.-'"5
ATHENS \ -"
Trispyrgi Seal! ofJ!:le^
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south of the Areopagus, in the valley tying between this hill and those of the Acropolis, the Pnyx, and the Museum. Attracting more and more attention, " cer- tain philosophers of the Epicureans and Stoics" brought him up from the valley, probably by the stone steps already mentioned, to the Areopagus aliove, that they might listen to him more conveniently. Here the philosophers probably took their seats on the stone benches usually occupied by the members of the council, while the multitude stood upon the steps and in the valley below. The dignilied bearing of the apostle is worthy of high admiration, the more so from the associations of the spot (see Conybeare and Howson, L'fe and Epistles of St. Paul, i, 346-379). Nor does his eloquent discourse appear to have" been without good effect; for, though some mocked, and some procrastinated, yet others believed, among whom was a member of the council, " Dionysius, the Areop- agite," who has been represented as the first bishop of Athens, and is said to have written books on the " Celestial Hierarchy ;" but their authenticity is ques- tioned. The history in the Acts (xvii, 22) states that the speaker "stood in the midst of Mars' Hill" (see Robinson's Researches, i, 10-12). Having come up from the level parts of the city, where the markets (there were two, the old and the new) were, he would probably stand with his face toward the north, and would then have immediately behind him the long walls which ran down to the sea, affording protection against a foreign enemy. Near the sea, on one side, was the harbor of Pirants, on the other that designa- ted Phalerum, with their crowded arsenals, their busy workmen, and their gallant ships. Not far off in the ocean lay the island of Salamis, ennobled forever in history as the spot near which Athenian valor chas- tised Asiatic pride, and achieved the liberty of Greece. The apostle had only to turn toward his right hand to catch a view of a small but celebrated hill rising with- in the city near that on which he stood, called the Pnyx, where, standing on a block of bare stone, De- mosthenes and other distinguished orators had ad- dressed the assembled people of Athens, swaying that arrogant and fickle democracy, and thereby making
Map (if the ancient Vicinity of the Areopagus.
A, The Acropolis; I!, Areopagus ; ('. Museum; D, Hndrianopolis ; E Temple of Jupiter Olvnipius; F, Theatre of Bacchus; G, Odeum or Re(nlln; H, Pnyx ; I,' Temple of Theseus ; J, Gymnasium of Ptolemy. K, Stoa of Hadrian ; L, Gate of New Acorn ; M, Tower of Andronicus N, Arch of Hadrian; O, Street of Tripods; P, Monument of Philopap pus; Q, Temple of Fortune ; II, P.-Minthciiaie stadium ; S, Tomb of Her- odes; T, Gate of Dioehares; V. Gate of Achamie; V, Dipvlum ; W, Gate called Hippades; X, Lycahettus ; Y, Piraic Gate: Z, Prytaneum j a, Tombs, b, To the Academia; c, Cerainieus Exterior; </, Mount An. chesmus; e, Ancient Walls;/, Modern Walls: g. Road to Marathon; h, Road to the Mesoffn-a ; i. Gate; k, Bridge; /, Garden? , m, Itonian Gate ; n, River llissns; o, Callirrhoe ; p, Scale of half an English mile.
Philip of Macedon tremble, or working good or ill for the entire civilized world. Immediately before him lay the crowded city, studded in every part with me- morials sacred to religion or patriotism, and exhibiting the highest achievements of art. On his left, some- what beyond the walls, was beheld the Academy, with its groves of plane and olive trees, its retired walks and cooling fountains, its altar to the Muses, its statues of the Graces, its Temple of Minerva, and its altars to Prometheus, to Love, and to Hercules, near which Plato had his country-seat, and in the midst of which he had taught, as well as his followers after him. But the most impressive spectacle lay on his right hand ; for there, on the small and precipitous hill named the Acropolis were clustered together monuments of the highest art, and memorials of the national religion, such as no other equal spot of ground has ever borne. The apostle's eyes, in turning to the right, would fall on the north-west side of the eminence, which was here (and all round) covered and protected by a wall, part3
The Acropolis of Athens restore;!, as seen from the Areopagus
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of which were so ancient as to be of Cyclopean origin. The western side, which alone gave access to what from its original destination may be termed the fort, was, during the administration of Pericles, adorned with a splendid flight of steps, and the beautiful Pro- pylsea, with its live entrances and two flanking tem- ples, constructed by Mnesicles of Pentelican marble, at a cost of 2012 talents. In the times of the Roman emperors there stood before the Propylrea equestrian statues of Augustus and Agrippa. On the southern wing of the Propylaja was a temple of Wingless Vic- tory ; ( in the northern, a Pinacotheca, or picture gallery. On the highest part of the platform of the Acropolis, not more than 300 feet from the entrance-buildings just described, stood (and yet stands, though shatter- ed and mutilated) the Parthenon, justly celebrated throughout the world, erected of white Pentelican marble, under the direction of Callicrates, Ictinus, and Carpion, and adorned with the finest sculptures from the hand of Phidias. Northward from the Par- thenon was the Erechtheum, a compound building, which contained the Temple of Minerva Polias, the proper Erechtheum (called also the Cecropium), and the Pandroseum. This sanctuary contained the holy olive-tree sacred to Minerva, the holy salt-spring, the ancient wooden image of Pallas, etc., and was the scene of the oldest and most venerated ceremonies and recollections of the Athenians. Between the Pro- pylaea and the Erechtheum was placed the colossal bronze statue of Pallas Promachos, the work of Phid- ias, which towered so high above the other buildings that the plume of her helmet and the point of her spear were visible on the sea between Sunium and Athens. Moreover the Acropolis was occupied by so great a crowd of statues and monuments, that the ac- count, as found in Pausanias, excites the reader's won- der, and makes it difficult for him to understand how so much could have been crowded into a space which extended from the south-east corner to the south-west only 1150 feet, while its greatest breadth did not ex- ceed 500 feet. On the hill itself where Paul had his station, was, at the eastern end, the temple of the Furies, and other national and commemorative edi- fices. The court-house of the council, which was also here, was, according to the simplicity of ancient cus- toms, built of clay. There was an altar consecrated by Orestes to Athene Areia. In the same place were seen two silver stones, on one of which stood the ac- cuser, on the other the accused. Near them stood two altars erected by Epimenides, one to Insult ("Y/3p£wc, Cic. Contumelice), the other to Shamelessness ('Avai- SiictQ, Cic. Tmpudentice). See Atiikxs.