AGONOTHETA, or AGONOTHETES (agon and thetes), in Grecian Antiquity, was the president or superintendent of the sacred games; who not only defrayed the expense attending them, but inspected the manners and discipline of the athletes, and adjudged the prizes to the victors. But in the great public games, such as the Olympic, Pythian, &c., these presidents were the representatives of different states, or were chosen from the people in whose country the games were celebrated. They received the several titles of altemnētes, braβenētes, agonōnarcha, agonodōka, agonothētes, athlothētes; but Favorinus makes the distinction, that the term athlothētes was peculiar to gymnastic exercises, whereas that of agonothētes might refer equally to musical contentions. They were also called paβθoγoι or paβθoγoις, from the rod or sceptre emblematic of their authority.
AGONYCLITE (α, priv. γων and κλαω), in Church History, a sect of Christians, in the seventh century, who prayed always standing, thinking it unlawful to kneel.
AGORA (αγορα, I congregate), in Grecian Antiquity, denoted both the public assembly of the people and the place in which they met. In the latter sense the term corresponds to the Roman Forum. The open space of the Agora was surrounded by the various buildings connected with the public administration. It was also in general the market place, and formed, as may be supposed, the centre of public resort and business of all kinds.