In the shadow of the iconic Acropolis lies another essential site for understanding the long and complex history of Athens: the Roman Agora. Located just north of the more famous Ancient Agora from the Classical period, this sprawling complex bears witness to the profound transformation the city underwent after the advent of Roman rule. As historian J. Camp notes, the Roman Agora "represents the final stage in the long evolution of the city center of Athens" from its origins as a residential district in the Archaic period to its Roman-era incarnation as a grandiose public square and commercial hub.[^1]
The Rise of the Roman Agora
The story of the Roman Agora begins with the rise of Rome as a Mediterranean superpower in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. After supporting Rome in the Mithridatic Wars, Athens fell under increased Roman influence, politically and culturally. This process of ‘Romanization‘ took a major leap forward under Julius Caesar, who patronized the city and began an ambitious building program, including a new marketplace.[^2]
Construction on this new agora began around 40 BC with funding from Caesar and later, Augustus. The Greek architect Herodes Atticus is believed to have overseen the initial building phase.[^3] The goal was to create a grand public space in line with those found in other major cities of the Empire.
Layout and Architecture
The Roman Agora occupied a vast rectangular area, measuring approximately 111 m x 98 m.[^4] It followed the standard architectural model of Roman forums: a large open courtyard surrounded by stoas or covered colonnades on all four sides. These stoas provided shaded walkways and housed various shops, offices, and other public facilities.
The main entrance was on the west side, marked by the Gate of Athena Archegetis. This imposing propylaeum, constructed around 11 BC, features four Doric columns supporting a pediment with a sculpture of Lucius Caesar, Augustus‘ grandson.[^5]
On the east side stood the Agoranomion, the office of the agoranomos magistrates who oversaw the marketplace. Behind this was a row of 21 shops, each with a marble threshold inscribed with numerals, presumably to demarcate each commercial space.[^6]
The southern end of the agora was anchored by a monumental fountain house, an essential amenity for both practical and aesthetic purposes. Fed by the Klepsydra spring, it featured a decorative facade with marble basins for collecting water.[^7]
But the most iconic and best-preserved monument is undoubtedly the Tower of the Winds, also known as the Horologion of Andronikos Kyrrhestes. This remarkable octagonal structure, built around 50 BC, served as an astronomical clock, weather vane, sundial, and water clock all in one. Each of its eight sides aligns with a point of the compass and features a relief sculpture personifying the wind associated with that direction.[^8] According to the Roman architect Vitruvius, the Tower of the Winds was "a marvel that is known the world over" for its ingenious combination of art and science.[^9]
The Beating Heart of Roman Athens
The Roman Agora quickly became the center of civic and commercial life in Athens under the Empire. It hosted a regular produce market as well as permanent shops selling luxury goods like jewelry, pottery, and perfumes. Surviving shop inscriptions indicate a variety of tradespeople worked here, from florists to bronzeworkers.[^6]
But the agora was much more than a marketplace. As in other Roman cities, it also served important political, administrative, and social functions. The open plaza was used for public gatherings and ceremonies, such as imperial birthday celebrations. Offices like the Agoranomion oversaw matters of trade and taxation.[^10] Philosophers held forth to crowds of students and passersby, continuing Athens‘ reputation as a center of learning.
This intellectual vitality was further bolstered by the construction of the Library of Hadrian on the eastern edge of the agora around AD 132. Dedicated to the famously philhellenic emperor, this sprawling complex centered on a spacious courtyard surrounded by 100 columns and adjoining halls that contained reading rooms and lecture spaces. An inscription over the entrance proclaimed it "a library with books on every subject, and a reading room attached."[^11] Though now largely ruined, the Library of Hadrian reflects the agora‘s status as the cultural and intellectual heart of Roman Athens.
Changing Fortunes in Later Centuries
Like the city itself, the Roman Agora underwent many transformations in the centuries after its heyday. By the late 3rd century AD, the civic center of Athens began shifting back to the Ancient Agora to the southwest.[^12]
The area suffered damage during the Herulian invasion of 267 AD, though the extent is unclear. Archaeologists have found evidence of hastily-built fortifications from this period, using material scavenged from the agora‘s buildings.[^13]
As Athens‘ population dwindled in the Byzantine era, the agora fell into disuse and increasing ruin. By the 12th century, a travelogue describes cattle grazing among the overgrown remains.[^14] Under Ottoman rule, the area was built over with houses, workshops, and a mosque, further obscuring the ancient ruins.
Rediscovering the Past
It wasn‘t until after Greek independence that archaeologists began to uncover and study the Roman Agora in a systematic way. The first formal excavations were conducted by the Greek Archaeological Society in the 1890s, focusing on the Tower of the Winds.[^15]
More extensive work took place from 1931-1941 under the auspices of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Led by H. Thompson, this project revealed the majority of the agora‘s buildings and reconstructed the Agoranomion.[^16]
Since the 1960s, the site has been maintained as an open-air archaeological park by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Athens. Ongoing excavation and conservation work continues to shed new light on this multilayered site. Recent finds include a late antique house with mosaic floors and a marble table support in the form of a female figure.[^17]
Experiencing the Roman Agora Today
For modern visitors, the Roman Agora offers a fascinating glimpse into the dynamic world of an ancient city at the crossroads of empires and cultures. The juxtaposition of Greek and Roman architectural styles reflects the complex political and social realities of Athens under Roman rule.
The site is conveniently located in the heart of the Plaka neighborhood, just a 5 minute walk from the Monastiraki metro station. It is open daily from 8 am to 8 pm during summer months (reduced hours in winter). A €10 ticket includes entry to the Roman Agora, Ancient Agora, Hadrian‘s Library, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Guided tours are available.
Despite 2,000 years of history, many of the agora‘s monuments remain remarkably well-preserved and intelligible to modern eyes. Visitors can trace the outlines of ancient shops, ponder the reliefs on the Tower of the Winds, and walk in the footsteps of countless generations at this enduring crossroads of civilizations.
Though overshadowed by Athens‘ Golden Age glory, the Roman Agora is an indispensable piece in the vast mosaic of the city‘s past. It testifies to an era when Athens was no longer a leading power in its own right but still shone as a vital center of culture and learning within a cosmopolitan empire. To fully understand the journey of this iconic city, one must grapple with both its native genius and its complex role in a wider Roman world – an encounter embodied in the stones of the Roman Agora.
[^1]: Camp, J. M. (2001). The Archaeology of Athens. Yale University Press, p. 183.[^2]: Hoff, M. C. (1989). The Early History of the Roman Agora at Athens. Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies, 30(1), 1-8.
[^3]: Shear, T. L. (1981). Athens: From City-State to Provincial Town. Hesperia, 50(4), 356-377.
[^4]: Travlos, J. (1971). Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Athens. Praeger, p. 28.
[^5]: Dickenson, C. (2011). On the Agora: The Evolution of a Public Space in Hellenistic and Roman Greece (c. 323 BC – 267 AD). Leiden: Brill, p. 322.
[^6]: Shear, T. L. (1973). The Athenian Agora: Excavations of 1972. Hesperia, 42(4), 383-385.
[^7]: Camp, J. M. (2003). The Athenian Agora: A Short Guide. American School of Classical Studies at Athens, p. 210.
[^8]: Noble, J. V., & Price, D. J. (1968). The Water Clock in the Tower of the Winds. American Journal of Archaeology, 72(4), 345-355.
[^9]: Vitruvius. (1914). The Ten Books on Architecture. Translated by M. H. Morgan. Harvard University Press, I.6.4.
[^10]: Walbank, M. B. (1996). The Foundation and Planning of Early Roman Corinth. Journal of Roman Archaeology, 9, 86-130.
[^11]: Sisson, M. A. (1929). The Stoa of Hadrian at Athens. Papers of the British School at Rome, 11, 50-72.
[^12]: Frantz, A. (1979). A Public Building of Late Antiquity in Athens (IG II2, 5205). Hesperia, 48(3), 194-203.
[^13]: Thompson, H. A., & Wycherley, R. E. (1972). The Agora of Athens: The History, Shape, and Uses of an Ancient City Center. American School of Classical Studies at Athens, p. 210.
[^14]: Kazanaki-Lappa, M. (2002). Medieval Athens. In A. Laiou (Ed.), The Economic History of Byzantium (pp. 639-646). Dumbarton Oaks.
[^15]: Koumanoudis, S. (1978). The Tower of the Winds and its Sundial. Archaeologikon Deltion, 33(1), 1-16.
[^16]: Shear, T. L. (1933). The American Excavations in the Athenian Agora: The Roman Period. Hesperia, 2(4), 451-474.
[^17]: Sourlas, D. (2015). Reconsidering the Hephaisteion in the Roman Period. In M. M. Miles (Ed.), Autopsy in Athens: Recent Archaeological Research on Athens and Attica (pp. 107-122). Oxford: Oxbow Books.
