Areopagus, Ancient judicial rock formation near Acropolis, Athens, Greece
Areopagus is a gray marble hill northwest of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. The flat summit measures roughly 30 meters (98 feet) in length and can be reached through steps carved into the stone.
A council of aristocrats met here from the 7th century BC and decided cases involving murder, arson, and religious offenses. In 51 AD, the Apostle Paul spoke from this rock to Athenian citizens about an unknown god.
The name derives from Ares, the Greek god of war, whose temple once stood nearby. Visitors today sit on the same smooth rocks where ancient philosophers debated legal questions and theology.
The steps are narrow and steep in places, especially slippery when wet. Early morning or late evening hours offer cooler temperatures and fewer people at the top.
The surface shows rectangular cuts indicating foundations of buildings and altars from classical antiquity. These traces give clues about the spatial arrangement of the old courtroom and its religious structures.
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