Exercising democracy: the ekklesiasterion

The ekklesiasterion of Agrigento was built around the 4th-3rd century BC and originally would have been circular in shape.
Today only a portion of the cavea remains, which is semicircular in shape and has nineteen concentric rows of steps.

Ekklesiasterion
The ekklesiasterion of Agrigento was built around the 4th-3rd century B.C. as the seat of the city assemblies. Originally, it was supposed to be circular, with a capacity of around 3000 people. Today, there is only one portion of the cavea, of semicircular shape, with nineteen concentric rows of steps. The structure is made in agrigentine calcarea stone and is typical ochre in colour. The continuity of the last 7 rows of seats in the top of the cavea is interrupted by a building known as the Oratory of Falaride, built around the First century BC by the Romans who had conquered the city.

In the upper part there was a corridor for passage and holes in the rock that were perhaps used to house a wooden portico.
Unfortunately, due to the dismantling for the construction of a house in the imperial age, nothing remains of the platform for the orator and the city magistracy.