to people thanks to a lottery system, except for two: that of the grand general and that of the admiral. Those positions needed people with experience and training, so they had to vote for those.Now, please find exhibit #32. Another very practical item was the clepsydra, a water clock practically that helped them not to lose track of time when they were speaking in public. Impressive is the huge bronze shield Athenians had collected after a battle against the Spartans at exhibit #67.An item that really stands out is the “stele of Democracy”. You can find it between exhibit #67 and #68. It’s a marble piece depicting a representation of Democracy crowning the seated Demos (the people) of Athens. Below is an anti-tyranny law passed in 337 BC to discourage attempts against democracy. It was just after a great show of power from the Macedonian kings Phillip II and his son Alexander. This law states that any person who kills anyone who tries to or does undermine and overthrow democracy, is to be considered a hero of the city andTowards the end we see household items, like cooking pots, frying pans and plates, oil lamps and clay figurines of humans and animals. Outside we can admire statues that used to be decorating the monuments or were votive offerings.The exhibits shown in the museum are just a few of the findings from this amazing place. The excavations and research are still going on, the publications shine new lights to the Athenian Agora, trying to help us have a better understanding and a deeper knowledge regarding the way the heart of ancient Athens was beating.On the upper floor of the Stoa, in front of the workshops and storerooms, we can see statues from late classical and roman times and some models of the monuments here that help us visualize the Agora in deeply comprehensive way.We hope you have enjoyed this tour of Ancient Agora. If you are doing more sightseeing in Athens, we also offer audio tours of the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, the Athens Old Town, and the National Archaeological Museum. You can visit our website at www.keytours.gr, choose from plenty of guided tours covering great sites of Greek history, and with the promo code KEYAUDIO, save 10% off your booking. Thanks for joining us and enjoy the rest of your time in Athens!Goodbye!
