Agora Information
The Agora (Greek: Ἀγορά, Agorá) was a central spot in ancient Greek city-states. The literal meaning of the word is "Gathering place" or "Assembly". The agora was the center of athletic, artistic, spiritual and political life of the city.[1]
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Origins
Early in Greek history (10th century–8th century BC), free-born male land-owners who were 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.
From this twin function of the Agora as a political and commercial space came the two Greek verbs ἀγοράζω, agorázō, "I shop", and ἀγορεύω, agoreúō, "I speak in public". The word agoraphobia, the fear of critical public situations, derives from Agora in its meaning as a gathering place.
The Forum was the Roman equivalent of the Agora and the word is often used in older texts to refer to Greek agoras.
See also
References
- ^ Ring, Salkin, Boda, Trudy, Robert, Sharon (January 1, 1996). International Dictionary of Historic Places: Southern Europe. Routledge. pp. 66. ISBN 978-1-884964-02-2.
External links
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