Ancient Agora, Where Democracy's Roots Blossomed

Adrianou, Athina 105 55, Greece

One of the many ruins in Athens

Introduction

"In Greek, 'Agora' means 'marketplace.' In ancient Greece, markets were not only a place to buy and sell goods, but also an important occasion for politics, economics, and culture. In ancient Greece, the market was a male domain, and the great philosopher Socrates once discussed politics and explored truth with the crowd there. Nowadays, markets are often seen as the realm of housewives. But in ancient Greece, the market was a place for men. There are two surviving ancient market ruins in Athens, one is the Ancient Agora and the other is the Athens Roman Agora. They are both located in the Monastiraki area and are close to each other. The most attractive part of the ancient market is the Museum of the Ancient Agora. The museum displays many artifacts unearthed from daily necessities such as pottery and jars. The colonnade outside the museum is also a feature. It is one of the only completely restored buildings in ancient Greece."