"First on the right is the Royal Stoa, where sits the "king" when he holds the annual magistracy called the "kingship". On the tiled roof of this stoa are images of terracotta, Theseus throwing Skiron into the sea, and Hemera carrying off Kephalos..." -Pausanius, I.3.I-2 (Camp 1992, p. 53)

This inscription from Pausanius identifies the Royal Stoa, which was the ancient seat of the King Archon during the Archaic period. First excavated in 1970, he Royal Stoa is located in the northwest corner of the Agora, facing east overlooking the inner open square of the Agora and the Panathenaic Way. It is comparitively small for a stoa, measuring only 18m in length by 7.5 meters in width. Eight Doric columns ran across the eastern opening of the stoa; the roof of the stoa was supported by first 2 and then four interior Doric columns. The buildling is constructed mostly of well-shaped, square cut blocks of yellowish limestone, except the roof which was made of terracotta tiles. The roof is a unique feature of the stoa; in addition to terracotta tiles, it featured ornamental sculptures also of terracotta, which Pausanius describes in his writings. Evidence indicates that two wings were added to the buildling after its reconstruction; these were eventually used to display the entirely of the Athenian constitution. To complete the structure, a large base of four, square-cut blocks of stone is located directly in front of the stoa, dated to the last half of the 4th century. These blocks represent the foundation of a large statue, which is suggested to be that of either Themis, goddess of Justice, or Demokrateia (demos + kratein, rule of the people). The suggested statue was found built into a Byzantine wall immediately above the stone foundation, measuring approximately 3 meters tall, draped in marble.

The dating of the buildling is somewhat in question; conflicting evidence has led to some speculation about the original date of construction. Fragments of columns and Doric frieze found at the site of the buildling suggest a 6th century date, whereas pottery fragments from underneath the floor of the stoa suggest sometime around 500 B.C. (J. Camp). The general consensus is that the buildling was originally constructed in the 6th century and reconstructed after its destruction in the Persian invasions of 480 BC, which would accoutn for the reused material found in the foundation of the later building.

The Royal Stoa served a very important state function in the early years of Athenian government; as two inscribed bases on the steps of the stoa attest, it was the seat of the "King Archon," one of the heads of the Athenian government as designed by Solon. The name "Royal Stoa" or Stoa Basileus is derived from its significant state function, as the greek word for "king" is basileus. The king archon was mostly responsible for religious matters and presiding over the laws--in addition, he oversaw public lawsuits on charges of impeity, as well as private charges of homicide and arson. The king archon and his assistants (paredroi) conducted their business from several thrones, which may have originally stood either inside or in front of the stoa. An early limestone set has been discovered; it seems to have been later replaced by a marble set. By the later 4th century, it is known that the Council of the Areopagus used the Royal Stoa as their occassional gathering place as well.

The stoa is significant for several other reasons; towards the end of the 5th century following the disruptions of the Peloponnesian War, an official inscription of the current law code of Athens was quite literally set into stone and put on display in one of the wings of the Royal Stoa. This task was acomplished by Nicomachos, and the writings of the orator Lysias suggest that it took the large part of the last decade of the 5th century to complete, during which there was additional strife in the government. A copy of Drako's homicide laws have been found inscribed in marble, set up in 409/8 BC; traces of a later fire reveal that there were also marble stelae set up against the back wall of the stoa, which carried inscriptions of many other laws. Two wings were later in order to add additional capacity to the stoa; by 400 BC, the Royal Stoa represented an official copy of the entire constitution of Athens, set up in public view.

Famously, the Royal Stoa was the site of the indictment of Socrates, who was charged with impiety and corrupting the youth in 399 B.C. This fell under the realm of religious matters, and as such was within the jurisdiction of the king archon; it was to him that all the evidence both against and in favor of Socrates was presented; he then decided when the trial would be and in which court. The actual trial probably took place in one of the many lawcourts of the city.

References

Camp, John M. The Athenian Agora: Excavations in the Heart of Classical Athens. Thames and Hudson, London; 1992

Camp, John M. The Archaeology of Athens. Yale University Press, New Haven; 2001

O'Neil, James L. The Origins and Development of Ancient Greek Democracy. Rowman and Littlefield, Boston; 1995

Roberts, J.W. City of Sokrates: An Introduction to Classical Athens. Routledge, London; 1998

Thorley, John. Athenian Democracy. Routledge, London; 1996