The Athenian Agora

Overview

In the 5th century BC the Agora was the civic heart of Athens, where citizens gathered to debate, buy, sell, and vote. Above it rose the Acropolis, soon to be crowned by the Parthenon.

Historical Context

Under Pericles, Athens experimented with direct democracy: free male citizens voted on laws, juries decided trials, and ostracism could exile dangerous men. It was also the era of Sophocles, Herodotus and Socrates as a young man.

What to Notice

• Marble columns of the Hephaisteion temple.
• The Acropolis rising in the distance.
• Citizens in chitons debating and voting with potsherds.