The great public square, known as the Agora, was the heart of ancient Athens. In relation to the neighboring Acropolis, the Agora hosted many more activities, as citizens gathered here to handle public affairs, conduct their commercial transactions, discuss political issues, and participate in religious festivals and athletic competitions.

During the 5th and 4th centuries BC, the time when Athens was the most important city in Greece, the Agora served as the backdrop for some of the highest achievements of this early period of flourishing Western civilization. Here, the democratic government took root under the guidance of Solon, Cleisthenes, and Pericles. Philosophers such as Socrates and Plato taught here, while artisans in nearby workshops created some of the masterpieces of classical sculpture, architecture, painting, and pottery.

This book, enjoyable to read and beautifully illustrated, gathers the results of the excavations of the Agora, conducted by the American School of Classical Studies for over seventy years. In 1931, when the excavations began, even the very location of the square was unknown. Today, approximately 180,000 objects have been discovered, and more than one hundred buildings have been identified, including the Bouleuterion, the Hephaisteion (the best-preserved ancient Greek temple), and the now reconstructed Stoa of Attalos.

Drawing from the wealth of archaeological findings, complemented by abundant literary and epigraphic testimonies, Professor Camp narrates the history of the Agora from the Neolithic times to the Middle Ages.