The bouleuterion of Smyrna

Bouleuterion set aside as the gathering place of the City Council of Smyrna, the governing body of the city, is located in a plot to the northwest corner of the agora of the city. In this plot three different Bouleuterion structures for the City Council can be identified from Hellenistic Period to the end of the Late Roman Period. These structures can be identified as Hellenistic Period, Early Roman Period and Late Roman Period Bouleuterion buildings according to the dates they are built. Bouleuteria were public buildings designed in a specific form for the governing bodies of the Ancient Greek cities to hold their meetings. Bouleuteria reflecting the city's will for democracy and justice also represented the city's autonomy. Bouleuteria having these properties were built in or around the Agora, the center of the social and public life for the citizens of classical Greek Cities. Keywords: Bouleuterion, City Council, Agora, Classical Greek Cities