This stoa was built to commemorate the victory over the Persians and was dedicated to Zeus in his capacity as a provider of freedom (Eleutherios = 'Deliverer'; note the statue of Zeus in front of the Stoa). The roof, like those of temples, was decorated with statues (acroteria), at least one of which was a statue of Winged Nikê (click here to see a fragment of this statue, now housed in the Stoa of Attalus). The stoa also celebrated the democracy. In this building were paintings of the twelve gods and of Theseus, the legendary king, whom the Athenian people believed (wrongly) to be the founder of the democracy (Pausanias, 1.3.3). In the fourth century a number of paintings depicting Athenian victories were displayed. Plato mentions this stoa as a favorite resting place where one could sit and talk with friends.
