Since 1931 the American School of Classical Studies at Athens has been conducting the archaeological excavation of the Athenian Agora, the civic center of ancient Athens and the birthplace of democracy. This dig has produced extraordinary documentation of the radical democracy of the ancient Athenians as well as their social, commercial, religious, and academic life. This presentation will note some of the highlights of this life with illustrations of monuments and artifacts from the excavation.

Gerald Lalonde has taught classical studies at Grinnell since 1969, concentrating in recent years on the ancient Greek language, Greek and Roman history, archaeology, and art, and tutorials on the comedies of Aristophanes. He has supervised excavations in the ancient Agora of Athens and produced research and publications on Athenian inscriptions, monuments, cults, and shrines. In addition to his academic work, Lalonde has served as Chair of the Faculty and Interim Vice-President for College and Alumni Relations.