Agora, Corinth is an interesting place of attraction in Corinth. As a site of Greek history Agora, Corinth reflects the age old traditions and practices of the past times.
History of Agora
The Agora was an open “place of assembly” in an ancient Greek city-state. In ancient Greek history, male citizens of Corinth would congregate in the agora for military duty or to hear the speeches of the ruling king or council. In the later part of Greek history, the Agora served as a marketplace, where merchants kept stalls or shops to sell their goods under colonnades.The agora continued to be the center of Athenian commercial and political life throughout ancient times. One of the most prominent buildings added to the space in the Roman period was the Odeon of Agrippa, built in 15 BCE.
The Agora of Corinth
The Agora of Corinth was located close to the temple of Apollo. The Roman colonists selected this area south of the Archaic Temple to be the location of the Corinth’s market place. In the middle of the Agora of Corinth was a platform for public addresses. A large statue of Athena also stood there.The Romans built 2 identical basilicas. One of them was behind the South Stoa, and one was at the east end of the forum. “Stoa” in Greek meant porch. Stoas were covered colonnaded buildings. These buildings were used as places for council meetings, law courts, offices, shops, storerooms, or informal meetings.
The South Stoa was a huge building, originally built in the fourth century BCE. The Roman colonists extensively remodeled it. They used it for shops and a kind of hotel. Interestingly the word agoraphobia, the fear of critical public situations, traces its roots from agora in its meaning as a market place.
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