Journey to Athens, Greece!

DAMAGING AN OLIVE TREE...AS BAD AS MURDER?

I think it is interesting how much value the Athenians place on the olive tree. It's crazy to think that, technically, the Athenians thought it was a worse crime to take the life of a plant over the life of a non-citizen or a slave. The olive trees are sacred to Athena, meaning they are sacred to Athens. It seems that the Athenians hold everything that belongs to their city as most important. For example, with the olive trees, damaging one of them is on the same level of crime as murdering a citizen or burning something in the city. The list of crimes that one could be tried for in the Areopagus include murder, attempted murder, arson, poisoning, and damaging an olive tree.

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THE REMODELING OF THE PNYX

The Pnyx underwent remodeling three times (see top right panel)! First, the Pnyx was built where the Acropolis was to the speaker's back. While this was a nice backdrop for the speaker, it was a little too nice. The people were too distracted by the magnificent view. Second, the Pnyx was rebuilt where the Acropolis was to the audience's back. This was to keep the audience from getting distracted (though hopefully the speaker didn't get distracted). Third, the Pnyx was added on to, making it larger. The expansion allowed for more people to be seated, which was necessary because Athens was a direct democracy, and all of the citizens needed to be present. I think that both remodels were good decisions on Athens' part. Because Athens was a direct democracy, they needed the focus and the attendance of the people. The first renovation, which turned the Pnyx the other way, allowed the citizens to focus. The second renovation, which expanded the seating, allowed all of the citizens to be present. These were good decisions because focused and present citizens will be able to make informed political decisions.

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"IDIOTES"

The modern-day word "idiot" comes from the Greek word "idiotes," but the most common definition of "idiotes" may be different than you think. "Idiotes" refers to a private citizen, or someone who is not engaged in public affairs. It refers to someone who is "detached from the political process," as my professor mentioned. Though it may be a stretch to relate "idiot" and "idiotes" at first, it makes sense why they are connected. "Idiot" refers to someone who is foolish or stupid. "Idiotes" refers to someone who keeps away from public affairs. To me, there is a good chance that someone would appear foolish or stupid is they kept away from public affairs. They would not know what it going on in the world and would appear to be "living under a rock," so to speak. They would make foolish or stupid decisions because they are uninformed. For instance, if someone did not pay attention to the world around them today, they would have no idea about the global pandemic. They would see no reason to sanitize more often or wear face protection because they would have no idea that there is a problem. Relating this to the political process, I feel that anyone who wishes to make a difference should be informed. Anyone who proposes a change to our system of government should pay attention to the politics that are happening around them. Otherwise. they may come across as an idiot.

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THE AREOPAGUS SERMON

One thing very interesting to me that happened on the Areopagus was the Apostle Paul's "Areopagus sermon." In his journey to spread the good news of Christ, Paul stopped in Athens and preached atop the Areopagus. I was fascinated to find out that Paul's sermon is recorded in the Biblical book of Acts. I want to reference a couple of lines:

19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean." 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) (New International Version, Acts 17.19-21)

First, I enjoy seeing connections across literature and history, and it made me smile to see the word "Areopagus" in the Bible. Second, I think that Paul's description of the Athenians is perfect. To stay active in conversation (the opposite of "idiotes"), the Athenians spend their time learning about and discussing new ideas, so this description is certainly accurate.

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I would like to learn more about Paul's impact on the Athenians. Some of the people who listened to Paul believed him, and others wanted to hear more about what he taught (New International Version, Acts 17.32, 34). I would like to know if Paul impacted the people of Athens enough that day for his influence to spread further. I know Christianity was spreading at that point in time, but I would like to know specifically how much impact the Athenians had on the spread. As a Christian myself, I want to share the good news of Christ with others, and I look up to Paul as an example. The ancient Athenians may have been tough for him to teach because they always want to discuss new ideas and may not think about holding on to a particular idea. If Paul could teach the ancient Athenians about God, and if they continued to teach others as well, then that gives me hope that I can teach others, too.