Roman Market & Library of Hadrian
The group of the Roman Forum (Market) and the Library of Hadrian was constructed east of the Agora, exactly behind the Stoa of Attalos. It was the centre of the commercial activity in the roman years. In the next years until the beginning of the 19th century, the area of the Roman Forum, was occupied by newer buildings and continued to have commercial use. It was known as the Bazaar of Athens.
Aerial view of the area: 1.Library of Hadrian, 2.Pantheon, 3.Roman Market , 4.Vespasianai, 5.Tower of the winds, 6.”Agoranomeion”.
Roman Market (19-11 BC)
The story of the Roman Forum (or The Forum of Caesar and Augustus) begun with the donation of Julius Caesar in 51 BC for the construction of a market. In 47 BC when Julius Caesar visited Athens it seems that the plans were prepared and possibly some work began which was soon interrupted. The main work however was completed by Augustus between 19 and 11 BC. The Roman Market was the first organised commercial centre of Athens where all the commercial activities took place.
The east wing of the peristyle as seen from the east.
Library of Hadrian (132 AD)
The Library of Hadrian was built around the year 132 by the emperor Hadrian. It had an internal courtyard with a garden and a pool in the centre. In the eastern part were the rooms where the papyruses with the texts were kept. The two rooms in each wing were amphitheatres where lectures took place. There were also two other smaller rooms used as reading rooms.
In 267 AD the Library was destroyed during the raid of Heruli. The remains were incorporated into the late roman wall. In the christian period, three churches were successively built.
General view of the Library of Hadrian from the northwest. Next to it is the Roman Market and behind is the Pantheon.
The Tower of the Winds
This octagon building was constructed around 47 BC by the astronomer Andronicus Kyrrestes. On the top of each side, there are bas-reliefs representing the winds. On the top of the roof there was a bronze statue of a Triton that, according to the actual wind, showed with his trident one of the wind sculptures. Thus the tradesmen could see from the nearby Market the direction of the winds so that they could calculate the time the merchandise needed to reach the port of Piraeus. A sundial also existed in each side. During the cloudy days one could see the time from the hydraulic clock that was found in the interior. During the ottoman domination the building was used as a Tekke (Sufi muslim monastery). This helped in its excellent preservation until today.
The Tower of the Winds from the northwest. On the upper part of each side, the reliefs depicting the winds can be seen.
Vespasians (1st c. AD)
This square building was built in the 1st century AD and was used as a public toilet of the Roman Market. The building took its name after the emperor Vespasian who built many similar buildings around the Roman empire. In order to use them you had to pay a small amount.
The Vespasianae from the southeast.
The Pantheon (130 AD)
The Pantheon was a temple dedicated to all the gods and was built by Hadrian around the year 130. It was a colossal temple, the tallest in all of Greece.
The Pantheon from the east.
