The Holly chieftain., 1897-02-12
ANCIENT AND MODERN ATHENS.
The City Is Nearly a. ropulous Now as
Ever in Its History.

Ancient Athens spread round tho
icropo!is, especially on the hills fac
jr., the south. which are now uninhab-
tied. The new town lies to the north OF
the antique citadel-au extension Of the
.iuster OF houses already existing al
the foot of the rock when the var was
ended. Two main interscctiug streets
were laid out Eoius street, starring
from below the Acropolis and running
northward, and HerIacs street, leading
from the royal palace toward the
! P.racus. The capital was thus designed
10 lie in the valley between the Acrop-
. Jlis on the one side and Mount Lyca-
Uettus on the other. No ambition of
future Development is traceable iu the
. ,riginal plan. The ground chosen and
/ he width Of the main streets tend to
chow that the founders Of the new city
little dreamed Of its rapid extension.
] squeezing herself out of her narrow
confines, the city has gradually scuic,t
the foot of Lycapcttus and spread be-
,ond the valley on both sides, princi-
puily in a southwrStcrly direction Il
/ he extension had been in q straight line
/ toward the Eca. Athens would now Lr
I earring junction with the Pira' rs.
nut both towns. as if, avoiding each
,thcr, extend in parallel lines, and one
/ must look 10 a probably distant future
] for the day when they shall be con-
I uectrd by rows Of houses. instead Of
long walls Of ancient days.
The fashionable quarters of the capt.
/ cal are TO be found in the new additions
/ 10 the primitive pIan-thc Neapolis, rs
/ 1t is called. Largc thoroughfarrs have
| nr"n opened. fine buildings erected.
roth public and private: and Athens.
..lrcady the finest city in the east of
Europe, bids fair to become, If No STOP
. o., put TO her progress, one OF the hand
/ -omrst cities on the Mediterranean.
/ Under King O,ho's reign progress
was comparatively slow. At the ac-
'cszion Of King George. in the year
1903, the population did not exceed -.
roo. The advance hus been more ,npid
since then. especially during The las;
20 Years of mltcTia! prosperity. which
] HAS lately been interrupted, let as hope
/ temporarily. bv thr financial entdugic
ucuts of the Greek government. Dur.
/ .rg that period the immigration of we'll
tu-do Greeks from abroad has not been
one Of the least causes of this develop
mout. In Io7y the census showed "a
population of nearly 1000; in lssy.
ll4,UO0; and to-day, Judging by the
vital and building statistics, the number
Of inhabitants. II it does not exceed
cannot fall short of 100000. The prog
ross Of Lhe newly created town OF
/ hiraeus is not less remarkable. From
1000 to G,OOO souls, which had already
gathered there some 30 years ago. lis
population had grown to a 900 IN 1859,
md is now estimated at more than iO.-
TOO. Together the two towns number
as many Inhabitants as they probably
possessed in The fourth century i. {.
The sources Of information as 20 the
population of ancient Athens are indeed
tague: but from passage OF Ncuophon
giving the number of families as 10000,
and from a passage OF Athcnaeus indi-
rating the proportion of slaves to free
GIcu al the time of Dcmctrius PhHlcrrus.
It may be calculated that at that epoch
the population of Athens, includtng
tina: of Piraeus. was about 10000. The
area included within the walls OF both
towns seems rather to confirm this es-
innate. The surrounding country was
iniclily opulated-muCh more so than
"a, any succeeding period: but it is
more than probable that the inhabit-
ants OF Athens proper and Of her sea-
port Qever exceeded 2OO.OOO.-D. Bike,
las IN Century