Difference Between Agora and Forum
Agora vs Forum
Agora and Forum are related to Greece and Roman cities. Both Agora and Forum refers to a common public place where people gathered together. Though these two refer to public places where people gathered together, they both are used in different contexts in these different ancient empires.
Agora is a public place that is purely used for commercial purposes. Agora is a market place where make shift shops are set up. Agora is normally situated towards the center of the city. It is normally very close to public buildings. Though Agora is a market place, it is here where the free born male landowners in Greece used to gather to hear the King’s or the council’s statements. Agora has been derived from Greek Agora, which means “place of assembly”. It was from Agora that the word agoraphobia was derived.
When looking at Forum in Roman cities, they are political as well as religious in nature. The forums are not used for commercial purposes. Most of the important offices, temples and offices of important persons are situated in the Forum, which is situated in the center of the city. The commercial establishments and other buildings would only be adjacent to the forum and not part of it. It is in these forums that political debates, discussions, meetings and rendezvous take place.
Almost all the Roman Province has these forums. He Forum of Philippi, Forum of Tarrangana, Forum and Provincial Forum of Merida and Forum of Pompeii are examples of various forums that were prevalent in the Roman Empire. Forum has been derived from Latin that meant market place.
Summary
1. Agora is a public place that is purely used for commercial purposes. When looking at Forum in Roman cities, they are political as well as religious in nature. The forums are not used for commercial purposes
2. Though Agora is a market place, it is here where the free born male landowners in Greece used to gather to hear the King’s or the council’s statements.
3. It is in the forums that political debates, discussions, meetings and rendezvous take place.
4. Agora is normally very close to public buildings, temples and other important offices.
5. Most of the important offices, temples and offices of important persons are situated in the Forum, which is situated in the center of the city. The commercial establishments and other buildings would only be adjacent to the forum and not part of it.
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Not sure where you and others are getting the assertion that Roman Forums were not places of commerce. It’s just not true.
Agora & Forums are very similar, the former being almost a Greek cultural equivalent to the latter. That is to say, there are more similarities than differences.
The only major differences is cultural. Roman forums had a religious & ceremonial significance that Agorae sometimes didn’t.
Both Roman Fora & Greek Agorae were used for commerce & political ceremony. They were akin to later ‘town squares’. It’s not a hard concept to grasp. Not sure where all of this misinformation comes from.