In the second half of the 1st century BC., the Romans started a large-scale construction in Athens. New constructions appeared on the territory of the city agora, as well as in its neighbourhood. It is worth noting that a number of retail outlets of the agora were deliberately demolished, and new public buildings were built in their place. The significant reduction of retail space in the rapidly developing commerce became quite a serious problem for the city, and it was decided to build a new shopping area. The plans were approved by Julius Caesar (he also financed the project) and construction began, but due to civil wars and economic crisis the project was suspended. A new round of construction began around 11 BC with the financial support of Octavian Augustus. The new market was built about 100 metres east of the old agora and was called the Agora of Caesar and Augustus or simply the Roman Agora. For a long time the Roman agora was exclusively a marketplace, but in the 3rd century AD it also became the political and administrative centre of the city.
The Roman agora was a huge rectangular square (111x98 m) surrounded on four sides by an Ionic colonnade, behind which shops and warehouses were located. The central entrance known as the Gate of Athena Archegetis was located on the western side of the agora, there was also an entrance on the eastern side - the Eastern Propylaea. Next to the eastern entrance, the administrative centre of the agora Agoranomeion and the so-called Vespasio (public toilet) were built in the 1st century AD.
The Roman agora was excavated by archaeologists in the 20th century. Unfortunately, most of this ancient structure has not survived to this day, but you can still see fragments of the colonnade, the Gate of Athena Archegetis, a few columns left of the eastern gate and the remains of a Roman fountain on the south side of the agora. In the northern part of the agora today stands the Fethiye Mosque, built in the 17th century on the ruins of an old Christian temple. The famous Tower of the Winds or Clock Tower of Andronicus of Cyrus is also part of the architectural ensemble of the Roman Agora.
