Ancient Agora -
At the foot of the Acropolis,
near the Theseion metro
station and bordering on the
streets where the Sunday
bazaar takes place,
is the archaeological site
of the ancient Agora.
Since Agora means
market in Greek,
the ancient and the modern
use of the place are not far
apart. But, in ancient years,
the Agora was not only
the commercial centre
of the city, it was its political,
cultural and religious one
as well. The administrative
buildings and the temples
were built in this area,
where the public services
and the courts of law were
also based. This was where
Athenians gathered on a daily
basis, not only to buy and sell
their goods, but also to learn
the news, to criticise
the government, to exchange
views or just gossip.
The history of this area goes
back to Neolithic times and
the site includes monuments
of different periods:
from the Classical
to the 11th century AD
represented by the church
of the Agioi Apostoloi.
Theseion - Hepaisteion -
Despite its name, it was not
a temple dedicated to Theseus
but to the god Hephaistos and
the goddess Athena. Situated
at the western edge of the Agora,
it is today the best preserved
temple of ancient times. Built in
449 BC, it housed the statues
of Hephaistos and Athena
sculpted by Alkamenes.
The Monument of the Eponymous Heroes -
The statues of the ten heroes after
whom the 10 tribes of Attica were
named (4th century BC) were
placed here. It was a highly
frequented place. All public
announcements were posted
on the pedestals of those statues.
Poikile Stoa -
It is believed that it owes its name
to the murals that decorated its
walls. (Poikile: diverse, so
presumably the murals were of
diverse colours and themes).
Here Zenon expounded his Stoic
philosophy, which got its name
from the Poikile Stoa (460 BC).
Roman Agora -
The Roman Agora was a single
architectural complex consisting
of a vast rectangular court
surrounded by colonnades.
Its arcades used to house various
shops. To the north of the building
was situated the library built by
Hadrian. To the east, you can see
the Tower of the Winds. Built in
the 1st century BC, this octagonal
structure served as a water-clock,
compass and weather-vane.
The Stoa of Attalos -
This two-storey building,
a donation of Attalos Ill, King of
Pergamon (159-138 BC), to the
city of Athens, is believed to have
been a kind of ancient shopping
centre housing 21 shops on each
of its floors. The Museum's
collection is very important as it
consists mainly of items of
everyday use which were found
during the excavations of the
ancient Agora. Thus the visitor
has the chance to get a glimpse
of everyday life in ancient Athens.
The Vasileios Stoa -
Situated at the foot of the
Theseion and built in 460 BC,
it was the seat of the Archon
Vasileus and of the Areios
Pagos council.
