Sthn arcaiva Ellavda onomazovtan agorav h sunevleush twn eleuqevrwn politwvn h opoiva sun-

ekaleivto gia na th" gnwstopoihqouvn oi apofavsei" twn strathgwvn hv twn hgemwvnwn.

Authv h sunevleush sunhvqize na sunedriavzei sthn kentrikhv plateiva th" povlh", wvste kai authv

phvre grhvgora to ivdio t  v ovnomav th", ginovmenh to kevntro th" oikonomikhv", politikhv kai poli-

tistikhv" zwhv".

Eivnai to kevntro ovci movno oikonomikov, allav kai hqikov kai ierov th" povlh": sthn agovra orga-

nwvnetai o laov" ovtan eortavzontai oi megavle" qrhskeutikev" giortev" kai apov keiv anacwrouvn oi

epivshme" parelavsei". H parevlash sta Panaqhvnaia xekinouvse apov to Lewkovreio, sthn agorav, gia na ftavsei sthn Akrovpolh.

Epomevnw" ekeiv ektelovntan oi qrhskeutikev" teletev", oi eortev", givnontan oi divke" kai  

suzhtovntan oi diavfore" apovyei" kai se autev" ti" drasthriovthte" mporouvsan na summetavscoun ovloi oi polivte" gia na ekfravsoun ti" apovyei" tou". Opoio" eivce katadikasteiv hv eivce

diapravxei egklhvmata de mporouvse na mpeiv sti" ierev" periocev", epomevnw" ouvte sthn agorav.

Sthn arcaiovthta, ovtan to perissovtero mevro" tou politismouv ekfrazovtan mevsw th" proforikhv" paravdosh" sthn agorav oi aoidoiv kai oi raywdoiv exhvggelan ta dikav tou" poihvmata hv ta evph, ta opoiva, ovpw" ma" deivcnei o Xenofavnh", exevfrazan th duvnamh th" sofiva" kai pavli sth agorav o

Swkravth", apov ti" megaluvtere" morfev" th" filosofikhv" skevyh", exhvghse th gnwvmh tou kai antimetwvpise tou" antipavlou" me ta ovpla th" eirwneiva" kai th" antivrrhsh" kai gia autouv" tou"

 lovgou" h agorav apoteleiv thn piov arcaiva politistikhv ma" rivza, epeidhv ekeiv gennhvqhke kai

exelivcthke h piov uyhlhv morfhv th" dutikhv" skevyh", ovpou oi megaluvteroi dianoouvmenoi evmaqan kai divdaxan thn agavph gia thn episthvmh, ovpw" ma" upenqumivzei o Plavtwna" ston !! Prwtagovra!!: !! Sunarpavzomai sthn ekmavqhsh, allav h exochv kai ta devndra den eivnai diateqeimevnoi na me

didavxoun tivpota, enwv maqaivnw apov tou" anqrwvpou" sto kevntro th" povlh".!!

Eivnai h kardiav th" povlh", h estiva th" politikhv" zwhv", maqaivnontai oi plhroforive", diamorfwvnontai ta scovlia, oi sullogikev" gnwvme" gia ta avtoma kai ta pravgmata kai eivnai piqanov ovti

sthn agorav  brivskontan kai oi fulakev", cwvro" gia ti" evscate" ektelevsei", kai h evdra twn

Enteka, th" anwvtath" astunomikhv" archv". Kavpou uphvrcan kai bwmoiv, ovpw" ekeivno" tou Diva, hv

agavlmata, ovpw" ekeivna twn epwnuvmwn.

Bwmov" twn Dwvdeka Qewvn, evrgo tou Peisistravtou, briskovtan sto novtio mevro" th" agorav" kai

apotelouvse to kevntro th" povlh", enwv allouv, sthn agorav, hvtan o bwmov" tou Elevou".

Olovgura th" agorav! brivskontan ovla ta dhmovsia ktivria, h Qovlo", evdra twn Prutanevwn, h

Boulhv, to Mhtrwvo, afierwmevno sthn Kubevlh, pou proorizovtan gia kratikov arceivo, kai ta

ktivria twn dikastikwvn.

Oson aforav to schvma, mporouvme na diakrivnoume duvo eivdh agorav", to arcaivo kai to iwnikov.

To prwvto diascizovtan apov drovmou", pou diajkovptontan apov stoev", enwv sto deuvtero schvma oi

stoev" hvtan sti" tevsseri" pleurev", sundedemevne" metaxuv tou" me perasvmata.

Oi stoev" hvtan poluv crhvsime" gia tou" polivte" ki evginan ousiastikov kai diakritikov mevro" th" agorav", afouv epevtrepan stou" polivte" diavfore" drasthriovthte" se opoiadhvpote epochv.

Metav th suvntomh authv perigrafhv kai istorikhv perivlhyh tou ovrou uponoeivtai o lovgo" gia ton opoivo autov" o ovro" epilevcthke  w" ovnoma tou sullovgou, pou stovco evcei thn politistikhv kai

politikhv provodo twn politwvn, thn evreuna kai thn anakavluyh twn istorikwvn kai politistikwvn paradovsewn th" Kalabriva", allav kai th diavdosh politistikwvn drasthriothvtwn, ovpw" twn