What was Stoa Poikile used for?
What was Stoa Poikile used for?
It was built and used as a popular hangout, and as such attracted huge crowds and those whose business required an audience: jugglers, sword-swallowers, beggars, and fire-eaters. Among those who plied their trade in the building were the philosophers of Athens, in particular Zeno, who came to Athens from Cyprus in ca.
Where are the remains of Stoa Poikile?
The location of the Stoa Poikile is not part of the current agora archeological site open to the public (as of June 2007). My current best judgment is that it is located on the north side of Adrianou Street west of Filippou (and the Church of Aigios Filippos).
What did the Stoa Poikile look like?
A Greek stoa is a colonnade: basically a row of columns supporting a roof. The Stoa Poikile had a wall on one side giving shade, so it’s described as a portico or a plain old “porch”.
What was the historical significance of Stoa Poikile in Athens?
The Stoa Poikile was one of the most famous sites in ancient Athens, owing its fame to the paintings and loot from wars displayed in it.
Why is the stoa important?
In addition to providing a place for the activities of civil magistrates, shopkeepers, and others, stoas often served as galleries for art and public monuments, were used for religious purposes, and delineated public space.
Who funded the construction of the Stoa Poikile?
It was built between 475 and 450 BC, and was originally named the Porch of Peisianax, after the Athenian who funded its erection, probably Kimon’s brother-in-law. The Stoa Poikile (Painted Stoa) took its name from the beautiful paintings that adorned it.
Who invented the stoa?
Close to it was the two-storey Stoa of Attalus, which has been rebuilt and again dominates the Athenian agora. The Stoa of Attalus, built in c. 145 BCE by king Attalus II Philadelphus of Pergamon, is an example of a stoa that served as border of an architectonic space, which was quite common in the Hellenistic period.
How do you start a stoa?
Start a Stoic meetup on meetup.com (note: this costs money, so do it only if you’re willing to pay the fee for 6 months – you can always cancel if it doesn’t work) Post on the largest Facebook Stoic group and ask if there are any people in your area willing to meet up in person.
What type of building is a stoa?
stoa, plural Stoae, in Greek architecture, a freestanding colonnade or covered walkway; also, a long open building, its roof supported by one or more rows of columns parallel to the rear wall. The Stoa of Attalus at Athens is a prime example.
Why is it called the Painted Stoa?
Made of limestone, the Stoa had a façade of Doric columns and a row of Ionic columns running down the middle to support the roof. It soon came to be popularly known as “poecile” or “painted” on account of the remarkable painted panels that adorned its back wall.
Did Romans use stoa?
145 BCE by king Attalus II Philadelphus of Pergamon, is an example of a stoa that served as border of an architectonic space, which was quite common in the Hellenistic period. The Romans often put two stoas, which they called porticus, in front of each other to create a market square (forum).
What is the Stoa Poikile?
The Stoa Poikile, or Painted Portico, was one of the major structures in Athens’ Classical Agora, the center of the city’s political and public life.
Who decorated the Stoa Poikile?
The Stoa Poikile was decorated by fresco painter and sculptor Micon of Athens in collaboration with Polygnotos of Thasos; both artists worked around the mid-5th century BC.
What did Pausanias see at the Stoa Poikile?
When Pausanias visited the Stoa Poikile in the second century C.E., he described the Spartan shields on display from the Athenian defeat of Sparta in the famous battle of Sphacteria.
Did Zeno sleep at the Stoa Poikile?
The Stoa Poikile was a public building, a sort of porch offering protection from the sun. The Cynics reputedly slept on such porches and it’s tempting to wonder whether Zeno, who had been a Cynic himself for many years, may have slept here at some point in his life, perhaps before founding his school.