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The park of Ancient Agora.
Observations from the Tree Survey  

The park of Ancient Agora is an interesting case study for resilient species. Most of them are linked to the Mediterranean and the region extending from Middle East to the plateaus of Iran. They are slow-growing and sclerophyllous and they have endured since their initial planting in mid-1950s. 

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PLANT SPECIES

Valonia oak tree RESIZED.jpg

Pistacia atlantica

Ancardiaceae

Pistacia atlantica leaves.jpg

Mount Atlas Mastic trees can be found as specimen trees near the temple of Hephaestus and other locations in the park.

Reference in the works of Theophrastus:
"The wood of the terebinth is also very black and close-grained; at least in Syria they say that it is blacker than ebony, that in fact they use it for making their dagger handles; and by means of the lathechisel they also make of it 'Theriklean’ cups, so that no one could distinguish these from cups made of pottery; for this purpose they use, it is said, the heart-wood, but the wood has to be oiled, for then it becomes comelier and blacker...."                                                                                                                     Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants, book 5 "Of the Timber of Various Trees and its Uses",                                                                                                              chapter 3, section 2. (transl. Arthur Holt)

Corresponding notes by Suzanne Amigues
"The pistachio from Syria is probably Pistacia atlantica Desf. much larger in all its parts than the Mediterranean P. terebinthus L.) (see note 121 in III, 15, 3). The latter nevertheless presents the characteristics attributed here to the pistachio wood without distinction of species. The «cups of Thericles» which were made from them must have had the deep black and pure lines of ceramic vases from the hands of the Corinthian potter Thericles, a contemporary of the comic poet Aristophanes (end of the 5th century BC)." (Amigues 2010). 

MVIMG_20251203_114600 PISTACIA LENTISCUS TREE CROPPED RESIZED.jpg

Pistacia lentiscus

Ancardiaceae

Pistacia LENTISCUS LEAVES CROPPED AND RESIZED 2.jpg

A large number of mastic trees are found in the park, either as shrubs or in arboreal form. Though they resprout from the base, their single trunk composure is preferred.  

Philyrea latifolia tree 27.jpg

Phillyrea latifolia 

Oleaceae

Philyrea latifolia leaves resized 33.jpg

A number of green olive trees is found in the park as a shrub or in arboreal form. It is often difficult to distinguish from Rhamnus alaternus. The latter is also present in the park, similarly as a shrub or a small tree. This kind of difficulty may apply to ambiguities in Theophrastus and other texts. (Amigues 2010, pages 203-204, notes 56 and 57). 

Myrtus communis

Myrtaceae

Myrtus communis flower.jpg
Myrtus communis fruit.jpg
Myrtus communis whole plant.jpg
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Anemone coronaria.jpg

Anemone coronaria

Ranunculaceae

Poppy Anemone, Windflower
A tuberous, deciduous herb with finely divided leaves. It appears from January to April (Vathis 2002).

Limoniastrum whole plant.jpg

Limoniastrum monopetalum

Plumbaginaceae

Limoniastrum
An evergreen shrub of the Mediterranean with oblong-lanceolate leaves. Its violet flowers appear from June to July (Vathis 2002).

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

While plants of the species presented, thrive and have yet considerable expectancy, others have not survived. Either their expectancy is past the seven decades or due to vulnerabilities. Some plants of tolerant species though, may have been replanted to substitute losses in plant material. 
However this is a study that if undertaken by a horticulturalist would provide interesting data. A significant factor to take into account, would be past green spaces management practices. Records of maintenance could be complemented with evaluation of satellite/air images over the years.

Phoenix.jpg
MVIMG_20251203_121253 RESIZED PALM TREE WITH CAT.jpg

Palm trees had been among the initial plantings. In the past 20 years though, the palms Phoenix canariensis in Athens have been decimated due to the outbreak of the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus). Nevertheless, seven decades is a time interval past the species' expectancy. 
Losses were observed in other palm species as well such as Phoenix dactylifera

Robinias in decline.jpg
Trees in decline.jpg

Remnant trunks of Robinia pseudoacacia. Also other species from the initial plantings do not survive in the park like Sophora japonica.

MVIMG_20251203_121601 CROPPED, PINE TREES AND CERCIS SILIQUASTRUM RESIZED.jpg
Cupressus and poplar.jpg

Pine trees (Pinus halepensis), cypresses, silver poplar and Judas trees on the edge of the park, toward the train rails. 

Carob trees.jpg

Carob trees (Ceratonia siliqua) thrive in the park and blend with the olive trees. 

Tree and shrub species in the landscape of Ancient Agora

BROADLEAF

Species                                       Family

Arbutus andrachne                  Ericaceae

Ceratonia siliqua                    Fabaceae

Cercis siliquastrum                  Fabaceae

Ficus carica                           Moraceae

Laurus nobilis                         Lauraceae

Myrtus communis                    Myrtaceae

Olea europaea                      Oleaceae

Phillyrea latifolia                     Oleaceae

Platanus occidentalis               Platanaceae

Platanus orientalis                   Platanaceae

Punica granatum                    Lythraceae

Quercus coccifera                  Fagaceae

Quercus ilex                          Fagaceae

Quercus ithaburensis

subsp. macrolepis                   Fagaceae

Vitex agnus-castus                   Lamiaceae​

CONIFERS

Species                                        Family

Cupressus sempervirens            Cupressaceae

Juniperus spp                          Cupressaceae

Pinus halepensis                      Pinaceae

PALMS

Species                                        Family

Phoenix dactylifera                  Arecaceae 

Notes
​Some of the species are also considered native in other countries and regions beyond the Mediterranean. For many of the above species, information is included in the website pages of the tree survey section, such as a) distributions b) recommendations in recent literature and c) images.

Website pages

Near East to Central Asia
Europe to Caucasus
Mediterranean
Oak trees group

REFERENCES
​
BOOKS
Théophraste, Suzanne Amigues, and Paul Bernard. 2010. 

Recherches Sur Les Plantes À L’origine de La Botanique.

Paris: Belin.

​

Theophrastus, and Arthur Hort. 1948. 

Theophrastus Enquiry into Plants and Minor Works on Odours and Weather Signs with an English Translation by Sir Arthur Hort, Bart.

London: William Heinemann Ltd.

https://archive.org/details/theophrastus-enquiry-plants-loeb/

 

Thompson, Dorothy Burr, Ralph E. Griswold, and American School of Classical Studies at Athens. 1963. 
Garden Lore of Ancient Athens.
Princeton, New Jersey: American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

https://archive.org/details/gardenloreofanci0008amer/
​
Vathis Emmanuel. 2002. 
The Plants in the Park of the Ancient Agora
Athens: Agricultural University of Athens.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

Kathimerini’s electronic edition.
Giannarou Lina. 2003.
Botanical paintings of plants that once flourished in the Ancient Agora park. (August 23, 2003).

https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/16565/botanical-paintings-of-plants-that-once-flourished-in-the-ancient-agora-park

​

Efsyn, electronic edition.
Panagopoulou, Vasi. 2017.
With the eyes of Emmanouil Vathis. (April 23, 2017).

https://www.efsyn.gr/nisides/107744_me-ta-matia-toy-emmanoyil-bathi

​

Efsyn, weekend edtion
Panagopoulou, Vasi. 2025.
The plants of the park of Ancient Agora. (December 6 and 7, 2025).

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