The Agora was the center of political, commercial, administrative, social, religious, and cultural life in ancient Athens, where democracy was born. It was occupied continuously from the Late Neolithic period until the 6th century BC when it became a public space. Over subsequent periods it was damaged and rebuilt multiple times before gradually being abandoned after the Slavic invasion in the 6th century AD, though it was later resettled. Since 1931, the American School of Classical Studies has excavated the Agora, reconstructing parts like the Stoa of Attalos museum.

1. ANCIENT AGORA
WHERE DEMOCRACY WAS BORN

2. • The Agora was the heart
of ancient Athens, the
focus of political,
commercial,
administrative and
social activity, the
religious and cultural
centre, and the seat of
justice. It was a large
open area surrounded
by buildings of various
functions.

3. • The site was occupied
without interruption in
all periods of the city's
history. It was used as a
residential and burial
area as early as the
Late Neolithic period
(3000 B.C.).
Early in the 6th
century, in the time
of Solon, the Agora
became a public
area.

4. • After a series of repairs and
remodellings, it reached its final
rectangular form in the 2nd
century B.C. Extensive building
activity occured after the serious
damage made by the Persians in
480/79 B.C., by the Romans in 89
B.C. and by the Herulae in A.D.
267 while, after the Slavic
invasion in A.D. 580, It was
gradually abandoned. From the
Byzantine period until after 1834,
when Athens became the capital
of the independent Greek state,
the Agora was again developed as
a residential area.

5. TODAY
• The ancient Athenian agora has been
excavated by the American School of
Classical Studies at Athens since 1931
. They continue to the present day.
After the initial phase of excavation, in
the 1950s, the Hellenistic Stoa of
Attalos was reconstructed on the east
side of the agora, and today it serves
as a museum and as storage and
office space for the excavation team.
A virtual reconstruction of the Ancient
Agora of Athens has been produced
through a collaboration of
the American School of Classical
Studies and the Foundation of the
Hellenic World, which had various
output.