The agora (; Ancient Greek: ἀγοÏά agorá) was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. The literal meaning of the word is "gathering place" or "assembly". The agora was the center of the athletic, artistic, spiritual and political life of the city. The Ancient Agora of Athens was the best-known example.
Origins
Agora of Athens, Public Markets in Ancient Greece - Team #3 Teresa Nguyen Japneet Randhawa Public Markets in Ancient Greece: Agora of Athens.
Early in Greek history (18th centuryâ€"8th century BC), free-born citizens would gather in the agora for military duty or to hear statements of the ruling king or council. Later, the Agora also served as a marketplace where merchants kept stalls or shops to sell their goods amid colonnades. This attracted artisans who built workshops nearby.
From this twin function of the agora as a political and commercial space came the two Greek verbs ἀγοÏάζω, agorázÅ, "I shop", and ἀγοÏεÏω, agoreúÅ, "I speak in public".
The term agoraphobia denotes a phobic condition in which the sufferer becomes anxious in environments that are unfamiliarâ€"for instance, places where he or she perceives that they have little control. Such anxiety may be triggered by wide open spaces, by crowds, or by some public situations, and the psychological term derives from the agora as a large and open gathering place.
See also
- Agorism
- Platonic Academy
References
External links
- Media related to Agoras at Wikimedia Commons
- Official Athenian agora excavations
- Agora in Athens: photos
