Mars Hill

Mars' Hill

(῎Αρειος πάγος, collis Kartius, Ac 17:22, the Areopagus, as in ver. 19; so called, according to Pausan. 1:28, 5, from the fact that Mars was first judged there), a limestone hill in Athens, northwest of the Acropolis (Herod. 8:52), and considerably lower (Pococke, East, iii, tab. 65), where (even down to the time of the Roman emperors, Gell. 12:7) the most ancient and boasted Athenian supreme tribunal (Tacitus, Annal. 2:55) and court of morals (AEschyl. Eumen. 701; Senec. Tranq. 3; Val. Max. 2:6,4), composed of the mest honorable and upright citizens (Athen. vi, p. 251), and held in the highest regard not only throughout Greece, but even among foreigners (comp. Wetstein, 2:565), had its sessions, to discuss cases of civil and criminal offenses, originally according to the sole law of its own discretion (comp. Aristot. Polit. 2:10; v. 12; Macrob. Saturn. 7:1, p. 204; Quintil. Institut. v. 9; EAlian, V. I. v. 15). After having continued for many centuries in full authority, it fell under some restrictions in the times of the New Test.; but the date of its extinction is unknown. (See Pauly, Real- Encyklop. 1:700 sq.; Doderlein, in the Hall. Encyklop. v. 193 sq.; also Meursii Areopagus, Ludg. Bat. 1624; Bockh, De Areopago, Berol. 1826.) From some part of that hill, but not before the judges (for there is no trace of a regular judicial procedure in the entire narrative), Paul delivered his famous address (Ac 17:19 sq.) to his hearers upon the steps and in the valley (comp. Robinson, Researches, 1:10 sq.). SEE AREOPAGUS.