ATHENS ('ABi.jvaL). This celebrated city is mentioned in the N. T. in connection with a visit paid to it by St. Paul (Acts xvii. 15-34). It would be irrelevant to the design of this work to occupy space in detailing the history of Athens ; it may suffice for the illustration of the sacred narrative to glance at its claims as the seat of literature and philosophy.
' From the earliest times the Ionians loved the lyre and the song, and the hymns of poets formed the staple of Athenian education. The constitu tion of Solon admitted and demanded in the people a great knowledge of laW, with a large share in its daily administration. Thus the acuteness of the lawyer was grafted on the imagination of the poet These are the two intellectual elements out of which Athenian wisdom was developed; but it was stimu lated and enriched by extended political action and political experience. History and Philosophy, as the words are understood in modern Europe, had their birth in Athens about the time of the Pelopon nesian war. There first, also the Oratory of the bar and of the popular assembly was systematically cu]ti.
vated, and the elements of mathematical science were admitted into the education of an accomplished man. This was the period of the youth of Plato, whose philosophy was destined to leave so deep an impress on the Jewish and Chnstian schools of Alexandria. Its great effort was CO unite the con templative mysticism of Eastern sages with the accurate science of Greece ; to combine, in short, the two qualities—intellectual and moral, argu mentative and spiritual—into a single harmonious whole ; and whatever opinion may be formed of the success which attended the experiment, it is not wonderful that so magnificent an aim attracted the desires and rivetted the attention of thoughtful and contemplative minds for ages afterwards.
`In the imitative arts of Sculpture and Painting, as well as in Architecture, it need hardly be said that Athens carried off the palm in Greece : yet, in all these, the Asiatic colonies vied with her. Miletus took the start of her in literary com position ; and, under slight conceivable changes, might have become the Athens of the world.
`With the loss of civil liberty, Athens lost her genius, her manly mind, and whatever remained of her virtue : she long continued to produce talents, which were too often made tools of iniquity, pan ders to power, and petty artificers of false philo sophy.'—(F. W. N. in former ed.) St. Paul, on the occasion of his visiting Athens, preached the Gospel there for some time, disputing with the Jews in their synagogues, and with the multitude and the philosophers in the Agora. This led to his being carried to the Areopagus, (see the woodcut p. 206) where he delivered his memorable discourse to the `men of Athens.' The character which lie gives of them in this dis course as inquisitive and superstitious is fully cor roborated by the ancient authorities (cf. Demos. Phil. i. 5; Pausan. i. 3)• The result of Paul's labours in Athens was the founding of a Christian church there. Of this, however, we learn nothing more from the N. T. and very little from other sources. Tradition confers on Dionysius the Areopagite, who was converted by Paul's preaching, the title of first bishop of that church (Euseb. Hist. Etcl. iii. 4).
Quadratus, one of the earliest Christian Apologists was also one of its bishops (Ibid. iv. 23).