Athens

1693. A geographical dictionary representing the present and ancient names by Edmund Bohun.

Athens, Athenae, one of the most antient and most noble Cities of Greece, the Capital of Attica. Built by Cecrops an Aegyptian, A. M. 2350. according to Helvicus in 2390. the last of which Accounts precedes the going up of the Children of Israel out of Egypt, 64 years. It was governed by Kings to the Death of Codrus, A. M. 2882. under Archons for Life, till 3190. after which it had Archons for ten years, till the year of the World 3268. when it became a perfect Republick, and had never more any rest or peace till it fell into the hands of the Kings of Macedonia first, and afterwards of the Romans. About 3430. Xerxes invading Greece, the Athenians burnt their own City, and sent their Wives and Children into the Islands of the Mediterranean: prevailing afterwards against that great Prince, they built the City much more gloriously than before. The Reputation they gain'd in this War made them great at home amongst their Neighbors; till growing proud and injurious, their Neighbors became their Enemies, so that they fell into the Hands of the Lacedemonians, who ruin'd their Walls, A. M. 3546. They recovered their Liberty, but not their Reputation; and in 3613. they fell into the hands of Philip the Father of Alexander the Great; who, by being made the General of a Holy War, became the the Sovereign of all Greece. The Romans conquering Perseus, the last King of Macedonia, A. M. 3782. they became in some sort the Subjects of that Empire; yet under the Romans they had a shadow of Liberty, till the Mithridatick War, when being over-persuaded by Aristion, an Epicurean Philosopher, they incensed the Roman Powers against them; and Sylla, in the year of the World 3863. 86 years before the Birth of our Saviour, by a Siege reduced them to the necessity of eating Man's Flesh, and took the City by storm in the Night. This was the Evening of all their Dominion, Glory and Liberty. But in this Interval, between their becoming a free and a subject People, they raised themselves to a greater degree of Glory by Learning, than ever they could have required by Arms, without it. Solon, who lived a little before the Babylonian Captivity, and became the Athenian Legislator about the 3359th year of the World, laid the Foundations of this, which Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Thucydides, Demosthenes, Isocrates, and the rest that followed, raised to such an height, that Athens was truly more the Mistress of the World on the account of Arts, than ever Rome was on the score of her Arms; and tho both their times are past, yet Athens, being Dead, speaketh still in her Philosophers, Orators and Historians. To pursue her Fate, she rose out of her Ashes after the Syllian Ruin by the favour of the Romans; and flourished, till Alaricus the Goth, laid her in the Dust, under the Reign of Valens, about the year of Christ 378. She recovered again under Theodosius, Arcadius and Justinian; Eudocia the Queen of Theodosius II. being an Athenian by Birth, as Irene the Lady of Leo IV. also was. About 1435. Antonius Comnenus Acciajolus was Duke of Athens; about 20 years after she fell the second time into the hands of the Turks, being taken by Mahomet II. since which last Captivity, not only her Flesh but her Skin is wasted, and she is become a Skeliton. An. 1687. the Venetians having taken Napoli di Romania in the Morea, arrived at Port Lione, (that is, the Harbor of this Town, formerly called Pyraeus) September 21. with the Fleet, commanded by General Morosini: the Greeks immediately sent their Deputies with the Tenders of their Submission to him. The Turkish Garrison, being about 600 Men, retired to the Castle, to make some resistance; but were forced to surrender in two or three days after the Besiegers began to play their Batteries, tho the Castle was strong, seated upon the old Acropolis with Precipices on three sides of it, a Wall on the other, and 20 Pieces of Canon within. About 300 Souls embraced the Christian Religion, with the Christian Government. The famous Temple of Minerva being made a Magazine for Amunition, was set on fire by a Bomb, that fell among the Stores in the Attack. Some Remains of Lycurgus's Tower, of Phidias and Praxiteles's curious Works are yet to be seen. And the Athenians excelling all others throughout those Countries, in Merchandise and Crafts, may be thought to retain some Seeds of their former Politeness still. To this City, St. Paul Preached the Gos¦pel of Christ and the Resurrection as we read Act. 17. Publius and Quatratus were Bishops of it under the Emperor Adrian: the former suffered Martyrdom in the Year 123, and animated great numbers of Athenians by his death, to embrace the like with courage and joy. The latter, together with Aristides, presented that Emperour at his coming hither in the Year 126, with an excellent Apology for Christianity. Since advanced to an Archbishoprick. They reckon about 10000 Inhabitants, most Christians, in it; who have •oo Churches, and divers other Chappels, according to the Rites and Customs of the Graecians.

Now call'd Setino, lying in Long. 50. 12. Lat. 38. 51. //Paris Meridian was used in the book