The Public Areas
The breakdown in functional areas of the city reserved from the time of the foundation, the area between the areas occupied by the two major areas santuariali, North and South, a space for buildings with public functions. In its place they found the buildings more important for the conduct of the political life of the Greek city, the first among all the ekklesiasterion, alongside others such as cd sacellum ipogeico, most likely a Heroon.
Agora
Political space par excellence of a Greek city, for since the founding of the colony to be the epicenter of political and social life of the city ', the agora was recognized following the identification of two buildings of particular political value such as cd sacellum ipogeico (Heroon) and
the ekklesiasterion.
In the age Luke central part of the band was maintained as public space calendar, as confirming the preservation of its two most significant buildings, the Heroon el'ekklesiasterion. At this stage seems to be divided in two by a rocky bottom rung, which crossed the square trend east-west direction along which the Roman age will be 'implanted the great well Porticus still visible in its phase II sec. D.C. It has been suggested that the monumentalizzazione step had intended to articulate the square into two spaces from different functions: to the north and south political commercial. The southern area after the deduction of Latin colony was used at the forum and all adjacent buildings.
Heroon
Located at the Temple of Ceres (Athenaion), the unique rectangular structure is at the heart of a likely mound, as suggested by Emanuele Greek. It on three sides dug in the rock and the walled quarter, did not show any entry: access, a slippery slope and dug into the rock, was walled from the outside and used only for the deposition of the rich support (now the National Museum Paestum), consisting of six hydriai, two bronze amphorae
containing honey and un'anfora Attic black-figure. The pots were placed along the walls and besides they were deposed five long spit of iron, with traces dell'immanicatura leather, two blocks combined to form a stone table in the middle of the environment.
The walls of the building are rendered, except in the east, so that was mounted last, has also purchased a double double sloping, as the first in a slab of stone, in later, it was a superimposed ' other in flat tiles. The metal pots are partly dating back several decades before their deposition, around 520/510 BC The stone fence and roof tiles date back, however, a renovation of about half of the third century. BC The structure has been interpreted as Heroon, a building shaped burial empty symbolic character (cenotaph), dedicated to the worship of a character of particular importance. In similar cases, known in the colonial world, it recognizes the worship of the economy (the founder of the colony), eroizzato after death. With the deduction of the whole Latin American colony took the attitude hour visible: the mound overlooking the building was removed, was built a rectangular fence around the building, whose interior was filled with a discharge of land to bury l ' Heroon, obliteration.
Ekklesiasterion
Circular building located behind the modern road that cuts the old city, divided by concentric steps taken by cutting the rock. The largest ring (35 m. in diameter) was interpreted as a kind of compound, while the inner ring measuring 9 meters in diameter.
The structure, dating according to surveys stratigrafiche to 480/470 BC, for its architectural features is recognizable as building assembleare of the city. It is estimated that in meetings dell'ekklesia (the People's Assembly), which took place on the stone seats which are the steps could place some 1100-1700 people. In these meetings proceeded in voting laws and the election of judges.
The continuity of use of child Luke is attested by the stele placed inside, with a dedication of a magistrate lucano statistical Statilies to Jupiter, now on display at the Museo Nazionale di Paestum. Of particular importance is that the dedication stele voted on around 300 BC, is in Oscan language, but with Greek characters and that the stele was placed perfectly in line with a temple located west of the circular, which has led archaeologists to hypothesize that it was a temple dedicated to Jupiter itself. After the deduction of the colony, the Romans destroyed the structure and cover the area with a discharge of earth and stones, in which bones were found in calves, remains of the atoning sacrifice made to purify the place according to the Roman religious tradition. The obliteration of this building, as it is for the cd sacellum ipogeico bears witness to the transformation process that interested in the Roman city, with the cancellation of the buildings that had been the symbol of the Greek colony and the next town 'Luke. Above dell'ormai destroyed building Meetings greek, the Romans built a shrine
composed of three elements clearly distinguishable: a big fence (later used as a cemetery in the Middle Ages), a fountain and a building recognizable as a warehouse. However investigations stratigrafiche here are still a few decades and have not yet found useful in the identification of the revered deity.