Expert: Maria - 7/20/2010

Question
I seem to remember when reading either Plato "The Republic" or a similar book about places that the ancient Greek philosophers spent time at when they were debating issues of the day -- like a "coffee house" of today.  Where did the Greek gather to debate issue/talk about issues of their day?  Was there a central location for most philosophers to gather?  This is not for a class -- I am a high school teacher (music teacher) and am interested in this topic.  Thank you so much!

Answer
Hello,

Generally speaking, it was the “agorá” (ἀγορά , in ancient Greek letters) the place where Greeks gathered to debate issue/talk about issues of their day.

In ancient Greek cities  the “agorá” was in fact an open space serving as a place of congregation, used not only for debating, trials, and other public purposes, but also as a market-place, just like the Roman “Forum” afterwards.

Located in the middle of the city or near the harbour, the “agorá”  was often enclosed by public buildings containing shops, and “stoas”(literally, “porches”), i.e. freestanding colonnades or covered walkway for protection from sun and bad weather.

So, originally the “agorá” was  just the central location for the earliest Greek philosophers to gather and debate.

Socrates also considered as his religious duty to call his fellow citizens to debate issue by engaging them in philosophical conversation which took place just in the “agorá” .

Only later there were other places where philosophers -like Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Zeno of Citium- used to debate  and teach: they were the Academy, founded at Athens by Plato in ca.385 BC; the Lyceum, founded at Athens  by Aristotle in 335 BC; the Garden, founded  at Athens by Epicurus in 306 BC, and the Stoa (Stoic school), founded at Athens by Zeno of Citium c. 300 BC.

Hope this can be helpful to you.
Best regards,
Maria