The agora was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. The literal meaning of the word is “gathering place” or “assembly”. The agora was the center of the athletic, artistic, spiritual and political life of the city. The Ancient Agora of Athens was the best-known example.
Origins
Early in Greek history (18th century–8th century BC), free-born 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. This attracted artisans who built workshops nearby.
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 term agoraphobia denotes a phobic condition in which the sufferer becomes anxious in environments that are unfamiliar—for instance, places where he or she perceives that they have little control. Such anxiety may be triggered by wide open spaces, by crowds, or by some public situations, and the psychological term derives from the agora as a large and open gathering place.
The historical precedents go back to the times of the squares of the Minoan Crete, where the first agoras have been located.
Later, it resurfaced after the fall of the Mycenaean civilization and already from the VIII century BC. C., becoming an essential characteristic of all polis, animated by a great commercial activity. From that moment, the agora (located in the lower city), will replace in importance the institution of the fortress palace (located in the acropolis) and will be the urban political center.
Archaic agogoras are closely related to religious sanctuaries and entertainment activities, such as parties, games and theater.
With the passing of time the agora became the beginning of the polis, both from the economic and commercial point of view (as the seat of the market), from the religious point of view to be found there places of worship of the founder of the city or from the protective deity or from the political point of view to be a meeting place for citizens to discuss the problems of the community. In this way and around it, the public buildings necessary to house all the activities were emerging.
The agora was an authentic urbanistic invention, unprecedented neither in the centers of the Near East nor in the Mycenaean civilization where everything depended on the kings, so there was no need for meeting places.
This innovation was introduced thanks to the major urban modifications that began in the Periclean period, around the 5th century BC. C., that over time, during the Hellenistic period extended to three main types of agora: the mercantile, in the maritime cities, in close connection with the ports, where the agora was located near the gates of the city and politics or religious, which placed it in the center of the city.
The most famous is the Agora of Athens The Roman Forum is the equivalent of the Agora and both are the predecessors of the current Plazas.
Further developments
In the classical period, the offices of local magistrates were built on many Agorai, also a Buleuterion (City Hall) and a Prytaneion belonged at the end of the 4th century BC. Often to the architectural equipment of an agora. It became more and more the administrative center of a Greek polis and served as its representative. The Agora became the site for public resolutions and honorary statues.
During the same period, parts of their original functions were moved to other locations. Thus, for Agone very often separate buildings such as stadiums and theaters were created. Popular meetings were now mostly held in specially erected ecclesiasties (eg the Pnyx in Athens) or in the theater. Despite all apparent efforts to shift the market to new trading markets, however, the Agora never lost its economic functions, but remained the most important commercial center of a city in the Hellenistic period.
In many cities, however, the representative expansion took place only in the Hellenistic- Roman period, before the Agora was sometimes only an open space. The function and shape of the Agora coincide in part with those of the Roman Forum. The best known example is the Agora of Athens. Other examples are the Agora of Priene and the agora of Miletus.
In modern cities
In a new city or a modern urban ensemble, pedestrian zone around which one finds administrative, commercial and sometimes religious establishments. In the new town of Évry, for example, the Agora is the public square at the crossroads of pedestrian paths and bus lanes, where you can find the theater, the shopping center and the various facilities. It is also a place to welcome markets.
Source from Wikipedia