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Stoa Basileios

Ancient Agora of AthensAncient Greece stubsAncient Greek buildings and structures in AthensAthens stubsBuildings and structures completed in the 5th century BC
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AgoraAthens5thcentury
AgoraAthens5thcentury

Stoa Basileios (Greek: στοά βασίλειος or τοῦ βασιλέως), meaning Royal Stoa, was a stoa constructed in Ancient Athens in the 6th century BC and substantially altered in the 5th century BC. It was located in the northwest corner (known as "the Herms" because of the great number of Hermae set up there) of the Athenian Agora.The stoa was built in the Doric order and it measures 18 by 7.5 meters. Its facade carries a plain Doric frieze. Its Doric exterior includes 8 columns, while its interior space includes four columns. The modifications of the fifth century BC add two small porches to the archaic structure.The Royal Stoa was the headquarters of the King Archon and of the Areopagos council (in charge of religious affairs and crime). A statue of Themis (representing Justice) stood in front of the building. Copies of some of the city laws were kept in the Stoa.The front of the building was where Socrates met Euthyphro and had the conversation which Plato recreated in his Euthyphro. It was where Socrates was formally charged with impiety by Meletus. Historians believe that the voting for ostracism, a political practice in Athens during the 5th century BC, may have taken place in front of the Royal Stoa.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Stoa Basileios (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Stoa Basileios
Αδριανού, Athens Lower Petralona Suburb (1st District of Athens)

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N 37.9761 ° E 23.7223 °
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Βασίλειος Στοά

Αδριανού
105 55 Athens, Lower Petralona Suburb (1st District of Athens)
Attica, Greece
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Temple of Aphrodite Urania
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Temple of Ares
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