page_title: Stoa Poikile
hierarchical_section_title: Stoa Poikile
caption_attribution_description: English: Plan of the ancient agora of Athens c. 5th century BC. Key 01 Square Peristyle, probably used as a courthouse &amp; surrounded by vendors. Built early 4th c. BC, demolished c. 150 BC. 02 Mint, used for Athens's bronze coinage. Built c. 400 BC, destroyed c. 1st century. 03 SE Fountainhouse, misidentified by Pausenias as the Nine-Spouted Fountain (Enneakrounos). Built c. 525 BC. 04 South Stoa I. Built c. 425 BC, dismantled mid-2nd c. BC. 05 Aiakeion, dedicated to the Aeginan hero Aiakos, used as a granary &amp; for the display of legal decisions. Formerly misidentified as the Heliaia. Built early 5th c. BC by order of the Pythia of Delphi. 06 Strategeion, dedicated to the hero Strategos, used as the meeting house of Athens's 10 generals (strategoi). Built mid-5th c. BC. 07 Stone benches of Agora Hill (Kolonos Agoraios). Built late 5th c. BC. 08 Tholos. Also known as the Skias from its supposed resemblance to a straw hat. Also known as the Prytanikon or Prytaneion as the home of the Prytany. Built c. 470 BC. 09 Boundary stone, marking one entrance to the agora. Erected c. 500 BC. 10 Monument of the Eponymous Heroes, the namesakes of the Athenian democracy's 10 tribes, chosen by the Pythia of Delphi. Present structure built late 4th c. BC. 11 Metroon, the Old Bouleuterion, dedicated to Cybele in propitiation after the Plague of Pericles was attributed to the murder of one of her missionary priests. Present structure built mid-2nd c. BC. 12 New Bouleuterion. Built late 5th c. BC. 13 Hephaistion or Theseion, the temple of Hephaestus &amp; Athena the Worker (Athena Ergane), decorated with events in the lives of Hercules &amp; Theseus. Built late 5th c. BC. 14 Temple of Fatherly Apollo (Apollo Patroos), honoring his siring of Ion, eponymous forefather of the Ionian Greeks. Built late 4th c. BC. 15 Stoa of Free Zeus (Zeus Eleutherios), honoring his help in defeating the Persians at Plataia &amp; decorated with the shields of Athenians fallen in battle. Built late 5th c. BC. 16 Altar of the Twelve Gods, sanctuary. Built early 6th c. BC, dedicated 521 BC. 17 Royal Stoa (Stoa Basileios), seat of the royal archon (archon basileus), public copies of the city's laws, &amp; the oath stone used to swear in new officials. Built c. 500 BC. 18 Temple of Heavenly Aphrodite (Aphrodite Urania). Built late 6th c. BC. 19 The Painted Stoa (Stoa Poikile), depicting Athenian victories in paintings &amp; captured arms. Built early 5th c. BC. 20 A former mistaken location of the Painted Stoa used when 19 was mistakenly assumed to be the Stoa of the Herms.
context_page_description: The Stoa Poikile or Painted Porch, originally called the Porch of Peisianax, was erected during the 5th century BC and was located on the north side of the Ancient Agora of Athens. The Stoa Poikile was one of the most famous sites in ancient Athens, owing its fame to the paintings and loot from wars displayed in it. The Stoa was the location from which Zeno of Citium taught Stoicism. The philosophical school of Stoicism takes its name from having first been expounded here, and was derived from the Greek word stoa. Zeno taught and lectured to his followers from this porch. Excavations carried out by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens over the past two decades have revealed much of the foundations and some lower elements of the stoa on the north side of the Athenian Agora; it had a Doric columnar facade and an Ionic interior colonnade.
  The Stoa Poikile was decorated by fresco painter and sculptor Micon of Athens in collaboration with Polygnotos of Thasos; both artists worked around the mid-5th century BC. The paintings were most probably hung on the inner wall of the stoa. In the time of Pausanias, the paintings in the Stoa included:
  The Battle of Oenoe
context_section_description: The Stoa Poikile (Ancient Greek: ἡ ποικίλη στοά, hē poikílē stoá) or Painted Porch, originally called the Porch of Peisianax (ἡ Πεισιανάκτειος στοά, hē Peisianákteios stoá), was erected during the 5th century BC and was located on the north side of the Ancient Agora of Athens. The Stoa Poikile was one of the most famous sites in ancient Athens, owing its fame to the paintings and loot from wars displayed in it.  The Stoa was the location from which Zeno of Citium taught Stoicism. The philosophical school of Stoicism takes its name from having first been expounded here, and was derived from the Greek word stoa. Zeno taught and lectured to his followers from this porch.  Excavations carried out by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens over the past two decades have revealed much of the foundations and some lower elements of the stoa on the north side of the Athenian Agora; it had a Doric columnar facade and an Ionic interior colonnade.
  The Stoa Poikile was decorated by fresco painter and sculptor Micon of Athens in collaboration with Polygnotos of Thasos; both artists worked around the mid-5th century BC. The paintings were most probably hung on the inner wall of the stoa. In the time of Pausanias (2nd century AD), the paintings in the Stoa included:
  The Battle of Oenoe (author unknown)
  Amazonomachy by Micon
  The Taking of Troy by Polygnotus
  The Battle of Marathon by Panaenus (also ascribed to Micon and Polygnotus who may have assisted in the work)
  There is a contrast between the mythical and historical events portrayed: depictions of Theseus' victory over the Amazonians and the Fall of Troy are juxtaposed sharply with the portrayal of the historic Battle of Oenoe (conjectured to have occurred in the pentecontaetia at Oenoe, Attica on the Thriasian Plain near Eleutherae), the first important Athenian victory over Sparta, and the Battle of Marathon. 
  The Stoa Poikile stood in good repair for over six centuries, possibly gaining additional artwork over the centuries.  It suffered when Athens was sacked in 267 AD by Herulians, although only easily looted items were taken at that time.  The paintings were removed by a Roman governor shortly before 396 AD. The Stoa itself probably existed for another 50–100 years until it was demolished to gain building material for a city wall.
caption: Plan showing the major buildings of the Agora. The Stoa Poikile is number 20
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