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

Roman odeon, front view
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

^ 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.

[1]

[2]

[3]