The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1897-01-28
OLD AND NEW A,-ie s.
The City IL Nearly ~ Pepuleus Nas ~
Ever In Its History

Ancient Athens spread round the
Acropolis. especially on the hills .
facing the south, which are now un-
inhabited. The new town lie 20 the .
north of the antique citadel-an * \
tension Of the cluster Of houses al .
ready existing nj the foos % therock .
when the war was ended 'rv-n '---.in /
iutcrsccting strec's - Land out P
Eolus street. starting from ~.
the Acrupolis and running n h- I
ward. and Hermes street. leading
from the royal palace toward the
PirsuuS. The capital was thus de-
/ signed 20 lie in the valley between
/ the Acrupolis ON one side and Mount
Z Lycabettus on the other. No a1nhi-
I ton Of future development i trace
able in the original plan The ground
/ chosen and the width of the main
I streets tend TO show that the found
ers OF the new city little dreamed II
its rapid extension. Squeezing her
| self out Of her narrow confines, the
city has gradually scaled the foot
Of Lycabcttus and spread beyond
the valley ON both sides, principally
in a southwestcrly direction. il the
extension had lcen IN n straight
line toward the sea, Athens would
now he nearing "a junction with the
Pirspus. But both towns. as II avoid
ing each other. extend in parallel
lines, and one must look 90 q prob
ably distant future for thc day when
they shall lie connect "a by rows Of
houses instead of the long walls u
ancient days.
The fashionable quarters Of the
capital are To Lc found in the new
} additions to the primitive plan Ire
Neapolis, rs II j. called. Large thor
oughfarcs have there been opened.
fine buildings erected. both public
, and private. and Athens. already
the finest city in the east of Europe,
bids fair 10 become, If no stop lie put
To hC- progress, one of the hand
, soonest cities ON the Mediterranean.
.I Under King Otho's 5 reign progress
, was comparatively slow. at the ac-
cession Of King George, in the year
1868, the population did not exceed
q $4,000. The advance has been more
rapid since then, especially during
= the last 20 years of material pros
I perity, which has lately been inter
rupted. let us hope temporarily, by
p, the financial cntau dement's Of the
= Greek government During that
b, period the immigration Of well TO do
n Greeks from abroad has not been
one OF the least causes of this dCvel.
opment. In 1872 tie census showed
u u population of nearly $4,000; m
i 1889, III. 600. and today, judging by
4, the vital and building statistics, the
number of inhabitants. II il does not
exceed, cannot fall short Of 10000
l. The progress of the newly created
n town of Pirseus Is not les remark
able From 5000 to ec00 souls
" which had already Fatlc-Cd ther,
$ some 30ycars ego. IFS rr --r lation In,
grown to 81, 600 IL g, and j. nov
estimated at more than 40. COO. To
Il gethcr the two towns number n
y many inhabitants rs they probably
= possessed in the fourth century b. &
IN The sources of information as {,
the population of ancient Athen
are, indeed, vague. But from a pas
sage of Xenophen giving the mum
Il Der of families as 10, OCO, and from
Il passage of AthenNus indicating tn
proportion of slaves 20 frecmen a
the time of Demetrius Phalcreus. j
n may be calculated that at that epocl
le the population Of Athens, Including
that of the PirTus, was about $50,
600. The area included within IN
a. walls of both towns seems rather q
D. confirm this estimate. The surround
n ing country was thickly populate
- much more 50 than at any suC
ceeding period But it is more tina
probable that the inhabitants q
Iu Athens proper and Of her scapor
IN never exceeded 200, OOO.-D. Bikela
in Century.