The Parthenon was decorated with many beautiful sculptures and carved panels of gods, battles and festivals. In the early 1800s, Lord Elgin, the British Ambassador to the Turkish Empire, took many of these panels.
Now, more than half of the remaining panels, called the Parthenon Marbles, are in the British Museum. The Greek government is trying to get them back. The agora Below the Acropolis was the agora (see SOURCE5 ). This large, tree-ýlled square surrounded by public buildings was the city’s centre. It was where people bought food, animals, furniture, jewellery, musical instruments and pots. Men went there to shop, learn about new ideas, watch plays and chat with friends. Women were rarely seen in the agora.
SkillBuilder discussion Communicating 1. Describe what an agora looked like — what were its main features? 2. What were the main functions of the agora? 3. Why was the agora considered the heart of the city?
SOURCE5 The agora was the political, legal, commercial and social heart of the city in ancient Greece.
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A Public buildings around the agora in Athens included the law courts, the mint, the military headquarters and the Bouleuterion (meeting place of the Council of 500). B Plays were ýrst held in the agora and later in special theatres. They started as religious ceremonies to honor Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and fun. C Athenian pots were usually decorated with detailed scenes of daily life and with the stories of myths and legends. D Slaves were bought and sold in the agora. A skilled slave might cost 6000 drachma, while a simple wooden couch cost 20 drachma. A drachma was the main silver coin in ancient Greece. Before coins, people traded goods through bartering. E Ropes and pulleys were used to lift stone blocks to build columns. Metal rods connected each block to the ones above and below. F Large crowds listened to philosophers like Socrates. The works of Plato (Socrates’ student) and Aristotle (a student of Plato) have been translated into English.
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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