State Prison in the Athenian Agora

What it is

This is a set of excavated stone foundations southwest of the Agora in Athens, dated to the 5th century BC. Archaeologists have proposed it as the site of the ancient Athenian state prison. Small medicine vials recovered there have been linked to doses of hemlock.

Why it matters

Historians do not know the exact location of the cell where Socrates spent his last weeks, but this building is the leading candidate. According to Plato's dialogues, Socrates was imprisoned here for about a month after being found guilty of impiety, before being executed by drinking hemlock. The site connects the physical remains of ancient Athens to the famous story of his trial and death.

Look closer

• What can plain stone foundations tell us, and what can they never tell us, about an event like an execution?
• Why do archaeologists rely on objects like medicine vials to support an identification?
• Why is there uncertainty about something as important as where Socrates died?