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City-state institution of ancient Athens. The name was taken from the rocky hill northwest of the Acropolis where according to tradition Ares was tried by the Olympian gods for the murder of Alirrothios, son of Poseidon. Originally, when Athens was still ruled by a king, the Council of Areopagus consisted of the king himself and a few aristocrats who would try mainly cases of murder. From the 7th cent. BC down to the reforms brought about by Ephialtes in 462/1 BC the Areopagus Council acquired considerable power. Gradually, especially after the democratic transformation of the Athenian political system, the jurisdiction of Areopagus was restricted to the trial of homicides and injuries. During the Roman period though it acquired greater prestige as it had wider juridical responsibilities while it also supervised youth education.