The Portland daily press., 1864-08-13

To the Editor Of the Press:
Passing down from the west end of the
Acropolis, and crossing little valley few
rods wide, you come TO the Areopagus or
Mars Hill, which you ascend by 10 stone
steps hewn in the native limestone rock
Above these steps, on the level of the hill, is
a bench of stone, facing the south, on which
the court Of the Areopagus used to sit for
the trial OF causes. This was the Supreme
Court of Athens. On this rock, in the open
air, at the top of this hill, sat the judges,
men distinguished alike for their character,
rank and official dignity. Mars Hill is not
quite as high as the Acropols, and is thought
to haev been very near the centre of ancient
Athens, though it is quite outside OF the mod
ern city. 1t was at no great distance from
the old market place where Paul had for
few days been in the habit of conversing
with such Greeks as he CHANGED to meet, on
the great topic in which he took so deep an
interest. Then, as now, there were large
number of Greeks "who spent their time in
nothing else but either TO tell or hear some
new thing" Among them were some men OF
a philosophic turn, Stoics and Epicureans,
whose curiosity was excited to hear what
"this babbler" had to say; for he seemed to
be- setter forth of strange gods" So, for
the accommodation of all concerned, Paul was
requested to go upon Mars Hill and explain
his new doctrines-which no doubt he was
very happy to do. A large audience soon
gathered, among whom was at least one OF
the Judges accu stoned to sit there, whose
name was Dionysius. He, it seems, was IN
able to withstand Paul's reasoning and be-
came convert. There are, at this day, some
slight remains Of a church near by, dedicat-
ed to st. DionYsius, the Areopegite.
Look now at the scene before you. Here,
in the midst OF this assembly on Mars Hill,
stands Paul, familiar with the Greek tongue,
and no stranger to Greek literature. Tenn
Piles of unrivalled beauty and magnineence
dedicated to heather gods and goddesses are
about him on every hand. The assembly be
fore him is made up chiefly, perhaps wholly,
of idolators; some of whom are men of
learning and eloquence and taste, and all OF
them exceedingly proud of their Grecian
blood.
Turn now to the 18th chapter of Acts, and
read the speech which the apostle delivered
on that occasion-in Greek, If you under,
stand it; il not, in good old Anglo-Saxon
English. Could anything have been m re
beautifully or wisely said, more appropriate
TO the occasion, or more likely TO impress and
win such an audiencel Certainly it embodies
a sublmity and grandeur, and above all an
amount of truth touching both God and
man, time and eternity, such as no Athenian
audience ever heard before. No wonder thai
'Dionysius the Areopagite, and woman
named Damaris, and others with themlclave
unto him and believed" We have or record,
It must be presumed, only very brief alb
stract OF Paurs discourse-certainly not the
whole. With such an audience, in such cir
cumstances. 1t Is not for a moment TO be
imagined that the great apostle would occupy
only five or ten minutes. He must have
spoken at least an hour, perhaps two, or
more. He was never at loss for matter
suitable and important, and on some occa-
sions did talk great while. However. we
must be content. This brief abstract is prob
ably all we shall ever get ! have done with
Mars Hill and l shall leave Athens to-day.
July, 1864. AGAMEaSoN.