Areopagite

Areopagite
noun /æɹiːˈɒpəɡaɪt/
A member of the ancient-Athenian conciliary court of the Areopagus.

Each year the Athenians elected ten archons from among the rich and noble, and at the end of that year the ten graduated into the Areopagus, where they served for life. […¶] In the year 487/6, however, a new law provided that the archons should be chosen by a procedure ending in a lottery. Henceforth, these officials would be selected by chance and not because of their special qualities of lineage, mind, or character. […¶…] Aristotle reports that “After the Persian Wars the Council of the Areopagus grew strong again and controlled the city . . . . For seventeen years the constitution remained the same, with the Areopagites in charge.” (Aristotle, Ath.Pol. 23.1; 25.1) These seventeen years (479 – 462) were the period when Cimon came to exercise the dominant position in Athens. Right after the Persian War, most Areopagites had still been elected rather than allotted, and their prestige had been enhanced by their good service in the war. They passed no new laws: they merely began to exercise their old informal rights, shielded by a favorable political climate, especially the support of the increasingly popular Cimon.

Syn: areopagist
See Also: areopagitic, areopagitical, Areopagus, areopagus, areopagy

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  • aréopagite — ● aréopagite nom masculin Membre de l Aréopage. Surnom de saint Denys. (Prend une majuscule en ce sens.) ⇒ARÉOPAGITE, subst. masc. ANTIQ. Membre de l aréopage d Athènes, choisi depuis Solon parmi les anciens archontes, et dont l expérience… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Areopagite — Ar e*op a*gite, n. [L. Areopagites, Gr. ?.] A member of the Areopagus. Acts xvii. 34. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Areopagite — (n.) member of the Areopagus court, late 14c.; see AREOPAGUS (Cf. Areopagus) + ITE (Cf. ite). See Acts xvii:34 …   Etymology dictionary

  • Areopagite — [ar΄ē äp′ə jīt΄, er΄′ē äp′ə jīt΄; ar΄ē äp′əgīt΄, er΄′ē äp′əgīt΄] n. [L Areopagites < Gr Areiopagitēs] any member of the Areopagus in ancient Athens …   English World dictionary

  • Areopagite constitution — The Areopagite constitution is the modern name for a period in ancient Athens described by Aristotle in his Constitution of the Athenians. According to that work, the Athenian political scene was dominated, between the ostracism of Themistocles… …   Wikipedia

  • Areopagite — noun Date: 14th century a member of the Areopagus • Areopagitic adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ARÉOPAGITE — s. m. Membre de l aréopage …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 7eme edition (1835)

  • ARÉOPAGITE — n. m. Membre de l’aréopage …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 8eme edition (1935)

  • Areopagite — Areopagitic /ar ee op euh jit ik/, adj. /ar ee op euh juyt , guyt /, n. Gk. Hist. a member of the council of the Areopagus. [ < L Areopagites < Gk Areiopagítes a member of the AREOPAGUS; see ITE1] * * * …   Universalium

  • Areopagite —    A member of the court of Areopagus (Acts 17:34) …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

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