I. OVER THE RUINS OF THE ANCIENT CITY.
II. "THIS IS MARS HILL," SAID THE GUIDE.
Then proceeding along a fine modern road, built over the ruins of the ancient city, traces of which were seen in adjacent excavations, we passed, on our right, an open plateau on the rocks where an audience of eight or ten thousand might assemble. This was the Pynx of ancient times, a gathering place of the people. A flight of steps hewn in the stone at one side of this plateau leads up to a platform cut in the rock. From this rock, named the Platform of Demosthenes, great orators addressed the multitude, stirring their countrymen to deeds of valor. Beyond the Pynx, a cave with gates of rusty grated iron was pointed out as the prison in which the noble Socrates was incarcerated before being condemned to drink the fatal hemlock.
ONCE THE MAGNIFICENT MARBLE STAIRCASE.
Farther up the slope the guide pointed to a small rock elevation on our left and said: "That is the Areopagus, or Mars Hill, from which the Apostle Paul made his appeal to the idolatrous Athenians. He probably ascended those sixteen steps that you see hewn in the rock. Where we are standing now, the people stood to listen. From that elevation Paul could view the avenues leading to the Acropolis, avenues adorned with statues in honor of gods and goddesses and famous heroes."
IN HONOR OF NIKE, THE GODDESS OF VICTORY.
As we stood there, we could almost hear Paul's words: