boat; this the Arabians use in their medical preparations, but more especially in embalming dead bodies. The lake Asphaltites receives all the waters of Jordan and of the brooks Arnon and Jabbok, and other waters, which descend from the neighboring mountains, and notwithstanding it has no visible outlet, it does not overflow, See Salt Sea. Lat. 31, 28. ASSOS, a seaport situated on the south-west part of Troas, and over against the island of Lesbos. St. Luke and some other of St. Paul's companions, in his voyage, Acts xx, 13, 14, went by sea from Troas to Assos; but St. Paul went by land, and meeting them at Assos, they all went to Mytelene. Jerome says, that Assos was near the city of Troy. It seems to have been built on a hill, and near it were those famed quarries of the Sarcophagus stone, which, it is said, consumes dead bodies in forty days, the teeth excepted. It was much nearer by land to Troas than by water, a promontory running far into the sea between the two cities; this might be the reason why St. Paul chose to travel by land. Lat. 40,3. Brown, Kimp.

ton.

ASSYRIA, an ancient kingdom of Asia, comprehending

those provinces of Turkey and, Persia, which are now called Curdistan, Diarbec, and Irac. Arabia; being bounded by Armenia on the north, Media and Persia on the east, Arabia on the south, and the river Euphrates, which divides it from Syria and Asia-Minor on the west.

It is supposed that Ashur the son of Shem, settled in this country, and gave it his own name. It is believed that he originally dwelt in the land of Shinar and about Babylon, but that he was compelled by the usurper Nimrod to go thence, and settle higher towards the springs of Tigris, in the province of Assyria, so called from him, where he built the famous city of Nineveh, and those of Rehoboth, and Calah, and Resin. This is the sense, which is generally put upon the words of Moses, Gen. x, 11, 12. But Bochart explains the text of Moses in a different way. He understands it of Nimrod, who left his own country and attacked Assyria, of which he became master, and there built Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calah, and Resin; here he established the seat of his empire, and became the most powerful, and probably the first monarch of the East.

ASTAROTH, the name of two cities mentioned in Scripture, one of which is in the tribe of Gad beyond Jordan, Num. xxxii, 34, thought to be the same with Ataroth Shopan, which was given to the tribe of Gad; and another upon the frontiers of Egypt between Janohah and Jericho, Josh. xvi, 7; thought to be the same with Altaroth-Maddar mentioned in Josh. xvi, 5, and xviii, 13. ATACH, a city in the tribe of Judah, 1 Sam. xxx, 30. ATAROTH, see ASTA

ROTH.

ALTHAR, a city in the tribe of Simeon, Josh. xix, 7. ATHENS, an ancient city of Achaia, a province of Greece. Lat. 38, 4, N. long. 24, 3, E. It still retains its ancient name; and is the capital of a dutchy, or province, in the middle of an extensive, barren plain, remarkable for its health and beauty. Few cities have been so renowned for their valor, their power, or their science. The light of their splendid talents still shines, the eloquence of their orators is still heard

with delight. This city, it is supposed, was founded 1580 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, 830 years before the building of Rome, to which adding the time, which has since elapsed, 1812, it will be

3400 years since Athens was built. Dr. Chandler, and Mr. George Wheeler, inform us, that this is yet a city of considerable importance, about four miles in circuit; the streets are narrow, and the houses built near together. The population is about 10,000. The monuments of ancient magnificence are numerous; here are the ruins of opulent porticoes, colleges, theatres, towers, and tombs, also, of temples, once sacred to Neptune, Minerva, and Jupiter. Some of the marble columns are more than forty feet in length. The inhabitants are still distinguished for their dexterity, sprightliness, and acuteness of genius. Two thirds of them are Christians of the Greek church. This place is the seat of an arch-bishop, whose revenue is about 4000 dollars a year. In the city and neighborhood are about 200 churches, 52 of which have ministers belonging to them. The others are seldom used, excepting on anniversary occasions for the honor of their founders or benefactors. The Turks have five mosques, four in the town, and one in the castle. This last was once the temple of Minerva, and is said to be the finest monument of architecture in the world. The Christians, to avoid the cruel

tribunals of the Turks, as far as possible, have formed a little body politic among themselves. Having divided the city into eight parts, they elect one man from each of these sections, most distinguished for his piety and wisdom, to constitute a court to judge between Christian and Christian. To this elected body they refer all their important concerns. They have convents for men and women. In the year of Christ 52, during the reign of Claudius, St. Paul came to Athens, and though it was contrary to law to introduce any new Deity, yet having on his way from the port to the city observed an altar dedicated to the "Unknown God," he seized this circumstance to justify himself for preaching Jesus Christ. Though they complained, and called him a babbler, and arraigned him before the Areopagus, his eloquent discourse converted Dionysius one of the court, who was afterwards a bishop of the city. This is a seaport, situated on the northeast coast of the gulph of Engia, in the Archipelago; the harbor is large and secure, and the entrance is commanded by the citadel; it is 300 miles southwest from Constantinople. Having mentioned the Areopagus, some account of that re

nowned tribunal in this city, may well be here expected. (See Ency.)

AREOPAGUS, was a sover. eign tribunal at Athens, famous for the justice and impartiality of its decrees, to which the gods themselves are said to have submitted their differen. ces. Plutarch attributes the establishment of the Areopagus to Solon. The judges of this court, who under Draco, decided only in cases of murder, now took cognizance of all crimes, and the same tribunal, which inflicted capital punishment on murder, poisoning, burning of houses, theft, &c. struck at the roots of those crimes by arraigning idleness, luxury, and debauchery, Equally attentive to stimulate the indolence of the young, and the languor of the old, these sages roused in the one the laudable ambition to serve the state, and restored to the others their former activity. judges of the Areopagus, says Isocrates, were more industrious to prevent crimes, by representing them in an odious light, than to establish modes of punishment. It was their opinion that the enemies of the state were the instruments destined by the gods to punish the wicked; but that it was their province to correct and

The

reform public and private manners. They were vigilantly attentive to the conduct of all the citizens, but particularly to that of youth. They well knew that the impetuosity of juvenile passion, gave the most violent shocks to health and growing virtue, that it was the duty of inspectors of education, to soften the austerity of modern discipline with innocent pleasure, and that no recreations were more eligible than bodily exercises, which enable a young man to give a good education its full play, which improve health, give a pleasurable and agreeable vivacity, and even fortify the mind. The fortunes of the Athenians were too unequal to admit the same mode of education; and, therefore, the youth were trained in a manner suitable to the rank and circumstances of their respective families.

Those of the inferior class were taught agriculture and commerce; from this principle, that idleness is followed by indigence, and that indigence creates the most daring and atrocious crimes. Having thus endeavored by wise precautions to preclude the entrance of moral evil, they thought they had little to fear.

Not satisfied with having established good laws, they were

extremely careful to see that they were observed. With this view, they divided the city into quarters, and the country into cantons. Every thing passed under their eyes; they were acquainted with the pri vate conduct of every citizen. Those, who had been guilty of any irregularity were cited be. fore the magistrates and were reprehended, or punished in proportion to their misdemeanor.

The same Areopagites, obliged the rich to relieve the poor. They repressed the intemperance of the youth, by a severe discipline. Yet this authority, however great it may seem, was subject to the laws; by them rewards and punishments were determined; and those respectable judges gave an account of the exercise of their trust to public Censors, who were placed betwixt them and the people, to prevent the aristocracy from growing too powerful.

The most important qualifications were required in those who entered into the Areopagus. Solon made a law, by which they, who had not been archons for a year should not be admitted members of the Areopagus. To give more force to his law, he subjected himself to it, and was only ad

mitted on that title. Such respect was paid them, that people presumed not to laugh in their presence, and so well established was their reputation for equity, that those whom they condemned, or dismissed without granting their petition, never complained, that they had been unjustly treated.

The first substances with which they gave their suffrages, were not small pieces of the bones of a hog, as some authors assert, but sea shells, for which, pieces of brass of the same form, termed spondyla, were afterwards substituted. The substances with which they voted were distinguished by their form and color. Those, which condemned were black, and perforated in the middle; the others were white, and not perforated. The precaution of piercing the black ones, tends to prove that the court of Areopagus sat in the night, for what end did it serve to pierce the black shells, or flints, if the judges could have seen them? But as they passed sentence in the dark, it is evident, that a difference besides that of color was necessary. After the suffrages were collected, they were taken out of two urns, in which they had been placed and put into a third yase of brass. They were

then counted and as the num ber of white or of black flints was higher or inferior, one of the judges drew with his nail, a shorter or a longer line on a tablet with a waxen surface, on which the result of each cause was marked. The short line expressed acquittal, the long condemnation. To this mode of condemning or acquitting persons, reference is undoubtedly had, Rev. ii, 17. "To him that overcometh will I give a white stone."

We find in ancient authors some decisions of this tribunal, which bear the strongest marks of justice, though their objects are not interesting. We shall here quote an anecdote from Aulus Gellius and Valerius Maximus, of a woman, who was accused of having poisoned her husband and her son; she was taken and brought before Dola. bella, who was then proconsul of Asia. She was no sooner in his presence, than she owned the fact, and added, that she had very good reasons for putting her husband and her son to death. "I had," said she, "to my first husband a son, whom I tenderly loved, and whose virtues rendered him worthy my affection. My: second husband, and the son whom I bare to him, murdered my favorite child. I thought