Athens and Attica Week 8: Agora, Snow Day!

In our epigram seminar on Monday we discussed people’s encounters with and responses to inscribed objects in something like their original contexts, in other words, what it was like to see monuments, grave markers, and cups with inscriptions on them and whether people actually read them.

Tuesday we met at the Agora where it was rather cold and spitting snow. Parts of it were still under water.

We looked at the stoa where Zeno discussed philosophy with his followers so often that they became known as the "Stoics."

We climbed down some ladders to an area with more of the stoa, a section of the great drain, a small part of which has broken off, 

and where this statue base which, when whole, would have represented a pile of weapons, was found. Visible now is the shield and thorny club. A statue would have stood on top but neither the statue nor the rest of the base has been found yet.

Back on the other side of the street, we had a look at some more buildings and this unique triglyph block.

Our Wednesday bus trip to the border forts between Attica and Megara was postponed because of the snow there. In Athens we had big, fluffy snow fall for most of the morning but the afternoon sun burned off what little had stuck.

Friday morning was much warmer. We again met at the Agora where we finished up the Classical period and had a look at the Hellenistic and Roman era buildings as well. I forgot my camera so pictures will have to follow at a later date.