Middle Stoa
Middle Stoa was a commercial Stoa of ancient Athens.
Modern and Contemporary era (1821 - )
1936 The first excavation took place.
Ottoman era (1453- 1821)
Byzantine era (331 AC- 1453)
Roman era (30 BC- 330 AC)
86 BC Suffered damages by Sulla.
Hellenistic era (322- 31 BC)
180 BC It started to be built around these years. It remains unknown when it was completed.
Classical era (478-323 BC)
Archaic era (800-479 BC)
Geometric era (-1100- 800 BC)
Prehistory (-1100 BC)
What I can see
The location and construction of the 147 x 17.5 m. long stoa divided the square of the Hellenistic era into two unequal parts. To this day, the Doric colonnades of the long sides are still visible. They did not have a back wall, thus the stoa simultaneously served both north and south sides of the square. Although it was a large stoa, the construction materials were poor, as the floor was made of pressed dirt, the columns were left without chanelling and the entablature was made of limestone. The marble metopes and the clay sima (gutter) are the exception, parts of which are still preserved. Despite the cheap materials, Middle Stoa was a well-thought-out structure.
What I can't see
It was probably built for commercial use and grain storage. Internally, it was divided into 2 aisles by a colonnade that supported the roof. It is assumed that at the western end of the north side, there was an impressive monument of the donor of the stoa. The construction of the Middle Stoa and later the South Stoa II marked a major change in the use of public space. The stones that previously functioned as a boundary for the Ancient Agora were buried deep in the foundations of the Middle Stoa.
