Roman Agora

An inscription on the architrave of the monumental Agora Gate of Athena Archegetis ("Athena the Leader") tells us that Julius and Augustus Caesar provided the funds for its construction in the 1st century B.C. The Roman Agora consists of a large, open-air court- yard surrounded by colonnades on all four sides. On the eastern side, there were also a series of shops. On the southern side was a fountain. Apart from the main entrance on the west (Gate of Athena Archegetis), there was a second entrance (or propylon) on the east, leading up to a public latrine and the "Tower of the Winds." The Roman Agora apparently became the main market of the city, taking over many of the commerical functions of the Old Agora, which had become an archaeological park by that time. The archaeological site of the Agora is in the center of the historic Athens and easily accessible by Metro.