It was built c. 425 BC–410 BC for religious purposes in dedication to Zeus by the Eleutherios ("pertaining to freedom"): a cult founded after the Persian War.
Stoas were not commonly used for religious purposes, but were typically built for promenades and meetings.
[1] It is different from others in that it was a stoa rather than a temple (the common building used for religious purposes).
Scholars believe the building also served other civic purposes due to its central location.
[2] In the late first century BC a two-room annex was added, possibly for the cult of the Roman imperial family.