Idwala LaseAthene Eliyinqaba
ENTSHONALANGA yeAcropolis edumile yaseAthene futhi ehlukaniswe umhosha omncane kunedwala lelime lelo amaGreki alibiza ngokuthi iAreopagus. Izici zalo azikhangi ngokukhethekile, linobude bamamitha cishe angama-300 nobubanzi obucishe bube amamitha ayi-120 futhi liphakeme cishe ngamamitha ayi-115. Okuyisimangaliso ngalelidwala umlando ongavamile, wendawo noweBhayibheli, ohlobene nalo.
Empeleni igama elithi Areopagus lisho iGquma lika-Ares, noma iGquma likaMars, uMars wamaRoma uyefana noAres wamaGreki, unkulunkulu wempi. Ngokwenganekwane, ukulalelwa kwecala lokuqala, lokubulalana okukhulu phakathi konkulunkulu, kwenzelwa lapha. UAres wayenecala lokubulala indodana kankulunkulu wolwandle uPoseidon. Ngaleyondlela idwala laba elibalulekile ezindabeni ezingokomthetho nezingokombangazwe zaseAthene lasendulo. Ekugcineni laba yindawo yenkantolo yedolobha lakuqala, elasebenzisa igama elithi iNkantolo, noma uMkhandlu, waseAreopagus, noma kalula nje iAreopagus.
Akuqinisekwa ngokuthi iNkantolo yaqala nini ngempela. Kodwa cishe ngekhulu lesikhombisa B.C.E., yayinamandla amakhulu kuzo zonke izindaba zedolobha, amalungu ayekhethwe phakathi kwamakhosi nabantu abacebile, abantu abaphakeme. Nokho, njengoba isikhathi sasiqhubeka, amandla ayo amakhulu adluliselwa kubagwebi bedolobha nasenkantolo edumile. Ukuphatha kwayo kwakulinganiselwe emacaleni okubulala nasezindabeni zenkolo nezemfundo.
Ngokwesibonelo, ngesikhathi sikaPericles (495-429 B.C.E.), kwabikwa ukuthi amalungu aseAreopagus ayethetha amacala alabo ababengayihloniphi “imithi engcwele yeminqumo” okwakukhishwa kuyo uwoyela womnqumo wenkonzo engcwele. Amalungu aseAreopagus ayebhekwa njengabalondolozi nabaphathi bezimiso zokuziphatha nenkolo, evikela umuzi kunoma yibaphi “onkulunkulu abangaziwayo” abangafuneki. Ngokuthakazelisayo, abafundi bezomlando bazokhumbula ukuthi isazi, esidumile solwazi lokuhlakanipha uSocrates (470-399 B.C.E.) wagwetshwa enkantolo yaseAthene ngezizathu nje ezinjengalezi: ‘ukonakala komusha nokungakhonzi onkulunkulu abakhulekelwa umuzi nokwenza izinto ezintsha zenkolo.’
Lapho iAreopagus isingatha izingxenye zamacala okubulala, ngokuvamile ayesingathwa endaweni evulekile ukuze “amajaji nommangali bangangcoliswa ngokuba bafakwe ngaphansi kophahla olufanayo nommangalelwa.” Izimiso zazibizela ukuba ummangali ahlale phezu kwetshe elithiwa Ulaka futhi ummangalelwa kwelithiwa Isono. Namuhla, phezu kwegquma, umuntu angabona amatshe amabili amhlophe okuthiwa ayindawo yenkantolo. Ukulalelwa kwamanye amacala ngokunokwenzeka kwakwenzelwe endaweni ethiwa iNkundla Yobukhosi (Stoa Basileios) esigcawini, noma endaweni yokuhlangana, eyayisemhosheni ngezansi kweAreopagus.
Nokho, isenzakalo esaziwa kakhulu somlando esenzeka eAreopagus, ileso esilotshwe eBhayibhelini kuzEnzo isahluko 17—ukuhambela kukamphostoli uPawulu eAthene, lapho anikela khona inkulumo yakhe engenakukhohlakala “phakathi neAreyophagu.”—IzEnzo 17:22.
Lapho uPawulu ehambela eAthene, “wacunuka phakathi kwakhe ebona umuzi ugcwele izithombe.” Lokhu kwamshukumisela ukuba enze izingxoxo eziningi ‘ngevangeli ngoJesu nangokuvuka kwabafileyo’ nabantu abasesigcawini. Ngokusobala lesigijimi savusa isithakazelo sabantu, ikakhulu amaEpikhuru nezazi zamaStoyiku, futhi benza ukuba uPawulu anikeze umlando ogcwele ‘ngonkulunkulu abangaziwayo’ ‘nangesifundiso esisha’ eAreyophagu.—IzEnzo 17:16-34.
Esabela kulokho, ngesibindi nangomdlandla uPawulu wavikela izindaba ezinhle zikaJesu. Inkulumo yakhe ingeyobuciko bokuhleleka nokudalula amanga; ukuqina kwayo nanamuhla kulokhu kunamandla njengalapho abaseAthene beyizwa okokuqala. Namuhla, kunombhalo wethusi esinqeni sedwala, ohlangothini olungasentshonalanga, ukuze kukhunjulwe lesosehlakalo. Inkulumo kaPawulu ibhalwe ngamagama amakhulu esiGreki, ukuze bonke bayibone. Ayibona ubufakazi obuthulile emlandweni omude nomangalisayo wedwala kuphela kodwa futhi nasekwethembekeni kweBhayibheli okungokomlando.