Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-01-21
ANclENr ANp MODERN ATHENS.
The City Is Nearly IS Populous Now n
Ever in les History.

4
The City Is Nearly as Populous Now n
Ever In It's History.
| Ancient Athens spread round the
Acropolis, especially on the hills fac
ing the south, which are now uninhab-
tied. The new town lies to the north Of
the antique citadel-an extension of the
cluster of houses already existing al
the foot of the rock when the war was
ended. Two main interesting streets
were laid out-Eolus street, starting
from below the Acropolis and running
northward, and Hermes street, leading
from the royal palace toward the
Piraeus. The capital was thus designed
to lie in the valley between the Acrop-
oils on the one side and Mount Lyca-
bettus on the other. No ambition of
future development is traceable in the
original plan. The ground chosen and
the width of the main streets tend to
show that the founders of the new city
little dreamed of it's rapid extension.
Squeezing herself out of her narrow
confines, the city has gradually scaled
the foot of Lycabettus and spread be-
yond the valley on both sides, princi-
pally in southwesterly direction If
the extension had been in a straight line
toward the sea, Athens would now be
nearing a junction with the Piraeus;
but both towns, as if avoiding each
other, extend in parallel lines, and one
must look to probably distant future
for the day when they shall be con-
nected by rows of houses, instead Of
long waits of ancient DAYS,
The fashionable quarters of the CAPT.
tai are to be found in the new additions
TO the primitive plan-the Neapolis, as
it is called. Large thoroughfares have
been opened, fine buildings erected,
both public and private; and Athens,
already the finest city in the east of
Europe, bids fair to become, if no stop
be put to her progress, one of the hand
soonest cities on the Mediterranean.
Under King Otho's reign progress
was comparatively slow. At the &C
cession of King George, in the year
1863, the population did not exceed 49,
600. The advance has been more rapid
since then, especially during the last
20 years of material prosperity, which
has lately been interrupted, let US hope
temporarily, by the financial entangle-
ments of the Greek government. Dur
ing that period the immigration of we'll
TODD Greeks from abroad has not been
one of the least causes of this develop
ment. In 1879 the census showed a
population of nearly $4,000; in 1889,
114,000; and to-day, judging by the
vital and building statistics, the number
of inhabitants, if it does not exceed,
cannot fall short of 100000. The prog
ress of the newly created town of
Piraeus is not less remarkable. From
5000 to 5000 souls, which had already
gathered there some 80 years ago, its
population had grown to $4,000 in 1889,
and is now estimated at more than 49,
GOO. Together the two towns number
as many inhabitants as they probably
possessed in the fourth century Il. C..
The sources of information as to the
population of ancient Athens are indeed
vague; but from passage of Xenophon
giving the number of families as 10000,
and from passage of Athenaeus indi-
eating the proportion of slaves to free
men at the time of Demetrius Phalercus,
it may be calculated that at that epoch
the population of Athens, including
that 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
tnickly populated-much more so than
AT any succeeding period; but it is
more than probable that the inhabit-
ants of Athens proper and of her sea-
port never exceeded 20o.0OO.-D. Bike
las, in Century.