On the Agora: The Evolution of a Public Space in Hellenistic and Roman Greece; C. 323 BC - 267 AD)

498 Pages·2016·3.285 MB·English

by  Christopher P. Dickenson

OntheAgora
Mnemosyne
Supplements
history and archaeology
of classical antiquity
SeriesEditor
HansvanWees(UniversityCollegeLondon)
AssociateEditors
JanPaulCrielaard(VrijeUniversiteitAmsterdam)
BenetSalway(UniversityCollegeLondon)
volume398
Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesarelistedatbrill.com/mns-haca
On the Agora
TheEvolutionofaPublicSpaceinHellenisticand
RomanGreece(c.323bc–267ad)
By
ChristopherP.Dickenson
leiden | boston
Coverillustration:ImpressionoftheAthenianagorabyJ.Bühlmann(c.1880)
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issn2352-8656
isbn978-90-04-32671-2(hardback)
isbn978-90-04-33475-5(e-book)
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Contents
ListofFigures xi
PrefaceandAcknowledgements xiv
Introduction 1
1 WhatExactlywasanAgora? 3
2 AnOverviewofModernAgoraScholarship 16
3 ModernAssumptionsandPrejudices 26
4 TheEvidence 32
5 TheArchaeologicalEvidence 32
6 LiterarySources 38
7 Inscriptions 40
8 OutlineoftheBook 43
1 TheEarlyHellenisticPeriod.323bc–197bc 50
1.1 IntroductiontothePeriod 50
1.2 PellaandtheEarliestPeristyleAgora 57
1.3 AgorasinNewHellenisticCitiesandtheMovetowardMultiple
Agoras 62
1.4 StoasandtheIncreasingDemarcationofSpace 69
1.5 MonumentalEntrances 87
1.6 PoliticalBuildingsontheAgora 88
1.7 FountainHouses 95
1.8 SpacefortheGods 97
1.9 TheAgorainRelationtoOtherPublicSpaces—Theatresand
Gymnasia 109
1.10 Excursus—theNamesGiventoTheatre-LikeBuildings 113
1.11 TheDifferentElementsBroughtTogether—theAgoraofKassopein
Epir0s 116
1.12 Conclusion 119
2 TheLateHellenisticPeriod.197bc–31bc 122
2.1 IntroductiontothePeriod 122
2.2 MesseneandtheDivisionofCommercialandPoliticalSpace 130
2.3 RedesigningtheAthenianAgora 142
2.4 TheFunctionoftheNewSouthSquareatAthens 152
2.5 BemataatAthensandElsewhere—RomanInfluenceonGreekPublic
Space 157
viii contents
2.6 TheStoaofAttalos—CuttingtheClassicalAgorainTwo 170
2.7 ACommercialAgorainLateHellenisticAthens 179
2.8 TheSeparationofPoliticsandCommerceinHellenistic
Athens—SomeFinalConsiderations 186
2.9 TheRedevelopmentoftheAgoraatThasos 189
2.10 TheProwMonumentatThasos—StatueBaseorSpeaker’s
Platform? 194
2.11 Conclusion 199
3 TheEarlyImperialPeriod.31bc–97ad 202
3.1 IntroductiontothePeriod 202
3.2 RomanCitiesonGreekSoil 210
3.3 RomanCorinth—theCapitalofAchaia 215
3.4 TheEarliestBuildingsontheCorinthianForum 222
3.5 SeparateMarketBuildings:(i)theRomanAgoraatAthens 237
3.6 SeparateMarketBuildings:(ii)theBiggerPicture 253
3.7 OdeiaandTheatre-LikeBuildings:(i)theOdeionofAgrippaat
Athens 258
3.8 OdeiaandTheatre-LikeBuildings:(ii)OtherGreekCities 264
3.9 Argos—AgoraorSportingCentre? 267
3.10 TemplesandReligiousBuildings 271
3.11 PoliticalBuildings 287
3.12 ThePurportedEndoftheAthenianBema 292
3.13 PublicSquaresandMeetingsundertheEmpire—theViewfrom
Rome 299
3.14 BemataontheForumsandAgorasofGreece 308
3.15 TheAltarof“ZeusAgoraios”atAthens 317
3.16 EnclosureandTidyingup 324
3.17 Conclusions 329
4 TheHighImperialPeriod.97ad–267ad 333
4.1 IntroductiontothePeriod 333
4.2 EnclosingSpace,ControllingEntranceandIncreasing
Monumentality 343
4.3 AssessingtheImpactofEnclosure 354
4.4 OtherSignsofMonumentality 359
4.5 NymphaeaandOtherWaterInstallations 363
4.6 AgorasasSpacesforCulture 370
4.7 PoliticsandCommerce—theFinalSeparationofFunction? 377
4.8 Conclusion 389
contents ix
5 Conclusion 393
5.1 TheAgoraasaMuseum 396
5.2 WhereNowfortheGreekAgora? 401
Bibliography 405
GeneralIndex 455
IndexofInscriptions 472
IndexofAuthors 474