e nearest to
Lycabettus and at the distance of a mile from the latter, was the
ACROPOLIS, or citadel of Athens, a square craggy rock rising abruptly
about 150 feet, with a flat summit of about 1000 feet long from east to
west, by 500 feet broad from north to south. Immediately west of the
Acropolis is a second hill of irregular form, the AREOPAGUS. To the
south-west there rises a third hill, the PNYX, on which the assemblies
of the citizens were held; and to the south of the latter is a fourth
hill, known as the MUSEUM. On the eastern and western sides of the
city there run two small streams, which are nearly exhausted before
they reach the sea, by the heats of summer and by the channels for
artificial irrigation. That on the east is the Ilissus, which flowed
through the southern quarter of the city: that on the west is the
Cephissus. South of the city was seen the Saronic gulf, with the
harbours of Athens.

Athens is said to have derived its name from the prominence given to
the worship of Athena by its king Erechtheus. The inhabitants were
previously called Cranai and Cecropidae, from Cecrops, who according to
tradition, was the original founder of the city. This at first occupied
only the hill or rock which afterwards became the ACROPOLIS; but
gradually the buildings began to spread over the ground at the southern
foot of this hill. It was not till the time of Pisistratus and his
sons (B.C. 560-514) that the city began to assume any degree of
splendour. The most remarkable building of these despots was the
gigantic temple of the Olympian Zeus, which, however, was not finished
till many centuries later. In B.C. 500 the theatre of Dionysus was
commenced on the south-eastern slope of the Acropolis, but was not
completed till B.C. 340; though it must have been used for the
representation of plays long before that period.

Xerxes reduced the ancient city almost to a heap of ashes. After the
departure of the Persians, its reconstruction on a much larger scale
was commenced under the superintendence of Themistocles, whose first
care was to provide for its safety by the erection of walls. The
Acropolis now formed the centre of the city, round which the new walls
described an irregular circle of about 60 stadia or 7 1/2 miles in
circumference. The space thus enclosed formed the ASTY, or city,
properly so called. But the views of Themistocles were not confined to
the mere defence of Athens: he contemplated mak