The city of Athens was the metropolis of heathendom. Here Paul did not meet with an ignorant, credulous populace, as at Lystra, but with a people famous for their intelligence and culture. Everywhere statues of their gods and of the deified heroes of history and poetry met the eye, while magnificent architecture and paintings represented the national glory and the popular worship of heathen deities. The senses of the people were entranced by the beauty and splendor of art. On every had sanctuaries and temples, 234 involving untold expense, reared their massive forms. Victories of arms and deeds of celebrated men were commemorated by sculpture, shrines, and tablets. All these made Athens a vast gallery of art.

Byen Athen var hedenskabets hovedsæde. Her traf Paulus ikke en uvidende, lettroende befolkning som i Lystra, men et folk, der var berømt for sin intelligens og dannelse. Alle vegne mødtes blikket af statuer af deres guder og af historiens og digtekunstens helte, der dyrkedes som guder, mens pragtfulde bygninger og malerier gav udtryk for folkets berømmelse eller for den almindelige dyrkelse af hedenske guder. Folkets sanser var som tryllebundne af kunstens skønhed og pragt. Alle vegne hævede helligdomme og templer, der havde kostet uhyre summer, deres svære mure. Militære sejre og berømte mænds dåd blev bevaret for erindringen ved billedhuggerværker, altre og mindetavler. Alt dette bevirkede, at Athen lignede et vældigt kunstgalleri.