Nervous System : The Classical World

Agora

The Ancient Greeks used to assemble in the agora, an open area in the city for political, then legal and business purposes. It often became a market- place, with lots of people milling around. Hence the term agoraphobia has come to be applied to people who have such overwhelming feelings of anxiety that they are afraid to go out in public and even stay at home for their entire lives.

Agoraphobia is often associated with panic attacks, with symptoms of rapid heartbeat, sweating, difficulty breathing, and sudden and overwhelming terror.

Agora of Thassos Thassos Island, Greece © Wikimedia Commons	Agora of Izmir Western view of the agora Izmir, Turkey © Wikimedia Commons