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Ilion, built on the site of prehistoric Troy, is now part of the Roman Empire - though Greek language and cultural traditions remain. The defensive walls and the gridded streets of the older Hellenistic city remain in use. However some important new features have arrived with the new Imperial Roman provincial government.

This agora, or marketplace, at the center of the city, is still where markets and civic business occur. But some new larger buildings have been added to make this urban space a bit more impressive. The old Bouleuterion was torn down shortly before the arrival of the Romans, and this new larger building, aligned with the gateway of the Athena sanctuary, just to the east of the important sacred procession way, was built with a porch of large Doric columns. This is still the place where the senate or council, called the boule, make important decisions for the city.

Opposite the Bouleuterion, to the south, is the Basileion, where the annual procession in honor of Athena begins, as it has for centuries. But now the southern edge of the open space is more clearly defined by a stoa, a rectangular building open in the front except for a colonnade.

During this period at Ilion several stoas have been built; let's take a short walk up the hill from the agora to see two of them. Stoas were multiuse buildings. Some business, overflowing from the agora, was conducted there. Sometimes they were used as covered market buildings. And sometimes pilgrims, coming to see the great Temple of Athena, would spend the night under the shelter of a stoa before going up to the Temple. These two stoas are Doric in style and have been freshly painted in red and blue in the traditional manner.

Let's go see the Temple area, the destination for those pilgrims. The Temple of Athena is the traditional heart of Ilion, and has changed very little over the centuries. There is still the great altar, the statue of Zeus, and even the little well head. The view to the north is still a marvel-looking over to the large Theater, we see that the old wooden stage building has been demolished to make way for a lavish 3 story stage front of marble.

There is another place where the citizens of Ilion can get some live entertainment, over on the west side of the agora. Here is a small theater which was probably for poetry recitals and musical competitions. This kind of theater is often called an Odeion, for the type of poetry known as an ode which might be presented there. The stage front was elaborately decorated with pairs of columns and marbles of many different colors, coming from quarries all over the Roman empire. At the top center, in the place of honor, was a statue of the Emperor himself, who visited Ilion in 124 AD.

Since its founding, Ilion has had a second religious center. Let's see what has happened to it under the Romans, over here on the west side of the city. Some changes have been made: only one Temple, with a new altar, remains. But a grandstand has been added. Obviously, some important ritual or re-enactment takes place here, as worshippers become witnesses and audience. Another very strange thing is the ruins of one of the Hellenistic cult buildings, which are deliberately left exposed to view. There was one rather nasty battle which took place just as the Roman period began. The ruin is kept as a kind of pious reminder of the perils of war.

One of the typically Roman things to arrive at Ilion is a grand water supply. To the Romans, public baths and fountains were a true sign of civilized urban life. At Ilion, as at many Roman cities, an aqueduct was built to supply a never-ending stream of fresh mountain spring water. Let's follow the Aqueduct of Ilion as it approaches the city along the higher ridge coming down from the hills to the east. The aqueduct has already covered at least 20 kilometers, or 15 miles, from its source to the point where it crosses the city walls. Here we find a big tank, called a castellum aquae, which allows maintenance of the system and distribution of the water to the eastern sector of the city. The main aqueduct line then heads straight for the Athena Temple area, the highest point of the city.

But the first major drop-off of water from the main line occurs about halfway to the acropolis. Here a large bath was built. Roman bathing has its own everyday rituals. First you take your outer clothing off and store it in cubbyholes. The first stage of the bath is with hot water, in a room called the caldarium. Then comes warm water bathing in the tepidarium (because the water is lukewarm, or tepid), followed by a cold water plunge, in the frigidarium. The palestra is an open air space for exercising.

This large water distribution tank has been built into the side of the Athena Temple portico. From here the water flows down hill to another bath building immediately to the west of the agora. As with the eastern bath, there are spaces for removing clothes, and for hot, tepid and cold water. This bath had another specially heated room: the steam bath. The heating system for the tepid and hot water and the steam came from a furnace which forced hot air through hollow spaces under the floor called hypocausts.

The great amount of water flowing through the aqueduct had another use: this public fountain dedicated to the nymphs - spirits of the waters-and therefore called a Nymphaeum. The nymphaeum was lavishly decorated with columns and pediments. It appears that this particular nymphaeum was intended to hide the big water tank for the bath building right behind it. It occupied a central place in Ilion's street system and no visitor could miss its splashing waters!

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