The Acts of the Apostles

LANDS, NATIONS, CITIES, AND HOUSES 107
passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia (xvii. 1),^
we only learn that there was a synagogue there (loc. cit.
if ri (Tvvayodyri is to be read we must assume that it
was the only synagogue in the district), that St. Paul
was entertained there by one Jason, that he preached
on three Sabbath days in the synagogue, and that the
magistrates of the city were called " Politarchs." As
for the rest of Macedonia mention is made of the
mission in Beroea (xvii. 10, 13), where the Jews were
more friendly disposed. From Beroea came Sopater
the son of Pyrrhus (xx. 4), the com^/cinion of St. Paul.
The addition of the name of the father—unusual in
the Acts—would show that the man was of good
birth. The name " Pyrrhus" is, besides, characteristic
of the country.
Achaia is first mentioned where Gallio residing in
Corinth is described as avdviraro^ t^9 'A;)(aia? (xviii.
12). Elsewhere it is found again only twice : xviii.
27 (Apollos wishes to go from Ephesus into Achaia,
i.e. to Corinth to work as an evangelist, but not ex-
clusively in that city) and xix. 21 (St. Paul determines
to pass through Macedonia and Achaia). In xx. 2
instead of Achaia we find " Hellas " (here only in
the New Testament). The provincial council of the
Acha'ans calls itself in an inscription of the time of
Caligula (vide Guirand, Les AssemhUes Provinc. dans
Tempire romaine, Paris, 1887, p. 116) Hai/eWrjvegj
Travreg ol "EXX^/i^e?, crvvoSog Toyv '^XXyjvcov. This varia-
^ Atodevaavres, rijv ^ A/JLtpiiroKiv Kai ttjv 'ATroXXw^tav ijKdov els Gecrcra-
\ovIk7}v. Not only the article before the first two cities, but likewise
the verb biobevnv [only here in the Acts, but see St. Luke viii, 1]
proves that St. Luke is thinking of the well-known road [vide supra).
;