Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks

Space and Time 43
Monument to the Eponymous Heroes. Courtesy of the American School of
Classical Studies at Athens.
public mint, the bouleutêrion or council house, the metrôön or public
record office, and the tholos. This last was a circular building with
thatched roof that served as the living quarters for the 50 members
of the council who were permanently on duty day and night to deal
with emergencies. Yet despite its importance, the Agora possessed
only very rudimentary civic amenities. Storm water and sewage
were disposed of by means of a stone channel that modern archaeologists
have rather grandiosely named the Great Drain.
The Acropolis
The Acropolis, which means upper or higher city, dominates the
countryside of Attica for miles around. In early times, it functioned
as a palace, a sanctuary, and a fortress. Its massive surrounding
wall dates to the late thirteenth century b.c.e. The Acropolis continued
to be used for defensive purposes until the 460s b.c.e. , when
a new wall was built to encompass a larger area. All the temples
that had been erected previously were destroyed by the Persians in
479 b.c.e. , and little trace of them survives today apart from a few