Areopagus

Areopagus, meaning hill of Ares (Mars' Hill in the King James Version), is a bare rocky outcrop northwest of the Acropolis in Athens. It was the site of the ancient Athenian council of the same name, one of the most venerable institutions of classical Greece, which had jurisdiction over matters of religion, morals, and education. Paul was brought before this council—or to this location—during his visit to Athens, apparently to explain the new teaching he had been proclaiming in the agora (Acts 17:19, 22).

Paul's Areopagus address (Acts 17:22–31) is one of the most studied speeches in the New Testament, notable for its engagement with Stoic and Epicurean philosophy, its citation of Greek poets, and its movement from creation theology to the resurrection. Paul uses the Athenians' altar “to an unknown God” as a point of entry, arguing that this unknown God is the Creator of all who does not dwell in man-made temples. The speech concludes with a call to repentance in light of the coming judgment, with Jesus' resurrection as its guarantee. The mixed response—some mocked, some wanted to hear more, a few believed—anticipates the range of reactions the gospel would encounter throughout the Hellenistic world.