Both agora and forum refer to a place used to acknowledge public places where people gather together, basically in Greece and Roman cities.
Although both are referred to as public places, they have different purposes and are used in different contexts in both ancient empires.
Key Takeaways
- Agora was a public space used for gathering and market transactions in ancient Greece, while a forum was a place for discussion and exchanging ideas.
- Agora was typically outdoors and used for trade, while a forum could be physical or virtual and used for communication and debate.
- Agora was an important part of Greek democracy and culture, while a forum is an important part of modern communication and information sharing.
Agora vs Forum
Agora is a live, real-time chat platform that allows users to have synchronous conversations in a group setting, used for events where participants need to interact with each other in real-time. A forum is an asynchronous platform where users can post messages and reply to them at any time.
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It is usually located in a closed area to the public building and the Center of the city so that it is accessible to all the people in the town.
They are not used for any commercial activity. Most major temples and the offices of important people in the city are located in these forums. And it is situated in the center of the city too.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Agora | Forum |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Agora is a place used for commercial purposes. | A forum is a place that is used for religious and political purposes and not commercial activities. |
| Genre | Public place | Public place |
| Cities | Rome and Greece | Rome |
| Includes | Shops and marketplace | Significant temples and offices of important people of the town. |
| Used for | Shopping items, appliances, and for business. | Political decision-making, debates, etc. |
What is Agora?
Agora is a marketplace where different shops are set up and is used for commercial purposes only. It is usually located in a closed area to the public building and the Center of the city so that it is accessible to all the people in the city.
Though a marketplace, the agora is where the freeborn male landowners of Greece gathered and came together to hear the council’s or the king’s hearing on any matter.
There were two types of agoras in the earlier time of the 5th and the 4th century BCE. After the Persian war of 490-449 BCE, the agora of Athens was rebuilt with the same design.
What is Forum?
Forums in roman cities have two natures that are religious and political. They are not used for any commercial activity. Most major temples and the offices of important people in the city are located in these forums.
The forum in Rome was a place for public meetings and law courts in the republic times. A forum was also a place of temples and other religious institutions around the cities.
Many of the country’s oldest and most significant structures were either in or around the forum. Even the Roman kingdom’s earliest and most prominent temples were located in the southern-east parts of the forum.
Main Differences Between Agora and Forum
- Agora, a place to shop, was usually in the city’s center so everyone could access it, but the forum had no specific area decided in the city.
- Agora as a public place was used and called in Greece and Rome, while the forum was only used in Rome.
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/3642827
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00028533.1985.11951295
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
