The Areopagus is a rock outcropping that served as a court in ancient Athens.
The structure may get its name from the myth which states that Ares was tried there by the gods for the murder of Poseidon's son. Subjects were tried by the Boule, which was a council of about 500 Athenian citizens, 50 from each Deme. The cases of many capital crimes were heard at the Areopagus, but it was not the city's only court. The site was the court that dealt with murder, attempted murder, poisoning, arson, and last but not least to the Athenians, damaging a sacred olive tree.
“To advise according to the laws what was best for the people” -The Bouletic oath, Cleisthenes
Reflection
An interesting thing to note about what took place at the Areopagus was the fact that the murder victim's status, whether they were a slave or a non citizen or a citizen, had an impact on how harsh the offender's punishment was. The fact that the Athenians saw all Athenian citizens as equal, but everyone else as lesser than is made clear in the fact that only citizens are allowed to vote, but the fact that the punishment for murder depends on the status of the victim enhances this view. While this aspect democracy has evolved since then, we seem to still be figuring out how to make voting a fair process that all voters have access to today.
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