Bible Lexicons

ἀγορά [ᾰγ], ᾶς, Ion. ἀγορή, ῆς, ἡ, (ἀγείρω): —

I assembly, esp. of the People, opp. the Council of Chiefs, Il. 2.93, Od. 2.69, etc.; τοῖσιν δ' οὔτ' ἀγοραὶ βουληφόροι (sc. Κυκλώπεσσι) Od. 9.112; ὀρθῶν ἑσταότων ἀ γένετ' οὐδέ τις ἔτλη ἕζεσθαι Il. 18.246; ἀ. Πυλάτιδες, of the Amphictyonic Council at Pylae, S. Tr. 638, cf. Ion Eleg. 1.3; μακάρων ἀ. Pi. I. 8(7).29, cf. AB 210; ἀγορήνδε καλέσσασθαι, κηρύσσειν, Il. 1.54, 2.51; ἀγορὴν ποιήσασθαι, θέσθαι, Il. 8.489, Od. 9.171; εἰς ἀ. ἰέναι, ἀγέρεσθαι, 8.12, Il. 18.245; ἀγορήνδε καθέζεσθαι Od. 1.372. — Not common in Prose, ἀγορὰν συνάγειν, συλλέγειν X. An. 5.7.3; ποιῆσαι Aeschin. 3.27; ἀγορὰς ποιεῖσθαι Hyp. Fr. 150: of the assembly in Attic demes, D. 44.36, IG 2.585, al.; ἀ. συνέδριον φυλετῶν καὶ δημοτῶν AB 327: in late Prose, ἀ. δικῶν προθεῖναι, καταστήσασθαι, = Lat. conventus agere, Luc. Bis Acc. 4,12: meeting for games, Pi. N. 3.14: metaph., μυρμήκων ἀ. Luc. Icar. 19: prov., θεῶν ἀ. 'Babel', Suid., etc.

II

1. place of assembly, τοὺς δ' εὗρ' εἰν ἀγορῇ Il. 7.382; ἵνα σφ' ἀ. τε θέμις τε 11.807, cf. Od. 6.266; pl., Od. 8.16; οὔτε.. εἰς ἀ. ἔρχεται οὔτε δίκας Thgn. 268.

2. market-place, perh. not earlier than Hom.Epigr. 14.5 πολλὰ μὲν εἰν ἀγορῇ πωλεύμενα, πολλὰ δ' ἀγυιαῖς; freq. in later authors, πρυμνοῖς ἀγορᾶς ἔπι Pi. P. 5.93; θεοὶ.. ἀγορᾶς ἐπίσκοποι A. Th. 272; μέση Τραχινίων ἀ. S. Tr. 424; ἀγορᾷ οὐδὲ ἄστει δέχεσθαι Th. 6.44; ὀλιγάκις.. ἀγορᾶς χραίνων κύκλον E. Or. 919; οἱ ἐκ τῆς ἀ. market people, X. An. 1.2.18; ἐξ ἀγορᾶς εἶ Ar. Eq. 181, etc.; εἰς ἀ. ἐμβάλλειν to go into the forum, i. e. be a citizen, Lycurg. 5; ἐν τῇ ἀ. ἐργάζεσθαι to trade in the market, D. 57.31; εἰς τὴν ἀ. χειροτονεῖν (opp. ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον) 'for the market', Id. 4.26; the Roman Forum, D.H. 5.48.

III business of the ἀγορά:

1. public speaking, gift of speaking, mostly in pl., ἔσχ' ἀγοράων withheld him from speaking, Il. 2.275; οἱ δ' ἀγορὰς ἀγόρευον ib. 788, cf. Od. 4.818; ᾠδὴν ἀντ' ἀγορῆς θέμενος So 1.

2. market, ἀγορὰν παρασκευάζειν Th. 7.40, X. HG 3.4.11; ἀ. παρέχειν Th. 6.44, etc.; ἄγειν X. An. 5.7.33, etc.; opp. ἀγορᾷ χρῆσθαι to have supplies, ib. 7.6.24; τῆς ἀ. εἴργεσθαι Th. 1.67, Plu. Per. 29; ἀ. ἐλευθέρα, i. e. καθαρὰ τῶν ὠνίων πάντων, Arist. Pol. 1331a31, cf. X. Cyr. 1.2.3; opp. ἀ. ἀναγκαία Arist. Pol. 1331b11; generally, provisions, supplies, PPetr. 3p.131 (iii B. C.), PS 14.354 (iii B. C.), al.; in pl., Nic.Dam.p.6.17 D.; ἀγορὰς περικόπτειν cut off supplies, D.H. 10.43. market, sale, ἀ. τῶν βιβλίων, τῶν παρθένων, Luc. Ind. 19, Ael. VH 4.1, cf. Nicoch. 7. as a mark of time, ἀ. πλήθουσα the forenoon, when the market-place was full, ἀγορῆς πληθυούσης Hdt. 4.181; πληθούσης ἀγορᾶς X. Mem. 1.1.10, cf. SIG 695.38 (Magn. Mae.); περὶ or ἀμφὶ ἀ. πλήθουσαν X. An. 2.1.7, 1.8.1; ἐν ἀ. πληθούσῃ Pl. Grg. 469d, cf. Th. 8.92; also ἀγορῆς πληθώρη Hdt. 2.173, 7.223; poet., ἐν ἀ. πλήθοντος ὄχλου Pi. P. 4.85; πρὶν ἀ. πεπληθέναι Pherecr. 29: ἀγορῆς διάλυσις the time just after mid-day, when they went home from market, Hdt. 3.104, cf. X. Oec. 12.1. marketday, = Lat. nundinae, D.H. 7.58.