institution
The Areopagus
Areopagus
also: Areopagitarum, the Areopagites, Areopagus
The Areopagus was the ancient Athenian council of elders, named after the Hill of Ares (Ares pagos) where it met. In the Roman imperial period it retained authority over civic, religious, and property matters in Athens. A formal memorandum (hypomnematismos) from the Areopagus had apparently recorded rights over Epicurus's property; Cicero asks Memmius to have it rescinded.
Reading notes
- Ad Atticum 1.14 §5 The senate is the Areopagus
The Areopagus was the venerable homicide council of Athens, a symbol of grave and incorruptible authority; Cicero pays the senate the highest compliment by the comparison.
- Ad Atticum 1.16 §5 Areopagites
Cicero jokingly calls the honest jurors who escorted him home "Areopagites," after the venerable Athenian homicide court on the Areopagus, a byword for incorruptible justice.
- Ad Atticum 4.15 §4 thrice-honoured Areopagites
Cicero sarcastically dignifies the corrupt jurors as members of the Areopagus, the venerable Athenian homicide court, mocking their indifference to every public crime except murder within the home.
- Ad Atticum 5.11 §6 that they cancel a \textit{[Greek: minute of record]} which they had made in Polycharmus's praetorship
The Areopagus, the ancient Athenian council, had passed a memorandum (hypomnematismos) authorising C. Memmius to build on the ruined house and garden of Epicurus, which the Epicureans regarded as sacred. Patro asked Cicero to have the council rescind it, but the matter hinged on Memmius's own consent.
- Ad Familiares 13.1 §5 that resolution of the Areopagites --- what they call a memorandum \textit{[Greek: hypomnematismon]}
The Areopagus was the ancient Athenian council (named after the Hill of Ares where it met), which retained authority over civic and religious matters in the Roman period. Its formal memorandum (hypomnematismos) had apparently recorded or endorsed Memmius's building rights, and Cicero asks him to arrange for it to be rescinded.
- On Divination §1.54 the Areopagus
The ancient homicide court of Athens, sitting on the hill of Ares. Sophocles reported there the theft revealed to him in a dream, and the recovered cup gave Hercules his cult-title 'the Informer'.
- On the Nature of the Gods §2.74 the words "of the Areopagus" are missing
The Areopagus, the ancient governing council of Athens. Balbus uses "ruled by the Areopagus's counsel" as an analogy: "governed by providence" is elliptical for "by the providence of the gods."
- On Duties §1.75 the Areopagus
The ancient Athenian council that met on the Hill of Ares, traditionally credited to Solon, which guarded the laws and tried homicide. Cicero ranks Solon's founding of it above Themistocles's naval victory at Salamis as a lasting service to Athens.