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http://agathe.gr/democracy/standard_weights_and_measures.html Standard Weights and Measures The Controllers of Measures (Metronomoi) have also left us many samples of their work. One set of bronze weights (34), inscribed as standard weights of the Athenians, are ... The large unit (stater), weighing nearly two pounds, is designated by a knucklebone, the quarter by a shield, and the sixth by a turtle. ... Countermarked lead weight, fourth century B.C. A lead weight (35), with an amphora symbol and a legend marking it as one-third of the stater, belongs to a somewhat later period. This weight, which may have been used in a shop, has been stamped by the Controllers of Measures with their official seal, depicting the seated statue of a god. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/theater.html Theater Western drama was an Athenian invention which developed late in the 6th century B.C. out of the festivals celebrated in honor of the god Dionysos. Originally held in the Agora, the plays were soon ... The mask is life-size but was probably not used as a mask but as a votive gift to be hung on a wall. ... The mold shows a masked woman lying on a couch, a wreath in her right hand. ... Mold for a statuette of a seated slave, about 35O B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_card_catalog.html The Card Catalog A card catalog system has been used since the beginning of the excavations to record the important information related to inventoried objects. Lucy Talcott, one of the original members ... The Card Catalog A card catalog system has been used since the beginning of the excavations to record the important information related to inventoried objects. ... The catalog card became the most important link to all the relevant data concerning an object and has only recently been replaced by a digital database. Recent record shot of A 1, the first architectural find to be cataloged Catalog Card for A 1. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/metroon.html Metroon (Archives) The Metroon served two functions; it was both a sanctuary of the Mother of the Gods and the archive building of the city, a repository of official records (Fig. 19). The present remains ... Metroon (Archives) The Metroon served two functions; it was both a sanctuary of the Mother of the Gods and the archive building of the city, a repository of official records (Fig. 19). ... The Hellenistic building had four rooms set side-by-side, united by a facade of fourteen Ionic columns. ... Figure 20. A dedicatory relief of the Mother of the Gods, 4th century B.C.; one of several dozen copies found in the Agora. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/solon_the_lawgiver.html Solon the Lawgiver By the early 6th century B.C. social tensions in Athens had become acute, pitting the poorer citizens against rich and powerful landowners. Many citizens were reduced to the status of ... The hippeis (knights), those who could afford the expense of maintaining a horse and whose property produced 300 medimnoi a year. ... Ownership of horses required a certain degree of wealth and allowed the man who owned them to assume a role in defending the city as a member of a fighting cavalry, the knights. ... The zeugitai (teamsters), those who maintained a pair of oxen for plowing and whose land produced 200 medimnoi a year Terracotta figure of a pair of oxen driven by a man, 6th century B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/photography.html Photography A photograph made using the traditional silver halide process is a visual record largely unaltered by the photographer. It is this quality of capturing a mirrored image of the scene that lends ... Photography A photograph made using the traditional silver halide process is a visual record largely unaltered by the photographer. It is this quality of capturing a mirrored image of the scene that lends itself to archaeological photography. ... Leslie Shear, director of the excavations and an accomplished photographer, was caught recording the discovery of a herm (S 33). “In 5/A at -2.50 was found a herm lying on its side; it had formed the support of a large statue of a draped woman? |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_speakers.html The Speakers Litigants spoke on their own behalf, although occasionally using speeches prepared by trained professionals; skillful rhetoric was necessary in order to sway a jury. The speeches written by ... Demosthenes' skills as a public speaker in the assembly were honed by training and considerable self-discipline: They say that when he was still a young man he withdrew into a cave and studied there, shaving half of his head to keep himself from going out; also that he slept on a narrow bed in order to get up quickly and that since he could not pronounce the sound of R he learned to do so by hard work, and since in declaiming for practice he made an awkward movement with his shoulder, he put an end to the habit by fastening a split or, as some say, a dagger from the ceiling to make him through fear keep his shoulder motionless. ... The clay fragment preserves the base and part of the wall of a deep bowl. It is identified as part of a waterclock by the clay spout fitted with a small bronze inner tube just above the base. ... Photograph of a reconstructed waterclock in action. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/east_building.html East Building Running southward from the east end of the Middle Stoa is the East Building. Its eastern half takes the form of a long hall with a marble chip floor and stone slabs designed to carry wooden ... Its eastern half takes the form of a long hall with a marble chip floor and stone slabs designed to carry wooden furniture, presumably tables (Fig. 40). The furniture supports are perhaps best interpreted as holding bankers’ or money changers’ tables and suggest that the South Square served a primarily commercial function. The western half of the building consisted of four rooms and a stairway designed to take people down to the lower (ground) level of the South Square. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/ostracism.html Ostracism In addition to the legal assassination condoned in the Law against Tyranny, a less extreme method was also available for removing powerful but dangerous men from public life. This was a formal, ... This was a formal, regular vote for exile, known as ostracism. Each year the Assembly decided whether a vote of ostracism should be held. If a majority of the quorum of 6,000 citizens voted affirmatively, the day was set and at that time a large open area of the Agora was fenced off. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_prytaneis.html The Prytaneis (Executive Committee) The senators administered their meetings themselves. Each tribal contingent in the Boule served in rotation for a period of 35 or 36 days as the Prytaneis, or Executive ... Fragment Of a marble relief showing a banquet, 4th century B.C. ... On the right, a man reclines on a couch behind a table. A woman sits on a stool nearby, with another male figure on the left. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_jury.html The Jury The jurors for each trial were chosen from a large body of citizens available for jury duty for the period of one year. At the beginning of the year, each juror was given a bronze pinakion, a ... At the beginning of the year, each juror was given a bronze pinakion, a plaque that had his name, father's name, and deme (and therefore tribe) inscribed on it. ... Along the side of the machine was a hollow bronze tube, with a funnel at the top and a crank at the bottom. ... A turn of the crank at the bottom produced a single ball. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_ekklesia.html The Ekklesia (Citizens' Assembly) All Athenian citizens had the right to attend and vote in the Ekklesia, a full popular assembly which met about every 10 days. All decrees (psephismata) were ratified ... The Ekklesia (Citizens' Assembly) All Athenian citizens had the right to attend and vote in the Ekklesia, a full popular assembly which met about every 10 days. All decrees (psephismata) were ratified by the Ekklesia before becoming law. As a rule, the Ekklesia met at its own special meeting place known as the Pnyx, a large theater-shaped area set into the long ridge west of the Acropolis. ... Decorated with various images-a bow, a cow, a dolphin, crossed torches, rosette, Nike, a ship, as well as letters (E or K) - these small tokens were turned in for pay, allowing poor citizens to participate without losing a day's wages. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/aiakeion.html Aiakeion Immediately to the east are the poor remains of a large square enclosure, open to the sky and measuring about 30 meters on a side. Built in the early 5th century, at the command of the oracle ... Aiakeion Immediately to the east are the poor remains of a large square enclosure, open to the sky and measuring about 30 meters on a side. Built in the early 5th century, at the command of the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, it was dedicated to Aiakos, a hero of the island of Aegina. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/odeion_of_agrippa.html Odeion of Agrippa Late in the 1st century B.C. the Athenians were given money for a new marketplace by Caesar and Augustus, and the northern half of the old Agora square was filled with two new structures, ... It was a huge two-storeyed structure that must have dominated the square (Fig. 52). ... It was surrounded on three sides by a cryptoporticus (subterranean colonnaded hall) at the lower level, with stoas above. ... It was rebuilt in the early 5th century A.D. as part of a sprawling complex, perhaps a palace, with numerous rooms, a bath, and several courtyards, which extended southward all the way across the old South Square (Fig. 55). |
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 ... It consists of a large square room and a paved courtyard, surrounded by three stoas that had shops behind their colonnades. ... The dedicator, Titus Flavius Pantainos, was the son of the head of a philosophical school and refers to himself as a priest of the philosophical muses. A second inscription preserves the library rules: "No book is to be taken out because we have sworn an oath. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_archaeological_site.html The Athenian Agora The Agora of Athens was the center of the ancient city: a large, open square where the citizens could assemble for a wide variety of purposes. On any given day the space might be used ... The Athenian Agora The Agora of Athens was the center of the ancient city: a large, open square where the citizens could assemble for a wide variety of purposes. On any given day the space might be used as a market, or for an election, a dramatic performance, a religious procession, military drill, or athletic competition. ... Early Geometric jewelry found in a burial. Used as a burial ground and for scattered habitation in the Bronze and Iron Ages, the area was first laid out as a public space in the 6th century B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/stoa_of_zeus_eleutherios.html Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios Lying just south of the railroad tracks, along the west side, are the remains of the Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios (Freedom) (Figs. 8, 9). This cult of Zeus was established after the ... Though dedicated to a god, the building takes the form commonly used for a civic building: a stoa (colonnade or portico), with two projecting wings. ... According to Pausanias it was decorated with paintings done by Euphranor, a famous 4th-century artist, and the shields of those who died fighting for the freedom of Athens were displayed on the building. Rooms were added to the back of the stoa in the Early Roman period and may have housed a cult of the Roman emperors. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_athenian_army.html The Athenian Army From the very beginning, the Athenians were compelled to fight for their new democracy. Their dramatic victories over the Boiotians and Chalkidians in 506 B.C. led many to attribute Athenian ... They went into battle protected by a helmet, breastplate, and greaves (shin guards), carrying a large round shield and long thrusting spear. ... Recovered from a well in the northwest corner of the Agora, this lead strip carries an inscription recording the registration of a horse. On one side is the name of the owner, Konon; on the other a description of the horse, a chestnut, with a centaur brand, as well as its price, 700 drachmas. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/women.html The Unenfranchised I - Women Numerous people resident in Athens and Attica had little part in the political life of the state. Most glaring by modern standards was the exclusion of women, although a similar ... The fragment shows the upper part of a nude woman, probably reclining on cushions at a symposion. She holds a castanet in her left hand and wears disk earrings. She is probably a hetaira, or courtesan, a woman accomplished in the arts of music, conversation, and sex. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/south_stoa_ii.html South Stoa II South Stoa II ran westward from the south end of the East Building, parallel to the Middle Stoa (Figs. 38, 41). Dating to the second half of the 2nd century B.C., it consisted of a single ... Dating to the second half of the 2nd century B.C., it consisted of a single Doric colonnade of limestone, the superstructure reused from a building of the 4th century B.C. Its only adornment is a small fountain set into the back wall. |
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 ... Besides being a member of the Assembly, he was almost certain, at least once in his lifetime, to be chosen by lot as one of the Council (Boule) of 500 and to serve for a year in this body which prepared legislation for the Assembly and coped, by means of smaller committees, with the day to day exigencies of administration. ... He might be allotted for a year’s service to any of a number of committees or boards such as Treasurers, Lessors of Public Contracts, Auditors, Market Controllers, Controllers of Measures, Grain Wardens, Port Superintendents, etc. ... Every man held his citizenship, which he inherited, through membership in a deme, a group which had its origin in a geographical unit (a neighborhood of the city or a village in the countryside) and which gave to each citizen the third element of his official name, e.g., Perikles, son of Xanthippos, of (the deme of) Cholargos. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_ten_new_tribes.html The Ten New Tribes Kleisthenes instituted a crucial reform, the reorganization of the citizenry into new administrative units called phylai (tribes). In his attempt to break up the aristocratic power structure, ... The Ten New Tribes Kleisthenes instituted a crucial reform, the reorganization of the citizenry into new administrative units called phylai (tribes). ... Citizenship in Athens required prior enrollment in one of the tribes, and such membership was hereditary. A man served in the Boule (Senate) as a member of a tribe, and fought in the army -- where his life literally depended in part on the shield of the next man in line -- in a tribal contingent. ... Model of the Monument of the Eponymous Heroes in a 4th-century B.C. reconstruction. |
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 ... Public lawsuits fall to him on charges of impiety and when a man is involved in a dispute with someone over a priesthood. ... The warrior holds a spear in one hand and a phiale (libation bowl) in the other. He wears a short tunic with a cloak over his shoulders, a helmet, and greaves. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/temple_of_ares.html Temple of Ares Just north of the Odeion lie the ruins of a building identified by Pausanias as a temple of Ares (Figs. 56, 57). The foundations are of Early Roman construction and date, but the marble ... Temple of Ares Just north of the Odeion lie the ruins of a building identified by Pausanias as a temple of Ares (Figs. 56, 57). ... They can be restored as a Doric peripteral temple, close in plan, date, and size to the Hephaisteion [5]. ... This is the best example of a phenomenon known as "wandering temples," of which there are several similar examples in the Agora, dating to the early years of the Roman empire. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_boule.html The Boule (The Senate) The Athenian legislature also included a deliberative body known as the Boule. It was made up of 500 members -- 50 from each of the 10 tribes -- who were chosen by lot and served ... The Boule (The Senate) The Athenian legislature also included a deliberative body known as the Boule. ... X 23.80 m.), with a cross wall dividing the structure into a main chamber and entrance vestibule. ... Fragment of a marble basin, about 500 B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_athenian_aristocracy.html The Athenian Aristocracy Before democracy, from the 8th to the 6th century B.C., Athens was prosperous economically but no more significant than many other city-states in Greece. Silver deposits south ... This fragmentary day jug shows a symposion with banqueters reclining on a couch, a typically aristocratic activity. On the left a girl plays the double pipes (auloi), providing music for the occasion, and on the right stands a youth. ... Each earring consists of a shaft made of fine wires to which is attached a trapezoidal plaque decorated with filigree and granulation. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_eponymous_heroes.html The Eponymous Heroes Just as all governmental activity and policy stemmed from the individual Athenian citizen, so there was a center in the Agora from which the lines of power went out to all men in all ... The Eponymous Heroes Just as all governmental activity and policy stemmed from the individual Athenian citizen, so there was a center in the Agora from which the lines of power went out to all men in all fields of activity. This was the Monument of the Eponymous Heroes, a long base, surrounded by a fence, on which stood statues of the heroes from whom the 10 tribes took their names (8). 8. ... Notices concerning members of a given tribe would be posted below the statue of the appropriate tribal hero. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/panathenaic_way.html Panathenaic Way Numerous roads led in and out of the Agora square. By far the most important, however, was the broad street known as the Dromos or Panathenaic Way, the principal thoroughfare of the city ... It led from the main city gate, the Dipylon, up to the Acropolis, a distance of just over a kilometer, and served as the processional way for the great parade that was a highlight of the Panathenaic festival. Halfway along, it enters the Agora at its northwest corner and passes through the square on a diagonal, exiting at the southeast corner. ... Sculpted base for a monument celebrating a victory in the apobates at the Panathenaic Games, 4th century B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/slaves_and_resident_aliens.html The Unenfranchised II - Slaves and Resident Aliens Also excluded from political participation were two other large segments of the population: slaves and metics (resident aliens). Slavery was common in ... : Slaves and metics at Athens lead a singularly undisciplined life; one may not strike them there, nor will a slave step aside for you. Let me explain the reason for this situation: if it were legal for a free man to strike a slave, a metic, or a freedman, an Athenian would often have been struck under the mistaken impression that he was a slave, for the clothing of the common people there is in no way superior to that of the slaves and metics, nor is their appearance. ... An archer, carrying a bow, with a combined quiver and bowcase strapped to his waist, rides a horse bareback. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/hephaisteion.html Hephaisteion Overlooking the Agora from the hill to the west (Kolonos Agoraios), is the Hephaisteion, the best preserved example of a Doric temple in mainland Greece (Fig. 12). It was dedicated jointly ... Hephaisteion Overlooking the Agora from the hill to the west (Kolonos Agoraios), is the Hephaisteion, the best preserved example of a Doric temple in mainland Greece (Fig. 12). ... It is built largely of Pentelic marble and carries a lavish amount of sculptural decoration. ... Battle scenes surmount the east and west porches, with a lively centauromachy at the west. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/overthrow_and_revolution.html Overthrow and Revolution In 514 B.C. the tyrant Hipparchos was stabbed to death. The murder, actually the result of a love feud, was quickly deemed a political act of assassination and the perpetrators, ... The murder, actually the result of a love feud, was quickly deemed a political act of assassination and the perpetrators, Harmodios and Aristogeiton, were proclaimed heroes and tyrannicides. ... Fragment of an inscription from a statue base, about 47S B.C. ... For several decades the Spartans had enjoyed a reputation as the best warriors in Greece, and with the help of a Spartan army led by King Kleomenes the tyrants were thrown out in 510 B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_verdict.html The Verdict After the speeches and other evidence had been presented, the members of the jury voted by casting ballots. A series of vase paintings of the early 5th century B.C. show a mythological story, ... The Verdict After the speeches and other evidence had been presented, the members of the jury voted by casting ballots. A series of vase paintings of the early 5th century B.C. show a mythological story, the vote for the arms of Achilles. ... One ballot has a solid axle, the other a hollow axle. ... Photograph of a ballot box. L.: 0.70 m. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/judiciary_and_lawcourts.html Judiciary and Lawcourts The lawcourts of Athens, a city notorious throughout Greece for the litigiousness of her citizens, were both numerous and large. Several of these lawcourts were in the immediate ... Judiciary and Lawcourts The lawcourts of Athens, a city notorious throughout Greece for the litigiousness of her citizens, were both numerous and large. ... Each citizen-juror had a bronze or wooden ticket (26) on which were inscribed his name and a letter indicating to which of the 10 jury-sections he belonged. ... Model of a klepsydra in action. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/southwest_fountain_house.html Southwest Fountain House Closer to the agora proper a row of five public buildings lined the south side of the square in the Classical period (Fig. 29, 36). They comprise several important monuments, though ... Southwest Fountain House Closer to the agora proper a row of five public buildings lined the south side of the square in the Classical period (Fig. 29, 36). ... The westernmost building takes the form of the letter L (Fig. 30). A colonnade on two sides gave access to a large reservoir, the terminus of a long stone aqueduct that approached the building from the east, running under the south street. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_altar_of_zeus_and_statue_of_hadrian.html The Altar of Zeus The Agora Excavations began with the aim of revealing the monuments and history of the ancient Agora. Of course, every artifact or feature that was exposed held importance, but when something ... View of the orthostate block (A 404) of the Altar of Zeus Agoraios Nb. ... On July 23, 1931, the excavator filled five pages of his notebook describing a significant discovery of the first excavation season: "A large structure once covered a large part of [the] area, it was almost certainly an Altar." ... The statue of Hadrian lying face down in the Great Drain, February 5, 1932 The difficulty of making a fuller description and taking photographs is apparent in a later comment, “Earth roof must be supported and large block broken and removed before statue can be taken out” (Nb. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/sokrates.html Sokrates The philosopher Sokrates was one of many Athenians critical of the people and their control over affairs of state. His probing public debates with fellow citizens led to his trial for impiety ... The photograph shows the foundations of a house to the left of a roadway. ... What else is appropriate for a poor man who is a public benefactor and who requires leisure for giving you moral encouragement? ... A bust in Naples may reproduce the original by Lysippos. |
http://agathe.gr/publications/guide_books.html Guide Books In a newly revised version of this popular site guide, the current director of excavations in the Athenian Agora gives a brief account of the history of the ancient center of Athens. The text ... Guide Books In a newly revised version of this popular site guide, the current director of excavations in the Athenian Agora gives a brief account of the history of the ancient center of Athens. ... Each monument still visible on the site is described in turn, and helpful maps and plans are a particular feature of this edition. ... After a short introduction to the history of the Agora, each monument is described in turn. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/democracy_from_the_past_to_the_future.html Democracy from the Past to the Future Searching for models for the new government they were creating, America's Founding Fathers studied both the democracy of Athens and the republic of Rome, but they ... They thought Athens was too easily ruled by group passion, rather than reason: Had every Athenian citizen been a Socrates, every Athenian assembly would still have been a mob. ... In support of a 6-year term for Senators, the author cited the misfortune that befalls a government without such continuity. ... In 1977 Senator James Abourezk proposed a constitutional amendment to allow direct initiative nationwide. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/stoa_of_attalos.html Stoa of Attalos Lining the east side of the Agora square is the Stoa of Attalos (Fig. 47), built during the reign of Attalos II of Pergamon (159–138 B.C.), who studied in Athens under the philosopher Karneades ... Stoa of Attalos Lining the east side of the Agora square is the Stoa of Attalos (Fig. 47), built during the reign of Attalos II of Pergamon (159–138 B.C.), who studied in Athens under the philosopher Karneades before becoming king. In a sense, this is a gift from a loyal alumnus, and what he gave the Athenians was a shopping mall. ... The column capitals used upstairs for the inner colonnade are of an unusual type ("Pergamene"), a late adaptation of early Egyptian prototypes. ... It houses storage facilities in the basement, a public display area on the ground floor, and offices and workrooms on the first floor. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/marble_stele.html Law Against Tyranny In 338 B.C. Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander defeated the Athenians and other Greek states in a battle at Chaironeia in central Greece. In the following year (337/6 B.C.) ... Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander defeated the Athenians and other Greek states in a battle at Chaironeia in central Greece. ... The decree was written up on a marble stele capped with a handsome relief showing Democracy crowning the seated Demos (people) of Athens. Stele with a relief showing Democracy crowning Demos (the people of Athens), ca. 337 B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_popular_courts.html The Popular Courts The popular courts, with juries of no fewer than 201 jurors and as many as 2,500, heard a variety of cases. The courts also had an important constitutional role in wielding ultimate ... The Popular Courts The popular courts, with juries of no fewer than 201 jurors and as many as 2,500, heard a variety of cases. ... Bronze ballots and a ballot box were found in a complex of rooms constructed in the late 5th and 4th centuries B.C. and identified on the basis of these finds as lawcourts. ... Before reaching a jury, the case was heard by a magistrate or arbitrators in a preliminary hearing. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/tyranny.html Tyranny As happened in many other Greek states, a tyrant arose in Athens in the 6th century B.C. His name was Peisistratos, and after several unsuccessful attempts he seized power in 546 B.C. and ruled ... Tyranny As happened in many other Greek states, a tyrant arose in Athens in the 6th century B.C. ... Such tyrannies were a common feature of Greek political life as states made the transition from an aristocracy to either a democracy or an oligarchy. ... In the picture on this vase, water gushes from a spout shaped like the head of a panther into the water jar (hydria) below. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_notebooks.html The Notebooks The process of excavating an archaeological site is essentially destructive but the irrevocable features are preserved in a notebook. The excavator records his thoughts and observations, ... In the walls was found a piece of coarse moulding: Pentelic marble.” ... From the walls: the thigh of a statue of Pentelic marble, rather micaceous. Perhaps a trifle over life-size” (Nb. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/sources_and_documents.html Sources and Documents Our understanding of the workings and history of Athenian democracy comes from a variety of sources. Most useful, perhaps, are the ancient literary texts that survive, many of which ... Sources and Documents Our understanding of the workings and history of Athenian democracy comes from a variety of sources. ... It was written almost a century before Aristotle and is a much shorter description of the democracy written by an unsympathetic, antidemocratic observer. ... The stylus was a writing implement used for scratching letters onto wax tablets. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_council_and_magistrates.html The Council and the Magistrates Like selection for military service, allotment to the Council was organized according to the division by tribes; 50 members from each tribe acted as a unit in the Council ... An inscription found nearby honors a committee appointed to renew bedding for having done its job well. ... Each board of Poletai made a record on stone of its work (17). ... Other decrees honor citizens of other states who put themselves at the service of Athenians abroad. A typical decree of this sort praises Mikalion “as a benefactor of the Athenian people and a man who always shows himself eager to give to private individuals whatever they need. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_site_before_excavation.html The Site before Excavation The Agora lies on sloping ground northwest of the Acropolis, below and east of the extraordinarily well-preserved Doric temple of Hephaistos, popularly known as the “Theseion” ... The Site before Excavation The Agora lies on sloping ground northwest of the Acropolis, below and east of the extraordinarily well-preserved Doric temple of Hephaistos, popularly known as the “Theseion” (a). The marble giants (b and below), reused as the facade of a Late Roman complex, were always visible, as was the north end of the Stoa of Attalos, preserved to its full height. ... The last destruction occurred in 1826, the result of a siege of the Acropolis during the Greek War of Independence. ... In addition, as well as sharing all the logistical problems inherent in any large-scale urban excavation, the Agora site must be one of the few where a street and a railway divides the area of the excavations. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/administration_and_bureaucracy.html Administration and Bureaucracy The economy of Athens was supervised by numerous boards of officials in charge of the mint, the marketplace, weights and measures, and the grain and water supplies. Most ... The stater has a knucklebone as symbol and weighs 795 grams. The quarter, with a shield, weighs 190 grams. ... The coins were struck in a wide variety of multiples or fractions of the basic unit, the drachma, which was roughly a day's wage. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/stoa_poikile.html Stoa Poikile Across modern Hadrian Street are the most recent excavations (2003), along the north side of the square. Here have been revealed the remains of another large stoa, identified on the basis ... Pottery suggests a date in the years around 470–460 B.C. for the construction. ... Most famous, perhaps, was a picture of the battle of Marathon (490 B.C.) by Polygnotos. ... "Zeno, son of Mnaseas or Demeas of Kition [in Cyprus], a philosopher who began the Stoic school. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_museum.html The Museum On display in the public galleries of the stoa is a selection of the thousands of objects recovered in the past 75 years, reflecting the use of the area from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1500. The public ... The Museum On display in the public galleries of the stoa is a selection of the thousands of objects recovered in the past 75 years, reflecting the use of the area from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1500. ... Clay tokens or passports of a border commander, 4th century B.C. ... This vast collection has all been entered into a unified database, part of a collaborative project with the Packard Humanities Institute. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/tholos.html Tholos The south half of the west side was given over to the major administrative buildings used to run the Athenian democracy (Fig. 14). The buildings are poorly preserved, but the identifications are ... Here the fifty senators were fed at public expense, and at least seventeen spent the night in the building, available to deal with any emergency, whatever the hour. In a sense, then, the Tholos represents the heart of the Athenian democracy, where citizens serving as senators could be found on duty twenty-four hours a day. ... 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 (Fig. 15). 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. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_agora_and_pnyx.html The Agora and Pnyx Center of public activity, the Agora was a large open square where all the citizens could assemble (2, 3). It was used for a variety of functions: markets, religious processions, athletic ... The Agora and Pnyx Center of public activity, the Agora was a large open square where all the citizens could assemble (2, 3). It was used for a variety of functions: markets, religious processions, athletic contests, military training, theatrical performances, and ostracisms. ... The meetings convened at dawn, and reluctant citizens were swept up from the Agora by slaves holding the ends of a long rope wet with red paint which would mark the clothes and thus make liable to a fine anyone who lingered or attempted to evade the call of duty. 5. |
http://agathe.gr/publications/monographs.html Monographs Excavations in the civic and cultural center of classical Athens began in 1931 and have continued almost without interruption to the present day. The first Athenian Agora volumes presenting ... Each volume covers a particular chronological period, set of buildings, or class of material culture. ... The texts are given in the original Greek or Latin, followed by a translation and a commentary. ... Each section on a monument opens with a brief synopsis of the evidence contained in the texts which follow. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/introduction.html Introduction Classical Athens saw the rise of an achievement unparalleled in history. Perikles, Aeschylus, Sophokles, Plato, Demosthenes, Thucydides, and Praxiteles represent just a few of the statesmen ... A.D.150 A large open square, surrounded on all four sides by buildings, the Agora was in all respects the center of town (Fig. 1; and restored drawing). ... The lawcourts are represented by the discovery of bronze ballots and a water-clock used to time speeches. The use of the area as a marketplace is indicated by the numerous shops where potters, cobblers, bronze-workers, and sculptors made and sold their wares. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_athenian_navy.html The Athenian Navy With thousands of kilometers of coastline and hundreds of islands, the Greek world was likely to be dominated only by a naval power. A generation after the establishment of democracy ... The Athenian Navy With thousands of kilometers of coastline and hundreds of islands, the Greek world was likely to be dominated only by a naval power. A generation after the establishment of democracy Athens became such a power under the influence of Themistokles. ... At her peak, Athens had a fleet of 400 ships, a force requiring close to 80,000 men. ... These citizen oarsmen were recognized as early as the 5th century B.C. as a significant force in the maintenance of the democracy. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/southwest_area.html Southwest Area - Industry and Houses Leaving the area of the boundary stone, one can head southwest up a valley leading toward the Pnyx, meeting place of the Athenian assembly. Here are the complex remains ... Southwest Area - Industry and Houses Leaving the area of the boundary stone, one can head southwest up a valley leading toward the Pnyx, meeting place of the Athenian assembly. Here are the complex remains of a residential and commercial area, used for hundreds of years (Fig. 27). ... One larger structure, the so-called Poros Building, has a long corridor flanked by square rooms, with a courtyard at the rear (Fig. 28). |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_staff.html The Archaeologists The First Generation The Agora Excavations staff and work force, 1933. Archaeologists, staff, foremen, and workmen gathered under the Hephaisteion for a group photograph. The staff of ... Archaeologists, staff, foremen, and workmen gathered under the Hephaisteion for a group photograph. ... Young was posed sitting amidst stacks of pottery removed from a well (Deposit A 17:2) that were ready for sorting. ... A Radical Departure in the Conduct of Excavation In 1980, there was a major change in the way the Agora was excavated. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/lawcourts.html Lawcourts Underlying the north end of the Stoa of Attalos are the slight remains of a group of buildings dating to the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. (Fig. 50). Largely open courtyards, they seem to have served ... Lawcourts Underlying the north end of the Stoa of Attalos are the slight remains of a group of buildings dating to the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. ... Largely open courtyards, they seem to have served as the lawcourts of the city, designed to accommodate the 201 or 501 Athenians who regularly made up a jury. As in the American system, these courts had the final say as to the legality and interpretation of any law, and essentially represent the sovereign power of the state. The identification is based largely on the discovery of a container made of drain tiles set on end holding seven of the inscribed bronze ballots used by jurors to render their verdicts (Fig. 51). |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_old_excavation_house.html The Old Excavation House The photograph below, taken in June of 1939, illustrates the extent of the Agora Excavations during the first eight years. The so-called Old Excavation House, located at Asteroskopeiou ... The so-called Old Excavation House, located at Asteroskopeiou St. 25, was actually a group of houses that formed a complex of temporary storerooms and workspace for the early excavations (highlighted in yellow). ... Planning for the construction of a museum to properly display the important pieces and to house the enormous quantity of excavated material had already begun by 1939, but all work at the excavation was suspended in the spring of 1940 due to the start of World War II. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/temple_of_apollo_patroos.html Temple of Apollo Patroos Next to the Stoa of Zeus at the south are the remains of a small temple of Apollo Patroos (Fatherly), so-called because he was the father of Ion, founder of the Ionian Greeks, ... Temple of Apollo Patroos Next to the Stoa of Zeus at the south are the remains of a small temple of Apollo Patroos (Fatherly), so-called because he was the father of Ion, founder of the Ionian Greeks, a tribe that included the Athenians (Fig. 10). Dated to the second half of the 4th century B.C., the temple had Ionic columns only across the front (probably six, though four is possible). A monumental marble statue found in the ruins seems to be the cult statue by Euphranor mentioned by Pausanias (Fig. 11). |
http://agathe.gr/guide/altar_of_the_twelve_gods.html Altar of the Twelve Gods Near the middle of the open square, somewhat to the north, lay the Altar of the Twelve Gods (Fig. 7), today largely hidden under the Athens–Piraeus railway (1891). A corner of ... Altar of the Twelve Gods Near the middle of the open square, somewhat to the north, lay the Altar of the Twelve Gods (Fig. 7), today largely hidden under the Athens–Piraeus railway (1891). A corner of the enclosure wall survives, along with the inscribed marble base for a bronze statue that reads "Leagros, the son of Glaukon, dedicated this to the twelve gods." ... Herodotos (2.7), when giving a distance in Egypt, tells us that it is as far from Heliopolis to the sea as it is from the Altar of the Twelve Gods in Athens to Olympia. On a milestone dating to ca. 400 B.C. we read: "The city set me up, a truthful monument to show all mortals the measure of their journeying: the distance to the altar of the twelve gods from the harbor is forty-five stades" (IG II2 2640). |
http://agathe.gr/guide/bouleuterion.html Bouleuterion Just uphill from the Tholos was the Bouleuterion, meeting place of the boule, or senate. Five hundred Athenian citizens were chosen by lot to serve for a year, and met in this building every ... Five hundred Athenian 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 ekklesia (assembly of all citizens), which met at the Pnyx every ten days. ... The remains are in a miserable state of preservation, with only the outlines of walls discernible in trenches sunk into bedrock. |
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 ... 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. ... They dedicated a cup worth 100 drachmas to the Mother of the Gods in accordance with the decree. ... Drawing of a lead cavalry tablet, fourth century B.C., registering a horse belonging to Konon, chestnut in color, with a centaur brand, worth 700 drachmas. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/funding_the_excavations.html Funding the Excavations The excavations began in the 1930's with the substantial support of John D. Rockefeller, who also funded the reconstruction of the Stoa of Attalos (1953-1956) to serve as the site ... In recent years the Packard Humanities Institute has also collaborated in a large project to digitize the vast collection of antiquities and archives stored in the Stoa of Attalos, a project supplemented by grants from the European Economic Area and the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation. ... Financial support from the private sector on such a scale is a reliable indicator of the understanding and appreciation by many Americans of their debt to ancient Greek society - and particularly Athens - in the formation of their own political values and way of life. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/middle_stoa.html Middle Stoa The appearance of the south side of the Agora was radically changed during the 2nd century B.C. with the construction of several new buildings. This South Square, as it is called, was made ... This South Square, as it is called, was made up of two long stoas with a third building linking them (Fig. 38). ... Traces of a narrow parapet that ran between some of the columns can be made out on individual drums. ... Except for its size the stoa is a relatively modest building, made of limestone, with a terracotta roof (Fig. 39). |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/factional_politics.html Factional Politics: The Ostracism of Themistokles A group of ostraka found together in a pit on the North Slope of the Acropolis is of special interest. There were 190 ostraka, mostly the round feet of ... Factional Politics: The Ostracism of Themistokles A group of ostraka found together in a pit on the North Slope of the Acropolis is of special interest. ... Seen in retrospect, Themistokles was as great a figure in Athenian history. When a great find of silver was made in southern Attica, it was he who convinced the Athenians not to distribute the money among themselves but to spend it building a great fleet of 200 triremes (war ships). |
http://agathe.gr/overview/volunteer_application.html Excavations in the Athenian Agora Volunteer Program Summer 2013 The American School of Classical Studies at Athens announces a program for volunteer excavators wishing to participate in the archaeological ... Room and a modest allowance for board are provided for the time volunteers are working at the excavations. ... Fieldwork is in progress five days a week, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a 30-minute break at midmorning. Volunteers are expected to be on the site during these hours and to work at the excavations for a minimum of six weeks. |
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 ... 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 describes a particular aspect of everyday activity, as revealed through the work of archaeologists and historians. ... The book ends with a birder’s guide to species likely to be seen on a visit to the Agora archaeological park today. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/practice_of_ostracism.html Ostracism Soon after their victory over the Persians at the battle of Marathon in 490 B.C., the Athenians began the practice of ostracism, a form of election designed to curb the power of any rising tyrant ... The procedure of ostracism was simple. Once a year the people would meet in the Agora and take a vote to determine if anyone was becoming too powerful and was in a position to establish a tyranny. If a simple majority voted yes, they met again in the Agora two months later. ... He may often have been a candidate for ostracism but was never ostracized. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/law_against_tyranny.html Law Against Tyranny In the fourth century B.C. the Athenians were faced with the dangerous possibility of tyranny. Although the Macedonian king had guaranteed Athenian democracy in the peace following ... Although the Macedonian king had guaranteed Athenian democracy in the peace following the battle of Chaironeia (338 B.C.), there was still fear, more than justified a few years later, that ambitious men, seeking the favor of the Macedonian, might subvert the government. Two years later, in 336 B.C., a law was enacted (20): 20. Law against Tyranny with a relief of Democracy crowning Demos (the people of Athens), 337/6 B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/southeast_fountain_house.html Southeast Fountain House The slight traces just south of the Church of the Holy Apostles have been identified as the remains of an early fountain house (Figs. 33, 34). The identification is based on a ... The identification is based on a large terracotta pipeline that delivered water to the rear of the building from the east, and overflow channels designed to carry water away from the two side chambers (Fig. 35). The central hall is restored with a colonnaded facade. A date of ca. 530–520 B.C. is suggested by pottery found under the floor and the use of polygonal limestone masonry, with Ζ-clamps to join the blocks. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/northwest_corner_and_the_hermes.html Northwest Corner and the Hermes The area of the northwest corner is where the Panathenaic Way, leading from the main gate of Athens, the Dipylon, entered the Agora square (Figs. 58, 59). This was accordingly ... These took the form of rectangular shafts of marble with a set of male genitalia carved halfway up and a likeness of the god Hermes at the top. ... Figure 59. A reconstruction of the northwest corner of the Agora in ca. 420 B.C., with the Royal Stoa at left and the Painted Stoa at upper right, looking northwest. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/democracy.html Introduction Classical Athens saw the rise of an achievement unparalleled in history. Perikles, Aischylos, Sophokles, Plato, Demosthenes, and Praxiteles represent just a few of the statesmen and philosophers, ... The Agora seems to have been laid out as a public area late in the 6th century B.C., presumably under the tyrant Peisistratos and his sons. ... The 5th century B.C. saw the rise of Athens to a position of extraordinary prominence. ... The last decades of the century saw them engaged in a terrible and costly war with Sparta, a war that was the democracy's harshest test. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/boundary_stones_and_house_of_simon_the_cobbler.html Boundary Stones and House of Simon the Cobbler Inscribed marble posts were used to mark the entrances to the Agora wherever a street led into the open square. Two have been found in situ, inscribed with ... Boundary Stones and House of Simon the Cobbler Inscribed marble posts were used to mark the entrances to the Agora wherever a street led into the open square. ... One such building, found just behind the northern boundary stone (horos, in Greek), produced bone eyelets and iron hobnails, suggesting that a cobbler worked here in the 5th century B.C., while a fragmentary drinking cup found nearby preserved the incised name of Simon (Figs. 25, 26). ... Material found at the house of Simon the cobbler: bone eyelets, iron hobnails, and the base of a cup inscribed with Simon’s name. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/history_of_the_agora.html History of the Agora The excavations of the Athenian Agora have uncovered about thirty acres on the sloping ground northwest of the Acropolis (Fig. 3). Material of all periods from the Late Neolithic to ... During the Late Bronze Age it was used as a cemetery, and some 50 graves have been found, dating from 1600 to 1100 B.C. ... It continued in use as a cemetery throughout the Iron Age (1100–700 B.C.) and over 80 graves, both burials and cremations, have been found. ... The area was given over to a variety of large villas in the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/political_organization_of_attica.html Political Organization of Attica: Demes and Tribal Representation Each tribe was divided into three parts, and each third (trittys) was from one of the three regions of Attica, plain, coast, or hills ... Each color stands for a tribe. Each symbol represents an individual deme. ... These rectangular clay plaques cut with one jagged edge were probably used in connection with allotment of a deme office. On one side of each plaque the name of a tribe is written: ΛΕΟ for the tribe of Leontis, and ΕΡΕ for the tribe of Erechtheis. ... ΗΑΛΙΜΟΣ is the name of a deme. The tokens were cut before firing in the kiln and would have been reunited in the process of allotting the deme office. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/south_stoa_i.html South Stoa I Measuring some 80 meters long, South Stoa I takes up much of the south side; its eastern end is the better preserved (Figs. 31, 32). It had a double colonnade, with sixteen rooms behind. It ... South Stoa I Measuring some 80 meters long, South Stoa I takes up much of the south side; its eastern end is the better preserved (Figs. 31, 32). It had a double colonnade, with sixteen rooms behind. ... Reconstruction of a dining room in South Stoa I, ca. 430–420 B.C. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_excavations.html The Excavations Excavations in the Athenian Agora by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens commenced in 1931 under the supervision of T. Leslie Shear. The systematic excavation of this important ... View of the west side of the Agora at the start of excavations in Section A, June 19, 1931. ... Shear assembled a staff that includes some of the best-known names in Greek archaeology: Homer A. ... The enterprise has been a huge one, both in terms of money and time. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/contact.html Staff and Contact Information The Agora Excavations offices are located within the ancient Agora archaeological site, on the upper floor of the Stoa of Attalos. The offices in the Stoa of Attalos are open ... The superimposition of many generations of buildings, ancient to modern in as much as eight meters of archaeological context inevitably requires the dismantling of later structures to reveal earlier ones, consequently the drawn architectural record assumes a unique importance as a record of the evolving human built environment of Athens. ... While photography produces facsimiles of what is, or may be, visible to the naked eye, drawing is a composite of measured points and marks that permit the reconstruction of profiles and poorly preserved decoration not detectable by a camera. ... The development of the collection and its recording was conducted under the inspiration of Virginia Grace, a member of the original Agora staff of 1931 who continued to work at the site until her death in 1994. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/history_of_the_excavations.html History of the Excavations Some of the Agora monuments have never been fully buried and were explored by the Archaeological Society starting in the 19th century: the Stoa of Attalos (1859–1862, 1874, and ... The American excavations were begun on May 25, 1931 and have continued in a series of yearly campaigns since then with a hiatus during the Second World War (Figs. 71–75). In 1953–1956 the Stoa of Attalos was restored to serve as the site museum, and the Church of the Holy Apostles was restored in 1954–1956. A program of landscaping the site as an archaeological park was also undertaken at this time. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/monument_of_the_eponymous_heroes.html Monument of the Eponymous Heroes Across the street from the Metroon lie the remains of the Monument of the Eponymous Heroes (Fig. 21). When Kleisthenes created the democracy in 508/7 B.C., he assigned ... Citizenship depended on membership in a tribe, the army was arranged in tribal contingents, one served in the boule as a member of one’s tribe, and festivals were held in honor of one’s tribal hero; the tribal system was the foundation on which the new 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 (Fig. 22). 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. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_stoa_of_attalos.html The Stoa of Attalos The Stoa of Attalos was originally built by King Attalos II of Pergamon (159–138 B.C.), as a gift to the Athenians in appreciation of the time he spent in Athens studying under the ... The Stoa of Attalos The Stoa of Attalos was originally built by King Attalos II of Pergamon (159–138 B.C.), as a gift to the Athenians in appreciation of the time he spent in Athens studying under the philosopher Karneades. What he gave the city was an elaborate stoa, a large two-storeyed double colonnade with rows of shops behind the colonnades. ... The ground floor is given over to public display, sculpture and large marbles in the colonnades, small objects in a long gallery consisting of ten of the original shops. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/late_roman_fortification_wall.html Late Roman Fortification Wall East of the East Building and Mint we arrive once again at the Panathenaic Way, which in this area is lined along its eastern side by a massive wall built in the 3rd century ... Late Roman Fortification Wall East of the East Building and Mint we arrive once again at the Panathenaic Way, which in this area is lined along its eastern side by a massive wall built in the 3rd century A.D. ... The wall was constructed in the years following the sack of Athens by the Herulians in A.D. 267; it starts at the Acropolis with a new gate, runs north down the east side of the roadway, takes in the ruins of the Stoa of Attalos, and then turns eastward toward the Library of Hadrian. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/athenian_currency.html Athenian Currency Many of the specialized administrative boards have left material traces of their activities. Most prolific of these were the moneyers, or Overseers of the Mint. Throughout her history ... The unit of the coinage was the drachma, which represented a day’s wage for a skilled workman in the late fifth century. Half a drachma (three obols) was the juror’s daily pay at the same time. ... Found in the neighborhood of the building now identified as the Mint (32) (southeastern corner of the Agora), a bronze rod and blanks cut from it (33) show one of the early stages in the manufacture of coins. |
http://agathe.gr/guide/mint.html Mint Just east of the fountain house lie the miserable remains of a large square building with several rooms; the northern half lies under the Church of the Holy Apostles and the Southeast Temple (Early ... Mint Just east of the fountain house lie the miserable remains of a large square building with several rooms; the northern half lies under the Church of the Holy Apostles and the Southeast Temple (Early Roman) (Figs. 36, 37; see also Fig. 41). |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/athenian_citizenship.html Athenian Citizenship The government of ancient Athens concerned itself with many aspects of the lives of its citizens. In the pure democracy of Athens the government was not only of the people and for ... In the pure democracy of Athens the government was not only of the people and for the people but also by the people to a far greater extent than is possible in the large representative democracies of the present. ... Our public men have, besides politics, their private affairs to attend to, and our ordinary citizens, though occupied with the pursuits of industry, are still fair judges of public matters; for, unlike any other nation, regarding him who takes no part in these duties not as unambitious but as useless, we Athenians are able to judge at all events if we cannot originate, and instead of looking on discussion as a stumbling-block in the way of action, we think it an indispensable preliminary to any wise action at all. . . . In short, I say that as a city we are the School of Hellas.” |
http://agathe.gr/guide/church_of_the_holy_apostles.html Church of the Holy Apostles Several churches were removed following the excavation of the modern neighborhoods overlying the Agora. The Church of the Holy Apostles, because of its early date, was deemed ... The original plan is unique: a standard cross-in-square arrangement, but with apses at each of the four ends of the cross. |
http://agathe.gr/overview/the_church_of_the_holy_apostles.html The Church of the Holy Apostles Though several churches were removed in the clearing of the site for excavation, it was decided to save and restore the little Byzantine church dedicated to the Holy Apostles ... “On February 12, 1954, the Department of Antiquities of the Ministry of Education approved the request for permission to demolish the modern addition to the Church of the Holy Apostles, with a view to restoring the church in its original form. ... The south wall seems to have suffered at least one major destruction, and from a point ca. 2 m. west of the southern apse little original masonry remains above the lower course. ... The two watercolors represent just a tiny fraction of the work he left behind. |
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 ... (Plato, Theaetetos 210d) The building is small for a stoa, only 18 meters long, with eight Doric columns across the front and four down the middle (Fig. 64). |
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