Byzantine Churches - On the way to the Roman Agora and Library of Hadrian, we will pass several Byzantine churches (Website Link Here) and (Website Link Here) - the second link has more ads but also better information.The churches to take note of in the link are: Agia Dynami, Panagia Gorgoepikoos, Kapnikarea, Panagia Pantanassa, and Agioi Apostoloi Solaki (See John Camp's Essay under the Athenian Agora Temple tab for more information on Agioi Apostoloi Solaki).
Roman Agora (Roman Forum in Athens) and Hadrian's Library
The Roman agora (agora is the Greek word for forum) was an extension of the Athenian Agora (capitalized because it is well known). The main sites are the Gate of Athena on the west and Tower of Winds on east. Until recently the area was known as the Turkish Quarter because many Turks made the place their home during Ottoman rule, and a mosque there is currently undergoing restoration. Much more will be gained about the Roman agora from the videos below, but for a very brief description of the site click Website Link Here
The video above (4:09) of the Roman agora starts with the Library of Hadrian, an enclosed area with an open interior with gardens or (in the video) a pool in the middle and shady colonnades on either side leading to the building that housed the library proper. NB: In the complex two centuries later you will see the outline of the fifth-century Megali Panagia, which is the oldest known church in Athens.
Leaving Hadrian's Library the video moves on to the enclosed but spacious Roman agora (marketplace where businesses of all sorts were found). It's basically an extension of the Athenian agora that Romans funded over several centuries, leaving their names on the buildings they created. Notice the many rooms in the colonnades, which would have been different shops. It's hot in Greece and shade was important.
The brief video above (2:08) is a good overview of the Roman agora as it looks today in the midst of the busting modern city, and ends with a look at the Tower of the Winds (Horologion) by the Macedonian astronomer Andronikos in the 2nd/1st century BC. Just how it worked is a bit of an unknown, but it was a weather vane, sundial, and water clock. The inside only recently opened up to the public. You'll also notice a mosque in the Roman Agora.
This short video above (1:00) focuses on the Tower of the Winds itself. It starts with a close up of the background, which shows the north side of the Acropolis with the Erechtheion - pause the video for just a moment and notice the huge column drums from an older temple to Athena built into the side of the Acropolis to raise the platform. This video is good because it also marks out the remains of Turkish buildings (e.g. the Medrese, a school for Turkish youths) - in fact, the Tower of the Winds is often called "Bathhouse of the Winds" because of a nearby Turkish bath. The Roman agora was known as the Turkish Quarter until recently, and a mosque there is currently undergoing restoration.
Sometimes the captions are in Greek, but the video above is the next best thing to actually being in the Roman agora.
Stoa of Attalus - Stoas are covered porches usually of considerable length that provided shade and areas for shops and other businesses. The Stoa of Attalus was a gift from Attalos II, King of Pergamum (a sizable city state in western Turkey) and is an important structure in the agora because it has been thoroughly restored and now serves as the Agora Museum and repository of finds from the agora by the American School in Athens.
The video above (6:13) gives a great idea what the Athenian Agora looked like in the second century BC - before the Romans took over Greece and constantly added more buildings. This building was reconstructed by the American School of Athens is especially important because it is the Agora museum. In it you will see archaeological finds from the Agora that date from the earliest periods of use up to late antiquity. After watching this video, you will recognize the stoa-now-museum as soon as you see it.
Athenian Agora
The Athena Agora was the political, religious, and, most important for daily life, social center in ancient Athens. Every city had an agora (marketplace), the Athens' was huge and the center of cultural life during democracy. When we visit you will be struck by the many centuries of history visible in this space - a building here dating to the time of Socrates, a building there erected by Julius Caesar. On the west side there is a 5th century BC temple that honored Hephaistos and Athena, important gods of craftsmanship, and on the northeast a Byzantine church that honors the Apostles. The Athenian agora is quite a chaotic place to make sense of, and we will only be able to focus on few buildings so you have some points form context.
Temple of Hephaistos
#The above video (1:53) is an outstanding look at the temple as we will see it when we’re in Greece and what it looked like in antiquity from all angles, many of which look out into the agora itself. The Temple of Hephaistos (Hephaestus) is in quite good shape, but nothing like what it was when it was first built. It over looks the western edge of the Athenian agora and is definitely worth knowing more about.
Church of Holy Apostles - Read John Camp's Essay Below
More information about Byzantine churches that you can read about here and here - this link has more ads but also better information
