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Council House
One of the most important civic buildings of the city, the Council House dated to the first half of 2nd century BC was found south of the North Agora. This rectangular building comprised three sections: the propylon, the peristyle court and the assembly hall.
The monumental propylon with three doorways led to the court which measured 31.62X34.84 metres, and had a Doric colonnade on its three sides. In the centre of the court there was an altar dated to the roman era for the worship of emperor Augustus.
Four doorways west of the court led to the assembly hall. The interior of the hall was shaped like a theatre auditorium, featuring 18 rows of benches divided in three parts by two staircases. The wooden roof of the assembly hall was supported by four Ionic columns. Square marble slabs were employed for building the walls, which upper sections were formed by Doric half columns bearing an entablature, and with windows in between them. It is considered that the assembly hall could accommodate 800 to 1200 people and that it was probable also used for musical performances.
An inscription on the architrave of the entrance of the assembly hall mentions that the Council House was sponsored by Timarchus and Heracleides, two brothers from Miletus, and associates its erection with Antiochus IV the Epiphanes, ruler of Syria (TIMARCHUS AND HERACLEIDES, SONS OF HERACLEIDES, TO HONOUR KING ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES, APOLLO DIDYMEUS AND BOULE AND DEMUS). Based on the inscription, the Council House can be dated to about 175/163 BC.
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The project “Mediterranean Harbors – Ships and the Sea: The Invisible Routes” was co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and National Funds of Greece, Cyprus and Italy, in the framework of INTERREG ARCHIMED COMMUNITY INITIATIVE PROGRAMME INTERREG III B ARCHIMED 2000-2006. |
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