Why Does Delos Have More Than One Agora?

Soon after landing on Delos, you encounter two places with the word agora on the map. One caught almost everyone stepping off a boat. The other occupied an enclosed site inland. Following the merchants between them helps explain how a small sacred island supported an international trading town.

Which agora stood closest to the harbor?

The Agora of the Competaliasts was the roughly triangular space by the port. Find its outline on the plan before following the roads inland. Pilgrims heading to Apollo’s sanctuary crossed the same ground as traders walking toward the quays or the Theatre Quarter. Associations of Italians made religious dedications here, which is how archaeologists came to name the square.

How was the Agora of the Italians different?

Italian traders built a large gathering place between Apollo’s sanctuary and the Sacred Lake toward the end of the second century BCE. It was a private establishment with several uses. Two levels of covered walkways once enclosed the central space. Its edges gave it a very different character from the harbor crossroads, where the chief impression is of paths leading away.

Which landmarks help connect the two on a walk?

Start with the shoreline behind you and locate the Stoa of Philip on the site plan. This long portico lined the approach between the port area and the Agora of the Delians, a third square. Next locate Apollo’s sanctuary and the lake. These landmarks let you place the Italian traders’ meeting ground before the many surviving bases and low walls begin to look alike.