Roman Forum (Thessaloniki)

The Roman Forum of Thessaloniki is the ancient Roman-era forum of the city, located at the upper side of Aristotelous Square.

It is a large two-terraced forum^[1] featuring two-storey stoas, dug up by accident in the 1960s. The forum complex also boasts two Roman baths,^[2] one of which has been excavated while the other is buried underneath the city, and a small theater which was also used for gladiatorial games. Although the initial complex was not built in Roman times, it was largely refurbished in the 2nd century.^[2] It is believed that the forum and the theater continued to be used until at least the 6th century.^[3]

The area of the forum was planned to be the site of the Thessaloniki Municipal Courthouse (in Greek: Δικαστικό Μέγαρο), but after the ruins were discovered during the excavation, the project was scrapped. While the courthouse building was relocated, the intended name of the square ("Courthouse/Dikastirion Square") still survives in popular use. The official name of the square however is "of Ancient Agora (Archaias Agoras)".

Gallery[edit]

The Roman Odeon
Stoa
View
View
South view
Glass artifacts exhibited in the forum`s museum
Golden artifacts exhibited in the forum`s museum
The square
Engraving of Las Incantadas portico, which once stood next to the forum

Notes[edit]

^ John S. Bowman; Sherry Marker; Peter Kerasiotis; Rebecca Tobin (25 January 2008). Frommer's Greece. Frommer's. ISBN 9780470260814. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
^ ^a ^b Joseph Roisman; Ian Worthington (2011). A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. Wiley-Backwell. ISBN 9781444351637. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
^ Laura Salah Nasrallah; Charalambos Bakirtzis; Steven J. Friesen (2010). From Roman to early Christian Thessalonikē: studies in religion and archaeology. Harvard College. ISBN 9780674053229. Retrieved 5 December 2011.

40°38′17″N 22°56′46″E / 40.638°N 22.946°E / 40.638; 22.946

[Frommer's_Greece_Forum_1-1] John S. Bowman; Sherry Marker; Peter Kerasiotis; Rebecca Tobin (25 January 2008). Frommer's Greece. Frommer's. ISBN 9780470260814. Retrieved 5 December 2011.

[A_Companion_1-2] Joseph Roisman; Ian Worthington (2011). A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. Wiley-Backwell. ISBN 9781444351637. Retrieved 5 December 2011.

[From_Early_Roman-3] Laura Salah Nasrallah; Charalambos Bakirtzis; Steven J. Friesen (2010). From Roman to early Christian Thessalonikē: studies in religion and archaeology. Harvard College. ISBN 9780674053229. Retrieved 5 December 2011.

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