Heliaia or Heliaea (Greek: Ήλιαία; Doric: Ἁλία Halia) was the supreme court of ancient Athens. Τhe view generally held among scholars is that the court drew its name from the ancient Greek verb Ήλιάζεσθαι, which means συναθροίζεσθαι, namely congregate. Another version is that the court took its name from the fact that the hearings were taking place outdoors, under the sun.^[β] Heliaia was also called big ecclesia. Initially, this was the name of the place where the hearings were convoked, but later this appellation included the court as well.^[1]

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliaia