The 4th c..
Composition in the 4th c..
Meeting Places in the 4th c..
Procedure in the 4th c..
The 4th c.: Intentional Homicide.
The 4th c.: Impiety and Olives.
The 4th c.: Other Powers.
History: Myth.
History: Before the 5th c..
History: Reforms of the early 5th c..
History: Cimon and Themistocles.
History: Areopagus and the Demos.
History: Ephialtes’ Reforms.
History: The Later 5th c..
History: After the Thirty Tyrants.
A Rock in Times of Trouble.
A Check on the Assembly in the 4th c..
Investigations.
The Council of the Areopagus
· Summary ·
Athens.
The Areopagus, or “Hill of Ares” (Ἀρεῖος πάγος), in Athens was the site of a council that served as an important legal institution under the Athenian democracy. This body, called the “Council of the Areopagus,” or simply the “Areopagus,” existed long before the democracy, and its powers and composition changed many times over the centuries. Originally, it was the central governing body of Athens, but under the democracy, it was a primarily the court with jurisdiction over cases of homicide and certain other serious crimes. After an Athenian had served as one of the nine archons, his conduct in office was investigated, and if he passed that investigation he became a member of the Areopagus. Tenure was for life.