What was the religious state of the city of Athens when Paul arrived?
Athens was a thoroughly pagan city steeped in idolatry. The path up to the Acropolis was lined with idols of various gods and goddesses. Though it was a seat of culture and learning, its intellectual people followed false religion, and Paul saw a city wholly given to idolatry.
Les explains that Athens was the very seat of culture in those days, with the Parthenon on the Acropolis and Mars Hill halfway up. As Paul looked out over that pagan city, his heart sank, because the whole city was steeped in idolatry, and the path up to the Acropolis was lined with idols of all their various gods and goddesses. Even though Athens was a seat of learning with intellectual people, they followed false religion, which Les says makes one wonder how intelligent people can follow such drivel.