Table of Contents:
THE AGORA SOUTHSIDE
WESTSIDE
NORTH AND ADJACENT
The Ancient Agora of Athens.
The main entrance to the Greek Ancient Agora is from Adrianou Street, two blocks west of Hadrian’s Library, next to Monasteraki Square.
Another entrance is on the west side of the Agora, off Apostolou Pavlou, but it is only open during peak season and is hidden behind a playground.
From Adrianou Street, you cross a bridge. Stop and look at the ground level inside the agora. Then compare the height of Adrianou Street. That’s how much Athens has built upon itself over the centuries.
Monopteros
The first structure to your left is the foundation of a round building, dating to the Roman period circa 138–192 A.D. Unfortunately, few architectural details remain. It was probably demolished during the Herulian invasion in 267 A.D.
Odeon of Agrippa
On the right-hand side of the main path are the remains of the Odeon (singing place) of Agrippa. It was a large odeon located in the center of the ancient Agora. It dates from the Roman period and was built circa 15 B.C. The Roman statesman and general Marcus Agrippa had it built for the people of Athens. The original building would have been two stories tall. Unfortunately, the large roof collapsed circa 150 A.D., so they built a smaller odeon, adding the Portico of the Giants as its entrance. Today, you can see parts of the Tritons and giant statues that adorned the entrance.
Stoa of Attalos
The elephant in the agora is the Stoa of Attalos, a 1956 reconstruction of the original stoa that once stood there.
Built around 150 B.C. by King Attalos II of Pergamon (in modern-day Turkey), he gifted it to the city. It would serve the city until the Heruli sack the city in 267 A.D.
The original stoa had spacious colonnades that created a covered promenade. Behind them were 42 rooms, which served as shops.
The building incorporated as much of the original structure and materials as possible. Part of the north end, the south wall and shops, and the south end of the outer steps are original.
Today, it houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora. The museum is a separate ticket from the Agora, and you should purchase it in advance. Although steep at 30 euros, it really helps you understand the Agora.
Middle Stoa
Across from the south end of the Attalos Stoa is another stoa. Dating from circa 180 B.C., the Middle Stoa was a massive, rectangular building. Measuring 482 feet long by 55 feet wide, it was the largest building in the agora. The bases of the Doric columns that flanked its long sides can still be seen. It was probably destroyed during a siege circa 2 A.D.
The Panathenaic Way
You are standing on the Panathenic Way. It was the principal processional road of ancient Athens. It began at the Dipylon Gate in Kerameikos, northwest of the Agora, and led to the Acropolis, passing through the heart of the Agora. Used primarily for the Great Panathenaia festival honoring Athena, it served as a thoroughfare from the 6th century B.C. onward.
If you walk along Theorias’ footpath, which stretches from the main Acropolis ticket booth to the Athens University History Museum, just above the Roman agora mentioned in my Plaka Walk, you can make out the Panathenaic Way where it crosses Theorias. Look for the sign that says “Ancient Agora” on the Agora side of the path.
Library of Pantainos
On your left, next to the Stoa of Attalos, are the ruins of this Roman-era library. It is better seen from above while visiting the Roman Agora. Donated to the city by Titus Pantainos, an Athenian philosopher, it dates from circa 102 A.D. The library building was dedicated to Athena Archegetis, Emperor Trajan, and the people of Athens, according to an inscription on the lintel which remains.
Much of the building was destroyed in 267 A.D. during the Herulian incursion. Like most buildings, it will become building material for other structures.
The Ancient Agora’s South Side
Late Roman Tower Wall foundations
Just beyond the library, also on your left, are the remains of the Post-Herulian Wall, built after the 267 A.D. Heruli raid, which destroyed much of the city. They offer insight into the city’s transition during the Roman period. They are also a good example of spolia (reused building materials), long before there were home-building supply stores.
Agora Mint
A church now sits where the Agora Mint once was. All that remains of the mint is some of the foundation. The mint produced bronze coinage from the 4th to the 1st century B.C.
Holy Church of the Holy Apostles of Solakis
This 10th-century church is significant because it is one of only two monuments in the Agora that are intact since their foundation. It was the first significant church of the Middle Byzantine period in the so-called “Athenian type”, combining the simple four-pier form with the cross-in-square form. The few surviving wall paintings inside date to the 17th century.
There is an entrance to the Agora here, but it doesn’t seem to be open often, and it’s usually used only as an exit. Stick to the main gate.
Monument of Socrates and Confucius
Departing the church, go right, down the steps, and you reach an area that was once a square between the Middle and Southern Stoa.
On this very spot, Socrates and Confucius used to drink Dr. Pepper and play video games. (Beware of non-professional guides. You get what you pay for) Actually, Socrates probably did stand in this very square engaged in philosophical discussions with citizens.
However, Socrates lived between 469 and 399 B.C., and Confucius, who lived on another continent, lived from 551 to 479 B.C. So why are there statues of the two in the Agora? In 2021, Greece and China celebrated their diplomatic relationship with these statues representing the meeting of Eastern and Western philosophical traditions.
Close your eyes and “hear” Socrates’ saying, “the most valuable acquisition is a good friend,” and Confucius responding, “Have no friends not equal to yourself.” Continue west (left)
As you walk west from the monument, with the middle stoa on your right, little is known about the few remains on your left, most of them now only partial foundation walls.
Water Clock of Clepsydra
On your left, you will see the remains of a water clock. Originally, the clock had a 6-foot deep stone tank, which they would fill with water through a pipe running from the Klepsydra Spring on the northern slope of the Acropolis, hence the name. Starting at sunrise, the water emptied slowly through a hole in the bottom of the tank. As the water level decreased, the time that had passed was revealed. (Think sands in the hourglass).
Sanctuary of Aiakeion
The foundations you see behind the water clock belonged to a sanctuary of Aiakos. He was the son of Zeus and the nymph Aegina, and father to Peleus and Telamon. The temple dates from the early fifth century B.C. and was built at the command of the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. They included stones from the island of Aegina to make him feel at home. In later times, it would serve as a granary and later as a pottery workshop.
At the end of the Middle Stoa, there are trees in front of you, and you have options to go left around the Middle Stoa or right.
I go left.
Southwest Fountain House
On your right, to the west of the Aiakeion, now filled with trees, was the site of a major water facility constructed around 350 B.C. to address droughts. It was a large, L-shaped building supplying water before its destruction in 86 B.C.
Roman Baths
On the terrace above the Sanctuary of Aiakeion are some ruins of one of the many baths the Romans built during their occupation. I do not point them out as anything major to see; I point them out because there are a few benches for sitting and shade, which you may need by now.
Ancient Athen’s Agora Prison
West of the baths, in the southwestern corner of the Agora, are the remains of the Agora prison (Desmoterion). Dating from 450 B.C., it may be the place where the philosopher Socrates was held for trial and executed by hemlock poisoning in 399 B.C. The remaining foundations outline a courtyard-style building containing 8-10 small rooms (cells).
Great Drain
Just west of the prison is what looks like a stone-lined river bed. This channel is part of the Great Drain, which ran under the Agora. Built sometime around 500 B.C., it served as a crucial sewage and overflow system to prevent flooding of the Agora.
Follow it back towards the Middle Stoa as it provides shade.
The West Side of the Ancient Agora
The Tholos.
Where the Great Drain seems to end, you should see a round foundation on your left. These are the foundations of the 5th-century B.C. structure that served as the headquarters of Athens democracy. The city’s 50-member prytaneis (executive committee) would eat here. 17 members would also stay overnight to manage emergencies, ensuring a 24-hour presence for the city’s democracy. This is where the city stored its official weights and measures.
The Strategeion
The few foundation walls behind the Tholos (west) may be the remnants of the Strategeion. This building would be the official headquarters of the ten strategoi (generals) of Athens. Leaders such as Pericles, Themistocles, and Nicias would meet here to plan military operations and discuss policy.
Old Bouleuterion / Metroon
Dating from the early fifth century B.C., it was the meeting place of the Boule or Council of 500. In addition, it housed the Metroon, a shrine to the Mother of the Gods (Meter). This dual-use supported the Athenian belief that laws were sacred, that justice was divine, and that governance required both human wisdom and divine oversight. When the Council moved to the New Bouleuterion around 415 B.C., the Old Bouleuterion would remain as an archive and shrine. Unfortunately, it did not survive the Herulian Sack of 267 A.D. Circa the early 5th century A.D., one of the rooms was rebuilt, with some believing for use as a synagogue.
New Bouleuterion
Due to the city’s expanding needs, a larger Bouleuterion was built in 415 B.C. directly behind the old Bouleuterion. This rectangular building contained a semi-circular room of wooden benches to accommodate the council.
Monument of the Eponymous Heroes
On the right side of the dirt path, across (east) from the New Bouleuterion, was a long marble podium. On it were ten bronze statues of mythical heroes, each representing one of the Athenian tribes. The area also functioned as a public “bulletin board” where citizens could post decrees, official announcements, or proposed legislation.
Temple of Apollo Patroos
North of the New Bouleuterion, on the same side of the path, are the ruins of this temple to Apollo, the forefather of the Ionians, which included the Athenians. The original temple dates from the sixth century B.C. Unfortunately, it was lost in a siege around 340 B.C. The remains you see today are from a smaller temple built to replace the first temple.
Temple of Hephaestus
The other of only two monuments that are intact since their foundation in the Agora. This Doric-style temple, considered one of the best-preserved in Greece, dates from 450 B.C. Although dedicated to Hephaestus, the god of metalworking, it was also a place to worship Athena.
Many believe that the architect responsible for the Temple of Hephaestus also designed the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion.
It is not clear why the temple was able to escape destruction during the several sackings of the city, but it was. How did it evade the Christian destruction of anything Pagan? That’s easy, it became a church. From the 7th century until 1834, it served as the Greek Orthodox church of Saint George Akamates.
Altar of Aphrodite Urania
Also on the hill to the north of Hephaestus are the remains of the Altar of Aphrodite Urania. This religious site to the goddess of love, dates from around 500 B.C. Next to the Temple of Hephaestus, it pales in comparison.
Temple of Ares.
Back down on the dirt path in front of the Temple of Apollo, across the path, was a Temple to Ares. Ares was the Greek god of destructive war. His sister Athena, among other things, was the goddess of strategic warfare. Built circa 450 B.C., it measured six columns wide (approx. 47 feet) by thirteen columns deep (112 feet). Like its neighbor, the remains you see today are of a newer temple built during Roman times (the Roman god Mars). Under the northwest corner of the temple is a well-preserved Mycenaean tomb dating from 1450 B.C.
Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios.
North of the Apollo Temple, on the left side of the path, is where the Stoa of Zeus stood. Dating from 430 B.C., it honors Zeus for his role in the victory over the Persians. Here, Athenians would hold religious and civic functions, as well as philosophical discussions.
North Side of the Agora
Altar of the Twelve gods.
Between the Temple of Ares and the railroad (on the right side of the path) is part of the Altar of the Twelve gods. I say ‘part’ as, unfortunately, almost 90% of this important site is under the railroad.
Also called the Sanctuary of the Twelve Gods, this was an important altar and sanctuary dating from 522 B.C. Not only was it a place to honor the 12 gods (probably the Olympians: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Athena, Ares, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Dionysus), but it was also a safe place to seek refuge.
It also marked the central point of Athens. From here, they would measure all distances from Athens. The Panathenaic Way ran across the back of the altar. From here, head back towards the entrance along the Panathenaic Way, retracing the footsteps of Pericles, Plato, and even that scoundrel Socrates.
Your Ancient Agora Exploration isn’t Over.
As you exit the Agora through the main entrance, look to your left as you cross the railroad tracks. You can see the continuation of the Panathenaic Way to the right of the tracks, and beyond that, the foundations of the Royal Stoa.
Turn left on Adrianou. Adrianou is a Greek surname meaning “of Adrian.” The Roman Emperor Hadrian was a big fan of Athens and everything Greek. During and after his rule, this street was named Hadrian Street and ended on the east at the entrance to Hadrian’s Library, one of his many gifts to the city.
Stoa Poikile
On your right, behind the café tables that have infringed on the public sidewalk, are more ruins of the Athenian Agora.
The Stoa Poikile or Painted Portico dates from around 460 B.C. Here, in addition to the four famous paintings of Athen victories in war, including the Battle of Marathon, victorious Athenian soldiers would display their spoils of war. The philosopher Zeno of Citium taught here for 40 years until his death c. 262 B.C. The philosophical school that he founded at the Stoa was named Stoicism.
The Stoa seems to have survived most of the sieges, becoming spolia in the 6th century A.D.
The Stoa was to the right. To its left, you can see a portion of the Panathenic Way continuing off at an angle in the direction of Kerameikos.
The Royal Stoa (Stoa Basileios)
It’s hard to believe, but in 450 B.C., there were no train tracks through the Agora. North of the Stoa of Zeus, under the railroad track, and north of the track are the remains of this stoa in the northwest corner of the Agora, just south of the point where the Panathenaic Way entered the Agora. You can see it best from Adrianou Street, across from where you were viewing the Stoa Poikile.
The Stoa was built circa 550 B.C. in the Doric order, with a colonnade of eight columns along the eastern side, facing towards the open space of the Agora.
Stoa Basileios was originally the headquarters of the archon basileus (king magistrate), a link between the old monarchy and the newly forming democracy. Associated with law and justice, the wooden pillars holding the laws of Draco and Solon (Athens’ first written laws) would be stored here. Ancient Athens’ nine annual archons swore their oaths of office on a stone here, as did arbitrators and trial witnesses.
Continue west on Adrianou Street to where it meets Ermou St, the most direct route back to the Monastiraki and Syntagma areas. The Thiseio Metro station is also here.
The pedestrian Street Apostolou Pavlou begins here. It runs along the west side of the Agora to the entrance of Philopappos Hill, where it meets Dionysiou Areopagitou. This pedestrian Street connects the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, and the Temple of Zeus.
While in the Agora Area.
The Centre for the Study of Traditional Pottery
Also known as the Psaropoulos Museum of Traditional Pottery, it is a small museum and a nearby school for traditional and modern pottery. It is a 3-minute walk from the corner of Adrianou and Ermou.
The museum is on Melidoni Street in the Kerameikos district, an area famous for potters and painters in Ancient Athens. Here, they used local clay to produce the famous Athenian black-figure and red-figure pottery.
Athens’ Beth Shalom Synagogue and the 1904 Etz Haim Synagogue (currently Athens’ oldest) are also on Melidoni Street. You are not able to visit either without making previous arrangements.
Kerameikos Archaeological Site
Where Melidoni Street meets Ermou Street lies this often-overlooked archaeological site.
Here you can see the Dipylon Gate, the main gateway of ancient Athens, and the largest gate of the ancient world. Built in 478 B.C., the entrance was double-gated, hence its name, which means “Two-Gated” in Greek. This gate marks the beginning of the Panathenaic Way.
Kerameikos comes from the Greek word for “pottery clay.” Potters came here for the clay deposits of the ancient Iridanos River. They set up their workshops and kilns nearby. When the river kept flooding their workshops, they moved to higher ground, and the city’s cemetery began there.
Today, in addition to the remains of the city walls, you can see part of the dry river bed and several remnants from the cemetery. The earliest tombs date back to the Early Bronze Age (2700-2000 B.C.) The cemetery was in use until approximately the sixth century A.D.
Kerameikos Museum
Adjacent to the archaeological site is this museum, which features artifacts from excavations at Kerameikos. Most of the pieces of sculpture and ceramics have a funeral or cemetery theme.
Fun Fact: On the concourse level of the Monastiraki Metro Station, (Monastiraki Square) you can see the ancient Iridanos (Eridanos) River. Here, there is an archaeological site on display that came to light during the building of the subway.
The Ancient Agora Summary.
No visit to Athens would be complete without a visit to its Ancient Agora. You can see it from atop the Acropolis, but you will not understand its meaning and importance until you are standing in the middle of it.
This exploration walk is a great 2-3 hour escape that links many parts of Athens and its history. What are you waiting for? Get those walking shoes on.