ARCUDIUS
382
AREOPAGUS
tens {Comment, in loc.) derives the Heb. -word from an Aral iic term signifying the night-watcher, because Ursa Major never sets ; while Kimchi refers it to the Heb. i"', in the sense of a collection of stars; and Lnd. de Dieu compares the Ethiopic name of the con- stellation Pisces; but the etymology first proposed above is preferable (see Bochart, Ukroz. ii, G80; Al- ferg. p. 8, 03 ; Ideler, Unters. ub. d. Stern-Namem, p. 3, 19 ; comp. Abulfeda, p. 375 ; Eutych. p. 277 ; Schul- tens, Imp. Joctan, p. 10, 32). — Gesenius, Thes. Heb. p. 895. See Astronomy ; Constellation.
Arcudius, Peter, a native of Corfu. The Popes Gregory XIV and Clement VIII tried, but unsuccess- fully, to bring about, through him, a union of the Greek Church in Russia with that of Rome. He died in Rome in 1635. He wrote Concord, eccles. Orient, et Occident, in sepiem sacramentis, etc. (Paris, 1619, fob). — Niceron, Memoires, xi, 5G ; Hoefer, Biog. Gen. iii, 74.
Ard (Heb. id. *njt, prob. for Tntf, i. q. Tl^ de- scent; Sept. 'Apc'td v. r. 'ASap), a grandson of Benjamin through Bela (Num. xxvi, 40). B.C. 1856. In Gen. xlvi, 21, he appears as a son of Benjamin, where, how- ever, the Sept. makes him a great-grandson through Gera as a son of Bela. In 1 Chron. viii, 3, he is called Addar. His descendants were called Ardites, Heb. Ard*'. "H">X, Sept. 'Apadi (Num. xxvi, 40). See Benjamin. He is possibly the same with Ezbox (1 Chron. vii, 7).
Ar'dath (Lat. Ardath, the Gr. text being no longer extant), the name of a "field" mentioned only in the Apocrypha (2 [Vulg. 4] Esdr. ix, 26) as the scene of the vision of the bereaved woman ; no doubt a fanci- ful appellation.
Ard'ite (Num. xxvi, 40). See Ard.
Ar'don (Heb. Ardon', "I'^IX, descend mt, others fugitive ; Sept. 'Apdiav v. r. 'Opva), the last-named of the three sons of Caleb by his first wife Azubah (1 Chron. ii, 18). B.C. ante 1658.
Are'li (Heb. AreW, "^fiOK, heroic, fr. Ariel; Sept. 'Anti]\iic, 'Aon'/X), the last-named of the seven sons of Gad (Gen. xlvi, 16). B.C. 1873. His descendants were called Arelites (Heb. id., Sept. 'ApigXi, Num. xxvi, 17).
Are'lite (Num. xxvi, 17). See Arei.i.
Areop'agite ('AptoTrayi-qc), a member (Acts xvii, 34) of the court of AREOPAGUS (q. v.). This, as constituted by Solon, consisted of the nine archons (chief magistrates) for the year, and the ex-archons. The latter became members for life ; but before their ad- mission, they were submit- ted, at the close of their an- nual magistracy, to a rigid scrutiny into their conduct in office and their private mor- als. Proof of criminal or un- becoming conduct was suffi- cient also afterward to expel them. Various accounts are given of the number to which the Areopagites were limited. If there was any fixed num- ber, admission to the council could not have been a neces- sary consequence of honora- ble discharge from the ar- chonship. But it is more probable that the accounts which limit the number are applicable only to the earlier period of its existence (see the anonymous argument to Demosthenes' Oration against
Androtion). Lysias express!}' states that the acting archons had a seat in it (Areop. p. 110, § 16-20).
Areop'agus, the Latin form of the Greek words (o "Apaoc irdyoc), signifying, in reference to place, Mars' Hill, but, in reference to persons, the council which was held on the hill. The council was also termed // iv 'Apiioj iray<o (3ov\i) (or i) j3oi<\t) y iv 'Aptiip Trayifi), the Council on Mars' Hill; sometimes i) dvto liovXi), the Upper Council, from the elevated po- sition where it was held, and sometimes simply, but emphatically, i) fiovXt), the Council; but it retained till a late period the original designation of Mars' Hill, being called by the Latins Scopulus Jfartis, Curia Mortis (Juvenal, Sat. ix, 101), and still more literal- ly, Areum Judicium (Tacit. Annal. ii, 55). The place I was a rocky height in Athens, opposite the western I end of the Acropolis, from which it is separated only by an elevated valley. It rises gradually from the northern end, and terminates abruptly on the south, over against the Acropolis, at which point it is about fifty or sixty feet above the valley already mentioned. Of the site of the Areopagus there can be no doubt, both from the description of Pausanias, and from the narrative of Herodotus, who relates that it was a height over against the Acropolis, from which the Persians assailed the latter rock (Paus. i, 28, § 5 ; Herod, viii, 52). According to tradition, it was called the hill of Mars (Ares) because this god was brought to trial here before the assembled gods by Neptune (Poseidon) on account of his murdering Halirrho- thius, the son of the latter. The meetings Avere held on the south-eastern summit of the rock. There are still sixteen stone steps cut in the rock, leading up to the hill from the valley of the Agora below ; and im- mediately above the steps is a bench of stones exca- vated in the rock, forming three sides of a quadrangle, and facing the south. Here the Areopagites sat as judges in the open air (i>7rcu6pioi IRueaZovTO, Pollux, viii, 118). On the eastern and western side is a raised block. These blocks are probably the two rude stones which Pausanias saw there, and w-hich are described by Euripides as assigned, the one to the accuser, the other to the criminal, in the causes which were tried in the court (Iph. T. 961). — Smith. See Areopagite. The Areopagus possesses peculiar interest to the Christian as the spot from which Paul delivered his memorable address to the men of Athens (Acts xvii, 22-31). It has been supposed by some commentators that he was brought before the Council of Areopa- gus, but there is no trace in the narrative of any ju- dicial proceedings. Paul " disputed daily" in the "market" or Agora (xvii, 17), which was situated