The agora was the Greek city's great square: market, meeting place and political, judicial and religious centre. That of Athens, below the north-west side of the Acropolis, was for centuries the heart of public life: here the Council of Five Hundred met, ostracism votes were held, citizens were tried and Socrates spent his days debating with anyone he met.
The monuments
| Monument | What it is |
|---|---|
| Temple of Hephaestus (Hephaisteion) | Greece's best-preserved Doric temple, 5th century BC, dedicated to Hephaestus and Athena, gods of craftsmen |
| Stoa of Attalos | Two-storey portico given by King Attalos II of Pergamon in the 2nd century BC, faithfully rebuilt in the 1950s; it houses the museum |
| Bouleuterion and Tholos | Seats of the council and the duty magistrates (prytaneis) |
| Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios and Royal Stoa | Porticoes linked to political and judicial life |
| Panathenaic Way | The route of the Panathenaic procession up to the Acropolis |
| Odeon of Agrippa | Large Roman-era performance hall |
| Church of the Holy Apostles | Small 10th-century Byzantine church with frescoes |
The museum
The museum in the Stoa of Attalos displays objects from the daily and political life of the democracy: pottery shards (ostraka) inscribed with names of politicians to be exiled, a juror-allotment machine (kleroterion), a water clock for timing court speeches, official weights and measures, statues and pottery.
The Roman Agora
A little to the east lies the Roman Agora, built under Caesar and Augustus, with the Gate of Athena Archegetis and the Tower of the Winds, a 1st-century BC octagonal clock tower with figures of the eight winds and sundials, which once held a water clock. Nearby is Hadrian's Library.
Practical information
- Entrances are on Adrianou Street (Monastiraki) and from the Panathenaic Way on the Acropolis side.
- The Agora is included in the combined ticket for Athens archaeological sites, with the Acropolis.
- It is one of the greenest, shadiest sites in the city: ideal in the heat, after the Acropolis.
- The Temple of Hephaestus offers fine views of the Acropolis and Monastiraki.
See also Athens and the history of Athens.