The Athenian Agora
The Agora was at the centre of civic life in ancient Athens – the heartbeat of the commercial, political and social affairs of the city. Its rich history provides us very much with a looking-glass into the political and cultural evolution of Athens itself. The area was a great magnet for human traffic – a meeting place for merchants, politicians, legal heavyweights, philosophers and all manner of entertainers. It was the very essence of Athenian life during the prosperous Classical Period (5th and 4th centuries BC). This was an era in which Greek civilisation was characterised by the emergence of the ‘city’, or ‘polis’, as both a social and political entity – a time when groundbreaking developments in the political ideology of the nation were accompanied by the first signs of the foundation of a democratic state.
The first great public square appeared in the Agora in around 600 BC and served as the city’s principal marketplace. It is very likely that this area was home to an even earlier Athenian Agora, all trace of which had long been erased. Prominent civic buildings were erected around the sides of its main square. Here stood the great departments of state and the many offices from which political, administrative and judicial affairs were conducted. As well as being a centre for commercial activity, the Agora served some of the religious needs of the city – and its main square soon became embellished with a magnificent array of altars, shrines and small sanctuaries.
- An Introduction to the Agora - 5:19
- The Bouleuterion, the "Senate House" - 3:15
- The Metroon, "Record Office" - 2:!5
- The Tholos - 2:40
- The Monument of the Eponymous Heroes - 2:10
- The Hephaisteion - 4:41
- Stoa of Attalos - 2:39
- The Odeion of Agrippa, the "Agrippeion" - 1:55
- Total Running Time - 24:54
