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Which buildings did Roman leaders add to Athens and its Agora?
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Athens
The Acropolis and surrounding area, Athens.
Under the Roman Empire, Athens benefited from significant imperial patronage, leading to the construction of several notable buildings within the city and its Agora:
- In the Agora: Marcus Agrippa commissioned a new odeum (concert hall) in the center of the square. Additionally, a large building, possibly a law court, was erected at the northeast corner. At the southeast corner, T. Flavius Pantainus and his family gifted a library decorated with sculptures of Homer.
- Near the Agora: A spacious market for commodities was established east of the old Agora, funded by Julius Caesar and Augustus.
- Elsewhere in Athens: The emperor Hadrian completed the temple of Olympian Zeus and added a monumental gateway, a library, a gymnasium, and a pantheon. On the Acropolis, a small round temple was built to honor the goddess Roma and Augustus. Furthermore, Hadrian commissioned an aqueduct to supply the city with water.1