User:Mdebets/Sandbox3
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Draft of Ancient Agora of Athens
German text de:Agora (Athen)
To-Do List
- Enhance/Expand buildings into own document (plus photos)
- check links
- organise pictures in Common
- add pictures to article
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Archaic Agora
[edit] Classical Agora
[edit] Hellenistic Agora
[edit] Hellenistic Agora
[edit] Roman Agora
[edit] Buildings
[edit] Administrative Buildings
[edit] Stoas
[edit] Religious Buildings
[edit] Cultural Buildings
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Activities
[edit] Excavations
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Camp, John M. (1992). The Athenian Agora: Excavations in the Heart of Classical Athens. London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0500276838.
- Thompson, Homer A.; R.E. Wycherley (1972). The Athenian Agora Volume XIV: The Agora of Athens. Princeton, New Jersey: The American School of Classical Studies at Athens.
[edit] External links
- Hellenic Ministry of Culture: The Ancient Agora of Athens - official site with a schedule of its opening hours, tickets and contact information
- Agora Excavations American School of Classical Studies Agora excavation project
- [1] American School of Classical Studies Agora page
- Map of the Agora of Athens in Socrates and Plato's time
- [http://www.kronoskaf.com/vr/index.php?title=Agora Project Athinai - Agora of Athens in 421 BC
Old Text
--==== Gerichtshof (5) -==== An open enclosure, measuring 27×31 m, is locatted in the south-west corner of the agora. It canot be identified as an altar or sanctuary, as no votive offerings nor a shrine or altar have been found within. It could be one of the law courts or even the Heliaia (Greek: Ἡλιαῖα), the largest Athenian law court.
Courts were an important part of the Athenian democracy. A jury court consisted of between 200 and 2,500 jurors. Jeder Geschworene bekam zwei Stimmmärkchen ausgehändigt, die von der Form an Kreisel erinnerten. Ein Stimmmärkchen hatte jeweils eine durchbohrte Achse, während das andere eine undurchbohrte Achse hatte. Bei Stimmabgabe wurde das Märkchen mit den Fingern an beiden Seiten der Achse angefasst, so dass nicht zu sehen war, ob die Achse durchbohrt war oder nicht. Das Märkchen wurde dann in eine Urne gelegt und anschließend wurde die Anzahl der Märkchen mit und ohne durchbohrte Achse gezählt. Wenn die Anzahl der Märkchen mit durchbohrter Achse größer war, als die ohne, wurde der Angeklagte schuldig gesprochen.
Auf der Agora wurde auch ein anderer für Gerichte benutzter Gegenstand gefunden: eine Auslosungsmaschine (κληρωτηρία). Diese bestand aus einem Stein, in den kleine Schlitze in zehn Spalten (für jede Phyle eine) eingelassen waren. Alle Leute einer Phyle, die Gerichtsdienst hatten, mussten ein Namenskärtchen mit ihrem Namen in einen Schlitz ihrer Phyle stecken. Anschließend wurde für jede Reihe eine farbige Kugel aus einer speziellen Einrichtung gezogen; war sie weiß, mussten alle Leute aus der entsprechenden Reihe an diesem Tag Gerichtsdienst leisten (das heißt für eine Reihe insgesamt zehn Leute; aus jeder Phyle je einer), war sie schwarz, waren sie für diesen Tag freigestellt.
In der zweiten Hälfte des 4. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. wurde an der Nordfassade der Heliaia eine Wasseruhr (κλεψύδρα) angebracht. Sie bestand aus einem einfachen Behälter, der nachts mit Wasser gefüllt wurde. Morgens wurde ein Stöpsel im Boden der Wasseruhr gezogen, so dass das Wasser begann, langsam auszulaufen. Für eine vollständige Entleerung des Beckens wurden etwa 17 Stunden benötigt. Im 3. Jahrhundert v. Chr. wurde die Technik der Wasseruhr vermutlich verbessert, genaueres ist uns nicht bekannt.
Als neben der Heliaia durch den Bau der Mittel-Stoa ein Platz abgegrenzt wurde, diente die Heliaia gleichzeitig als westliche Grenze dieses Platzes. Zu dieser Zeit wurden auch neue Räume an die Heliaia angebaut. Außerdem wurde im Innern ein Peristyl errichtet. Die Wasseruhr kam zu dieser Zeit außer Gebrauch. Als die Römer Athen im 1. Jahrhundert v. Chr. belagerten, wurde die Heliaia zerstört.
It was probably destroyed by the Romans in the 1st century BC.
- Construction
- Location - short identification - Phases (dates)
- Architecture - identification (long) - Usage
The Athenian Agora (Greek: Marketplace) was in Greek Antiquity the meeting place for the citizens of Athens for public, military and judicial matters. It existed from the 5th century BC onwards and was a counterweight to the religious and political power centre of the archaic citadel (Acropolis. It was therefore an important step in the development of the Athenian democracy. From Cleisthenes onwards this function moved to the Pnyx and from 330 BC onwards to the Dionysos Theatre).
-== History == -=== Archaic Agora ===
-=== Classical Agora ===
-=== Hellenistic Agora === The 2nd century BC saw Athens becoming the educational centre of the mediteranean world. Hellenistic kings (e.g. from Egypt, Syria and Pergamon) started to errect buildings in Athens, to show their power and culture. The building activities in the Agora increased and the large stoai were built. The Agora was fully surrounded by buildings with columns in front of them in the second half of the 2nd century BC.
-=== Roman Agora === The southern part of the Agora was partly destroyed during the Roman siege of Athens in 86 BC. The middle of the 1st century BC saw an increased Roman interest in the city, which led to new buildings, as well as the new Roman Forum, 150 m east of the Agora. The Roman Forum took over much of the functions of the Agora and the free space in the Agora was buit over.
The time after the reign of Augustus did not see much new building activities. The reigns of Trajan (98-117 AD) anf Hadrian (117-138 AD) saw a last Blütezeit for the Agora. The {{Herulians]] stürmten Athens in 267 AD and destroyed most of the buildings of the Agora. After this destuction, the Agora never reached its importance of the past again and was built over with a residential area from the 4th century AD onwards.
-== Buildings == -=== Panathenaic Way ===
The Panathaneian Way crossed the Agora from the Soth-East to the North-West. The way had only a festgestampften Schotterdecke, even so it was one of the main streets of Athens. The street got a Rinnstein. only in Hellenistic times.
The Panathaneian Way was not only used by traffic, but was also a place were sporting events were held, a street for processions and the training place for the cavallery. Wodden Tribünen ('Greek 'Ikria) were put alongside the street for the visitors of the different events. The holes for the posts of these Tribünen can still be seen today.
A part of the Agora was called Orchestra . It was the place for most of the puplic events. The Orchestra also still has post holes. Most of the events were moved to the Theater of Dionysos in the 5th century BC, after the collaspe of a Tribüne.The Orchestra remained however a placer where athlets were verehrt, as can be seen by the statues of victors that were errected in the Agora.
-=== Religious Buildings === --==== Temple of Hephaestus(Hephaestion) (13) -====
The Temple of Hephaestus is located on top of the Kolonos Agoraios, a hill on the western border of the Agora. This nearly fully preserved temple is made of marble and presumed to be dedicated to Hephaestus god of the blacksmiths, and Athena the goddess of crafts and fine art. This identification is however not unambiguous and it has also be suggested that it is the Theseion the Temple of Eukleia. Evidence for smelting pits and slag has been found near the temple. It seems therefore logical that a temple near an area of blacksmiths is dedicated to the god of the blacksmiths.
It is suggested that the building of the temple was started in the middle of the 5th century BC, during the time of Pericles (443-429 BC). It was however not finished before the end of the century. Inscriptions proof that the cult statues were placed in the cella between 421 and 415 BC. They were made from bronze by the sculptor Alkamenes and depicted Hephaestus and Athena.
The temple was constructed mainly from pentalic marble. It was a Doric temple with 6×13 columns on the outside and had all the hallmarks of a Classical Greek temple. The temple had a large amount of sculptural decorations. The metope over the main entrance shows the deeds of Heracles, while next to him are the adventures of Theseus. A fries above the pronaos shows a battle. A fries on the opposite side, above the Ophisthodomos, shows the battle between the Lapithen and the Centaurs. The temple was surrounded by a small grove, similar like it is today. This is shown through the holes in the ground for plants.
The Hephaestion is, besides the Parthenon, best preserved Greek temple. The reason for this is that Athens does not lie in an earthquake zone, but also that the temple was used as a Christian church and therefore wasn't used to provide stones for other buildings.
--==== Altar of the Twelve Gods (16) -====
The Altar of the Twelve Gods was built in the north-west corner of the Agora in 522/521 BC (according to Thucydides). It was built by Peisistratos the Younger while he was Archon in Athens. It seems it was damaged during the Persian Wars and later repaired. It was the artificial centre of Athens and used for measuring distances. It was also used as an asylum in Antiquity.
It was rediscovered in 1934, when a square area of stone slabs was found next to the Panathanaian Way. The area was bordered by a low limestone cornice, in which still marks of a stone fence are visible. The identification of the altar was done with an inscription on one of the statue bases, dated to between 490 and 470 BC. It reads "Leagros, son of Glaukon, dedicated this to the twelve gods".
-==== Temple of Apollo Patroos (14) -====
The temple of Apollo Patroos is located on the western side of the Agora, south of the Stoa of Zeus. It was built in the 2nd half of the 4th century BC. It consisted of a small room of 10×16,5 m with an ante room in front of it. Four Columns were located in this Room. Several statues of Apollo by different famous artists were located in this temple, according to Pausanias. It is suspected that an earlier 6th century BC temple existed on this location until the Persian Wars.
-==== Temple of Ares -====
The Temple of Ares is located in the north half of the Agora, just south of the Altar of the Twelve Gods. This Doric temple of Ares was original built in the 5th century BC in marble. In the late 1st century BC it got moved to the Agora. The original location is not known, but inscriptions suggest that it was a place north of Athens. It was dismantled stone by stone during the Augustan building program and re-erected at the Agora. This is not the only building that was moved to the Agora in that time. Several other small buildings got also moved from totally or partially de-populated areas to Athens.
-==== Monument of the Eponymous Heroes (10) -====
The Monument of the Eponymous Heroes was erected in the 4th century BC in the south-west corner of the Agora, north of the Heliaia. The monument consisted of a 16 meter long and 2 m wide platform, which was surrounded by a wooden fence. 10 statues stood on the platform. The statues were the 10 name givers of the 10 tribes of Athens, Hippothontis, Antiochis, Aiantis, Leontis, Erechtis, Aigeis, Oineis, Akamantis, Kekropis and Pandionis. The 10 tribes existed since the reforms from Cleisthenes and were 10 heroes from Greek history that were selected by the Oracle of Delphi. The platform also functioned as a notice board for the different Athenian tribes, where notices for a tribe were put beneath the corresponding hero.
-==== Temple of Aphrodite Urania (18) -====
-==== Altar of Zeus Agoraios -====
-=== The Stoas === -==== Stoa Basileios (Royal stoa) (17) -====
The Stoa Basileios is located in the north-east corner of the Agora. Two inscriptions confirm that it was the Stoa Basileios, which was the official seat of the Archon Basileios, the 2nd highest Archon, who was responsible for public rituals.
The stoa measures 18×17.5 m. Its front is oriented eastwards and has eight Doric columns. A lime stone bench for the Archon and other magistrates was originally placed in front of the stoa. This stoa got replaced with a marble bench in the 4th century BC. A large rock, the λίθος (Lithos), lies in front of the stoa. Here all magistrates were sworn into office. This stone was also the reason for locating the stoa on that point. A large, 3 meter high, marble statue on a base was placed in front of the stoa in the middle of the 4th century BC. It is unclear if it was a statue of Themis, goddess of justice or of Demokratia. Later on, the statue was included into a wall and survived only partly.
It is uncertain, when the stoa was erected. Aristotle wrote: "He [Solon] created a constitution and made further laws [...] Laws were written on tables which were then placed in the Stoa Basileios". This would date the stoa to the beginning of the 6th century BC, the time Solon created his constitution. Stylistically characteristics however, for example a Doric fries, date the stoa to the middle of the 6th century. There was also pottery found below the floor, which was dated to around 500 BC. The only reliable date is that the stoa was build after the sack of Athens by the Athenians in 480 BC. The Stoa Basilica was rediscovered in 1970.
Besides being the office of the Archon Basileios, the stoa was also used for official dinners. This is shown by the large amount of high quality tableware that was found behind the stoa. This tableware had the same Ligatur, ΔΕ for Demosion, as the Tholos, which marked it as property of the people.
It is no entirely clear, whether Solon's laws were really placed in the stoa (as Aristotle says). It is known however that laws were inscribed into stone in the last decade of the 5th century BC and placed in the stoa by a Nikomachos. Fragments of these law tablets have been found. They were placed on the back of the stoa. When the stoa ran out of space, new rooms with columns were added to both sides.
The pre-trial hearing in the trial against the philosopher Socrates was held in 399 BC in the Stoa Basileios. The Archon Basileios, as guardian of Religion, was responsible for collecting the evidence against Socrates and present it to the court.
-==== Stoa Poikile (20) -====
Parts of another stoa was excavated north-east of the Stoa Basileios. Both stoas formed the north-west corner of the Agora. The Panathanaic way runs between these two stoas. The stoa was probably built in the second quarter of the 5th century BC. It measures 12.5 m by 36 m (estimated) and was therefore larger than the Stoa Basileios. The Stoa Poikile is also built in the Doric order, but had ionic columns on the inside. The stoa opened to the south (towards the sun), while its northern wall kept a way the cold northern wind.
This stoa is most likely the Stoa Peisianaktios, which was later renamed to Stoa Poikile. The first name reflected its Erbauer Peisianax. The stoa was used to display paintings of famous Greek artists, like Polygnotos, Mikon and Panainos. The pictures were painted on wodden pannels (Greek sanides). According to Pausanias, these pictures mostly displayed military scenes, real as well as mythological ones. These pictures gave the stoa the name Poikile (wich means „painted Stoa“). They were removed in Christian times. The stoa was also used to display artefacts of Athenian victories, like armour and shields of besiegter enemies. . The Stoa Poikile was not only a museum, but also a meeting point for Athenian citizens.Bettler, Gaukler, traders and of course philosopher could be foun in the stoa.An example was Zenon, the founder of the Stoics, who met with his pupils in the Stoa Poikile. Public events, like Gerichtsprozesse were held here as well.
-==== Stoa of Zeus (15) -====
The Stoa of Zeus was located south of the Stoa Basileios. The stoa was dedicated to Zeus Eleutherios (Ζεὺς Ἐλευθέριος, Zeus the Liberator). This cult was founded in 479 BC after the final expulsion of the Persians. The stoa was built between 430 and 420 BC and was decorated with the shields of Athenians who were killed in the war with the Persians.
The facade was made of pentellic marble. The stoa was of Doric order and had two hervortretende Flügel. The Stoa of Zeus was, like the Stoa Poikile, decorated with panel paintings. Socrates met with hisfriends and pupils in this stoa.
-==== South Stoa I (4) -====
The South Stoa I was built between 430 and 420 BC (in the time of the Peloponnesian War) between the Heliaia and a fountain house at the Southside of the Agora. The stoa was of Doric order and had a double row of columns. It is however visible that money was saved by using cheaper building material. The lower parts of the walls for example were made from large slabs, while the upper parts were made from Lehmziegeln. The entrances of all rooms are off-centre. That meant that couches could be placed along thee walls of the rooms. It seems that the rooms of the stoa were used for dinning. Later on simple benches were placed in these rooms.
Several coins have been found in the stoa, which suggests that it was used as a trade or banking centre. This theory is supported by the fact that the official mint was located in the building next to it. The inscription of a μετρόνομος (Metronomos), an official inspector for measurements and weights, from 222/221 BC has also been found.
The stoa was demolished around 150 BC to make space for the new South Stoa II.
-==== Souuthern Square -==== Three new buildings, the South-Stoa II, The Middle Stoa and the Eastern Building were errected at the beginning of the 2nd century BC in the south of the Agora which formed together with the Heliaia a new square. The function of the square is unknown but it has been suspected that it was a marketplace. The two new stoas could have been market halls which would not have needed rooms. SHops were moved to the Stoa of Attalos. The Eastern Building could have been used by money lenders.
-==== South Stoa II -====
The South-Stoa II was partly errected on the place of the older demolished South-Stoa. The new Stoa is larger and has a slightly different orientation then the old one. It has also deeper foundations, to be on the same level as the other building on the new southern square. The new Stoa was of doric order, but had only a row aof columns and no rooms anymore. It had a small fountain on the back, which is fed by a passing water pipe. It was probably destroyed by the Romans in the 1st century BC.
-==== Middle Stoa -====
The Middle Stoa was built at around 180 BC. It measures 147×17,5 m and consists of a row of columns that run around the whole building. It was used as the division between the main Agora and a small square on the south side of the Agora. The stoa has no rooms inside just a dfividing wall in the middle. It was built with typicall materials like limestone and terracotta, and had marble metopes.
-==== Eastern Building -==== The Eatern Building connects the South-Stoa II and the Middle Stoa on the east site of the new square. It measures 12×40 m and connects the Panathanaic way with the square. It coontained four square rooms. The floor had a mosaic, made from marble splitners. It was probably destroyed by the Romans in the 1st century BC.
-==== Stoa of Attalos -====
The substantial Stoa of Attalos is located along the eastern edge of the Agora. It was built by King Attalus II Philadelphus of Pergamon in the 2nd century BC at the location of the older Peristylar Court. An inscription claims that he made the stoa a gift to the Athenian people. It measures 115×20 m and has two storeys. Both storeys each had a double row of columns and 21 rooms. The stoa had doric as well as ionic columns. The gap between the columns was larger than the typical gap in antiquity as only every third Triglyph had a column beneath it. All rooms of the stoa were used as shops.
The stoa was desroyed in 267 AD by the Herulians. Parts of the building was re-used in the defensive wall which stiil stands today. The stoa was rebuilt between 1952 and 1956 ans is today used as a museum.
-==== Stoa of Hermes (19) -====
-==== Basilica -==== The Basilica is strictly speaking not a stoa. Roman basilicas had however a similar function to Greek stoas. It was used as a marketplace, for administrative purposes and as court. The partially excavated basilica in the north eastern corner of the Agora was a building with three naves that was probably built by the Romans. It was used for administrative purpose of the Romans.
- === Verwaltungsgebäude ===
-==== Building F -==== South of the old Bouleuterion lies a building that is called Building F, as it cannot be identified. It was erected between 550 and 525 BC. The building is fairly large and has an irregular shape. The rooms of the house are grouped around a peristyle. It shows similarities to private houses (e.g. hearths), it is however fairly large for a private house and its prominent position on the edge of the Agora would be unusual for it. The building was erected during the Peisistratid tyranny. It is therefore possible that this building was the house or palace of Peisistratos
The building was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC, 30 years after the Peisistratid tyranny. The space was later used for the building of the Tholos it is therefore possible that the building was used as the seat of the magistrates between the end of the Peisistratid tyranny and the destruction by the Persians.
-==== Metroon (Old Bouleuterion) (11) -====
A square building with a side length of around 23 m has been found on the west side of the Agora. The building has no rooms in the inside and has been identified as Bouleuterion. It was built at the time of Cleisthenes' reforms between 509 and 507 BC. It was the seat of the Boule. It was used for discussing laws and voting on them.
The Bouleuterion had to be rebuilt after the Persian invasion in the mid 5th century BC. It got a second uses as a record archive after the rebuilding. At the end of the 5th century BC a new Bouleuterion was built next to it and the old Bouleuterion lost its use as seat of the Boule, but remained an archive. From then on it was caled Metroon. It was also used as a sanctuary of Rhea, mother of the Olympian Gods. The building was replaced by a new one in 140 BC. It had columns on its east facçade, but the internal divisions are unclear.
-==== New Bouleuterion (12) -====
The new Bouleuterion was built at the end of the 5th century BC west of the old Bouleuterion at the location of the Rhea sanctuary. The new Bouleuterion did no longer have a square layout, but was rectangular. It measured 16 by 22 m. The boule was most likely sitting on simple wooden chairs, facing eastwards. A portico was added to the new Bouleuterion later on.
-==== Tholos (8) -====
The Tholos was erected between 470 and 460 BC. It was a round building with a diameter of around 20 m. It is located south of the old Bouleiterion and was the seat of the Prytaneis. The 50 members of the Prytaneis dinned there and a third had to reside in the Tholos at all time (even at night). The building was not large enough for 50 couches. It has therefore been suggested that the members of the Prytaneis dinned sitting up. The building has two small rooms, which probably were the kitchen and the pantry. It has been suggested that official measures and weights were kept in the Tholos as well.
Dishes have been found in the vicinity of the Tholos. The dishes had the characters ΔΕ for Demosion (Property of the people) inscribed on them. The food for the Prytaneis was simple and consisted of cheese, wine and vegetables. In the late 5th century BC that was changed to include fish and meat.
-==== Heliaea (Court) (5) -====
-==== Peristylar Court (1) -====
The Peristylar Court is located in the north-east corner of the Agora. It is a court that is surrounded by columns. It was erected at around 300 BC, but has a makeshift look, as it has no foundation and older material was reused. The court has a side length of 35 m. It has been suggested that it was used as a law-court.
-==== Arsenal -====
The building is located on the Kolonos Agoraois, north of the Hephaisteion. It was built at the beginning of the 3rd century BC. It is around 17.5x5 m and in very bad condition. Its identification is not possible. It could have been an arsenal for the storage of military equipment.
-=== Versorgung und Kultur ===
-==== Southeast Fountain House (Enneacrounos) (3) -====
The Southeast Fountain House was erected between 530 and 520 BC in the south-west corner of the Agora. It is a fountain house with three rooms, one main, large one, and two smaller ones that could be accessed from the main room. It replaced older private houses. The fountain house was supplied with a constant flow of water through terracotta water pipes. Overflow pipes removed the excess water. People could fill their water jugs in the two smaller rooms, either through spouts or by placing the jug directly into the water tank in the western room.
Fountain houses were popular meeting places for the Athenians, especially for slaves and women, who rarely participated in public life. They could talk there to each other while filling their water jugs.
-==== Southwest Fountain House -====
This fountain house in the south west corner of the Agora was built between 350 and 325 BC. Athens saw a drought at that time. This effected the fountains, which dried up and needed to be drilled deeper. This additional fountain house was therefore needed as support for the water supply of the Agora.
The building can be identified as a fountain house by the aqueduct that leads into the house. The water basin is L-shaped and can be accessed through a portico. Water was supplied by a pipe from the East. This water pipe was also used to supply the fountain in the South Stoa II. The South-West Fountain House was with 100 m2 the largest (known) fountain house in Athens.
-==== Mint (2) -====
The mint is located in the south-east corner of the Agora, next to the Panathanaic Way. The mint was erected around 400 BC, it is however unclear if it was used for minting coins at that time. It could have been used as an official Bronze smithy, where Bronze measures and weights, lamps and other things were produced. Some of these objects have been found in or near the mint.
The building is fairly large and has a near square layout. Smith's hearths, slag, water basins and blanks for coins have been found in the building, which makes the identification as mint certain.
The main workshop covered only a quarter of the building, as the hearths and tools were only found there. Two smaller rooms could have been store rooms.
-==== Odeon of Agrippa -====
The Odeon of Agrippa was built by the Romans around 15 BC. It was named after the General Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. The original building was seating 1,000 people. The orchestra was semi-circular with thin marble slabs. It had a frre-standing roof with a diameter of 25 m. It collapsed after 150 years and was rebuilt and remodelled in the 2nd century AD. The rebuilding saw a reducing of the tseating to 500 people. The newly built odeon near the Acropolis had taken over some of the work of the Odeon of Agrippa. It was therefore used for other taks. It was used among other things as lecture theatre for philosophers and Sophists. The odeon was finaly destroyed in 267 AD by the Herulians.
-==== Library of Pantainos -====
The Library of Pantainos is located in the south-east corner of the Agora. It was identified as library by an inscription. The library was built by Pantainos at around 100 AD. The library has a unique floor plan. The centre of the library was a large courtyard, whose dimension are 20×13,5 m. The floor was covered in marble splinter. Later on, a peristyle was added and the floor was covered by marble slabs. East of the courtyard was another room with a marble floor. This room was separated from the courtyard by columns. Several smaller rooms were grouped around these two rooms. The building had three stoas on the outside.
-=== To be added === 6Strategeion
9Agora stone
- An Altar of Zeus Agoraios was added just to the east of the Monument to the Eponymous Heroes.
- A collection of buildings were added to the south-east corner: the East stoa, the the Nimphaeum and a temple.
- A small Roman temple was added in front of the Middle stoa.
The ancient Athenian agora has been excavated by the American School of Classical Studies since 1931 under the direction of T. Leslie Shear, Sr. of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. They continue to the present day, now under the direction of John McK Camp.
After the initial phase of excavation, in the 1950s, the Hellenistic Stoa of Attalos was reconstructed on the east side of the agora, and today it serves as a museum and as storage and office space for the excavation team.
-== Literatur ==
- John M. Camp: Die Agora von Athen. von Zabern, Mainz 1989 ISBN 3805310595
- Joachim Losehand: Häuser für die Herrscher Roms und Athens? Überlegungen zu Funktion und Bedeutung von Gebäude F auf der Athener Agora und der Regia auf dem Forum Romanum, Dr. Kovac, Hamburg 2007. ISBN 3830033974
-== Pictures used ==
Old Text
-== History ==
The agora in Athens had private housing, until it was reorganized by Peisistratus in the 6th century BC. Although he may have lived on the agora himself, he removed the other houses, closed wells, and made it the centre of Athenian government. He also built a drainage system, fountains and a temple to the Olympian gods. Cimon later improved the agora by constructing new buildings and planting trees. In the 5th century BC there were temples constructed to Hephaestus, Zeus and Apollo.
The Areopagus and the assembly of all citizens met elsewhere in Athens, but some public meetings, such as those to discuss ostracism, were held in the agora. Beginning in the period of the radical democracy (after 509 BC), the Boule, or city council, the Prytaneis, or presidents of the council, and the Archons, or magistrates, all met in the agora. The law courts were located there, and any citizen who happened to be in the agora when a case was being heard, could be forced to serve as a juror; the Scythian archers, a kind of mercenary police force, often wandered the agora specifically looking for jurors.
German Text
-== Geschichte ==
Das Gebiet der späteren Agora von Athen wurde wahrscheinlich bereits seit der Jungsteinzeit bewohnt. Den ältesten Beleg für Siedlungen auf der Agora gibt Keramik, die in der Nähe von Brunnen geborgen wurde. Sie wird auf rund 3000 v. Chr. datiert. Allerdings wurden keine Siedlungsspuren aus dieser Zeit gefunden. Von der späten Bronzezeit an (1600–1100 v. Chr.) bis ins 7. Jahrhundert v. Chr. wurde die Agora als Friedhof benutzt. Man fand etliche Gräber aus dieser Zeit.
Ab etwa 1000 v. Chr. wurde das Gebiet der Agora auch als Wohnstätte benutzt. Zwar lassen sich keine Reste der damaligen Häuser finden, da dieses Gebiet später als Steinbruch verwendet wurde, aber es finden sich etliche Brunnenschächte aus dieser Zeit. Gegen Ende des 8. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. wurden viele dieser Brunnen zugeschüttet, was auf einen drastischen Bevölkerungsrückgang hindeutet.
Gegen 600 v. Chr.] begann man, die Agora als öffentlichen Platz auszubauen. Erst um 500 v. Chr. wurde die Agora auch formalrechtlich durch Grenzsteine (so genannte Horoi – griechisch ὅροι) abgegrenzt. Die Horoi, die an den Eingängen der Agora aufgestellt wurden, trugen den Schriftzug: „ὅρος εἰμι τῆς ἀγορᾶς“ („Ich bin die Grenze der Agora“). Durch die Aufstellung der Grenzsteine sollte ein wildes Bauen auf der Agora verhindert werden. Verbrechern, Kriegsdienstverweigerern und anderen Leuten, die auf der Agora nicht erwünscht waren, wurde der Zutritt zur Agora verboten.
Im Jahr 480 v. Chr. eroberten die Perser Athen und zerstörten dabei die Stadt und die Agora zu einem großen Teil. Ironischerweise sind uns erst durch diese Zerstörung und den anschließenden Wiederaufbau viele Gebäude (als Ruine) erhalten geblieben. Nach der Zerstörung der Agora durch die Perser begann man mit dem Wiederaufbau. Daher entstanden zu dieser Zeit auch viele neue Gebäude. Bald schon brachen schwierige Zeiten für Athen an; vor allem die Bürgerkriege verhinderten einen weiteren Ausbau der Agora.
