This is a reconstruction of the Royal Stoa or Stoa Basileios, the headquarters of the King Archon, who was in charge of religious affairs including homicide. The statue in front is that of Themis (Justice). It was located in the northwest corner of the Agora. It was in front of this building that Socrates met Euthyphro and had the conversation that Plato recreated in his Euthyphro. Socrates came to this building to be formally charged with impiety by Meletus in the presence of the King Archon. Copies of the laws of the city were kept in this Stoa.
The northwest corner of the Agora, in which the Royal Stoa was located, was known as "the Herms" because of the great number of Herms set up there. Herms, which consisted of a bust of Hermes on top of a bronze or marble pillar with male genitals attached, were a familiar sight in public areas and in front of houses. They were believed to be protectors of houses and the city.
In 415 BC a scandal arose when vandals violated
Herms in Athens, perhaps the ones in northwest corner of the Agora
This incident was one of the factors that led to the exile of Alcibiades.