--- title: "The Agora - Paestumsites" description: "Discover the Agora of Paestum, the political heart of Greek Poseidonia, with the Ekklesiasterion, Heroon and the origins of the later Roman Forum." url: "https://www.paestumsites.it/en/paestum/the-agora" date: "2026-08-13T18:46:55+00:00" language: "en-GB" --- # The Agora of Paestum: Political Heart of Ancient Poseidonia The **Agora of Paestum** was the political and public heart of ancient Poseidonia. Located in the central part of the Greek city, between the northern and southern sanctuaries, it was one of the most important public spaces of the settlement. The Agora was much more than an open square. It contained monuments connected with the political, civic and religious life of the community, including the **Ekklesiasterion**, where citizens gathered in assembly, and the **Heroon**, a monument associated with the memory of the city's founder. ## The Ekklesiasterion: the citizens' assembly One of the most distinctive monuments in the Agora is the **Ekklesiasterion**, built around **480–470 BC**. The building was designed for assemblies of the free citizens of Poseidonia. Its unusual circular form consisted of concentric rows of stone seating arranged around a central space. The layout allowed participants to see and hear one another during meetings, making the building an important example of the political organisation of a Greek city in Magna Graecia. The Ekklesiasterion is particularly significant because relatively few buildings of this type have survived from the ancient Greek world. ## The Agora during the Lucanian period When Poseidonia came under **Lucanian control** towards the end of the 5th century BC, the Agora and many of its monuments continued to be used. An important piece of evidence from this period is an **Oscan inscription** discovered in the Ekklesiasterion. The inscription was dedicated to Zeus Agoraios and demonstrates how Greek political and religious traditions continued to play a role even after the city's ruling population had changed. The Lucanian period therefore did not mark a complete break with the Greek past. Many of the public spaces and monuments created by the inhabitants of Poseidonia remained central to the life of the city. ## The Heroon and the founder of Poseidonia Another important monument in the Agora is the **Heroon**, constructed around **510 BC**. It is generally interpreted as a **cenotaph**, or symbolic tomb, dedicated to the legendary founder of Poseidonia or to an important figure closely connected with the origins of the city. The structure was originally covered by a small mound of earth. Archaeologists discovered an exceptional group of objects inside it, including bronze vessels, an Attic black-figure amphora and iron spits. These valuable offerings indicate the religious and commemorative importance of the monument. The Heroon therefore represented not simply an individual burial place, but a powerful symbol of the community's origins and collective memory. ## From the Greek Agora to the Roman Forum A major transformation began after **273 BC**, when Rome established a Latin colony at Paestum. The political and administrative organisation of the city changed, and part of the old Greek Agora was gradually incorporated into the new **Roman Forum**, which became the principal civic centre of Roman Paestum. Some of the monuments associated with the earlier Greek political system lost their original function. The Ekklesiasterion was eventually abandoned and buried, while the Heroon was also covered. The treatment of these monuments reflects the profound transformation of the city from Greek and Lucanian Poseidonia into Roman Paestum. ## The Agora of Paestum today Today, the remains of the Agora provide an important complement to the famous temples of Paestum. The Ekklesiasterion helps visitors imagine the citizens of Poseidonia gathering to discuss public affairs, while the Heroon illustrates the importance of collective memory, religion and the legendary origins of the city. Exploring this part of the archaeological area reveals another side of ancient Paestum: not only a city of monumental temples and sanctuaries, but also a complex Greek polis with its own political institutions and public spaces. Details Written by: Paestumsites Parent Category: [Paestum](https://www.paestumsites.it/en/paestum/the-agora?view=category&id=21) Category: [Paestum: Archaeological Area, Temples and Museum](https://www.paestumsites.it/en/paestum/the-agora?view=category&id=22) Also available: [![Italiano](https://www.paestumsites.it/media/mod_languages/images/it.gif "Italiano")](https://www.paestumsites.it/it/paestum/lagora) Last Updated: 12 August 2026 ## Schema ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.paestumsites.it/en" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Paestum", "item": "https://www.paestumsites.it/en/paestum" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "The Agora", "item": "https://www.paestumsites.it/en/paestum/the-agora" } ] } ``` ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.paestumsites.it/en/paestum/the-agora" }, "headline": "The Agora of Paestum: Political Heart of Ancient Poseidonia", "description": "Discover the Agora of Paestum, the political heart of Greek Poseidonia, with the Ekklesiasterion, Heroon and the origins of the later Roman Forum.", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.paestumsites.it/" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Paestum", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.paestumsites.it/images/paestum_logo.png" } }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tiberio Gracco", "url": "https://www.paestumsites.it/en/paestum/the-agora" }, "datePublished": "2026-08-12T18:22:31+02:00", "dateCreated": "2026-08-12T18:22:31+02:00", "dateModified": "2026-08-12T18:23:46+02:00" } ``` ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.paestumsites.it/en/paestum/the-agora" }, "headline": "The Agora of Paestum: Political Heart of Ancient Poseidonia", "description": "The Agora of Paestum was the political and public heart of ancient Poseidonia. Located in the central part of the Greek city, between the northern and southern sanctuaries, it was one of the most important public spaces of the settlement. The Agora was much more than an open square. It contained monuments connected with the political, civic and religious life of the community, including the Ekklesiasterion, where citizens gathered in assembly, and the Heroon, a monument associated with the memory of the city's founder.", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.paestumsites.it/" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Paestum", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.paestumsites.it/images/paestum_logo.png" } }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tiberio Gracco", "url": "https://www.paestumsites.it/en/paestum/the-agora" }, "datePublished": "2026-08-12T18:22:31+02:00", "dateCreated": "2026-08-12T18:22:31+02:00", "dateModified": "2026-08-12T18:23:46+02:00" } ```