Ancient greece.doc
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The agora was the central marketplace and meeting place in ancient Greek cities. It was a large open space surrounded by buildings like shops and stoa, a long colonnaded building. The agora housed stalls selling goods, platforms for public events, altars and statues. People gathered there to buy, sell, socialize, participate in politics and watch trials. It served as a vital hub for community life.
Ancient greece.doc
- 1. CENTRAL TO EVERY GREEK CITY AND TOWN WAS THE AGORA, A MARKETPLACE AND MEETING PLACE. IT WAS A LARGE, USUALLY RECTANGULAR SPACE SURROUNDED BY BUILDINGS. PLATFORMS, ALTARS AND STATUES OF GODS, SPORTSMEN AND POLITICAL FIGURES COULD ALSO BE FOUND THERE. THE STOA, WHICH FORMED AN EDGE OF THE AGORA, WAS A LONG BUILDING WITH COLUMNS. SHOPS WERE LOCATED IN THE STOA. MORE EXPENSIVE ITEMS COULD BE BOUGHT THERE.PUBLIC SPECTATORS COULD WATCH CRIMINALS BEING PLACED ON TRIAL IN THE AGORAFARMERS CAME WITH THEIR PRODUCE. IN THE LARGE EMPTY SPACE OF THE AGORA, STALLHOLDERS SET UP THEIR SUN SHADED TABLES AND SOLD SUCH ITEMS AS MEAT, FISH, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, CHEESES, EGGS, HONEY, WINE, OLIVE OIL AND ANIMALS (E.G. DONKEYS, HORSES, HENS). FRESH MEAT AND FISH WERE DISPLAYED ON MARBLE SLABS THAT KEPT THE FOOD COOL. "FAST FOOD" WAS ALSO SOLD TO HUNGRY AND THIRSTY SHOPPERS. SLAVES WERE PLACED ON DISPLAY AND BOUGHT AND SOLD.MERCHANTS ALSO BOUGHT AND SOLD EXOTIC FOREIGN ITEMS IN THE AGORA. WOMEN AND SLAVES COULD USE A PUBLIC FOUNTAIN IN THE AGORA TO COLLECT THEIR DAILY SUPPLY OF WATER IN POTS.THE AGORA WAS A VITAL AREA FOR A COMMUNITY. SOLON WAS AN ATHENIAN STATESMAN, LAWMAKER, AND POET. HE IS REMEMBERED PARTICULARLY FOR HIS EFFORTS TO LEGISLATE AGAINST POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND MORAL DECLINE IN ARCHAIC ATHENS.SOLON, THE MOST FAMOUS OF ALL THE ANCIENT GREEK LAWGIVERS, WAS BORN AT ATHENS ABOUT 638 B.C., AND BELONGED TO ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED FAMILIES OF ATTICA. HIS EARLIEST APPEARANCE IN THE FIELD OF POLITICS WAS OCCASIONED BY THE CONTEST BETWEEN ATHENS AND MEGARA, FOR THE POSSESSION OF SALAMIS, AN ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF ATTICA. SOLON REVIVED THE MARTIAL SPIRIT OF HIS COUNTRYMEN, WHICH HAD SUNK UNDER THE EFFECT OF REPEATED DISASTERS, OBTAINED COMMAND OF A BODY OF TROOPS, AND CONQUERED THE ISLAND, ABOUT 595 B.C. FROM THIS POINT HIS CAREER IS CONSPICUOUSLY NOBLE AND HONORABLE. IN 594 B.C., HE WAS CHOSEN ARCHON AND RECEIVED UNLIMITED PERMISSION TO ACT AS HE SAW BEST FOR THE GOOD OF THE STATE. SOLON WITHDREW FROM ATHENS, AND IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE DIED AT CYPRUS AT THE AGE OF 80. PERICLES WAS A PROMINENT AND INFLUENTIAL GREEK STATESMAN, ORATOR, AND GENERAL OF ATHENS DURING THE CITY'S GOLDEN AGESPECIFICALLY, THE TIME BETWEEN THE PERSIAN AND PELOPONNESIAN WARS. PERICLES TURNED THE DELIAN LEAGUE INTO AN ATHENIAN EMPIRE AND LED HIS COUNTRYMEN DURING THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR. THE PERIOD DURING WHICH HE LED ATHENS, ROUGHLY FROM 461 TO 429 BC, IS SOMETIMES KNOWN AS THE "AGE OF PERICLES.
- 2. PERICLES PROMOTED THE ARTS AND LITERATURE; IT IS PRINCIPALLY THROUGH HIS EFFORTS THAT ATHENS HOLDS THE REPUTATION OF BEING THE EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL CENTER OF THE ANCIENT GREEK WORLD. PERICLES FOSTERED ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT CRITICS CALL HIM A POPULIST. THE ECCLESIA WAS THE PRINCIPAL ASSEMBLY OF THE DEMOCRACY OF ANCIENT ATHENS DURING ITS "GOLDEN AGE" (480404 BCE). IT WAS THE POPULAR ASSEMBLY, OPENED TO ALL MALE CITIZENS WITH 2 YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE BY SOLON IN 594 BC MEANING THAT ALL CLASSES OF CITIZENS IN ATHENS WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE. THE EKKLESIA GAVE ALL THE CITIZENS THERE THE OPPORTUNITY TO NOMINATE AND VOTE FOR MAGISTRATESINDIRECTLY VOTING FOR THE AREOPAGUSHAVE THE FINAL DECISION ON LEGISLATION, WAR AND PEACE. IN THE 5TH CENTURY BC THEIR NUMBERS AMOUNTED TO ABOUT 43,000 PEOPLE. HOWEVER, ONLY THOSE WEALTHY ENOUGH TO SPEND MUCH OF THEIR TIME AWAY FROM HOME WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE UNTIL PERICLES CHANGED THAT.