|
Dromo's Den
|
|
[Up] [Dromo's Den] Solon Biography SOLON (Lat., from Gk. (c.639-559 B.C.). An Athenian lawgiver and patriot, son of Execestides, descended from the noble line of the Codrids. In his earlier years Solon engaged in trade and probably visited the eastern Ęgean, where he learned much from progressive Ionia. He mastered Ionic literature, and wrote verse in the ionic dialect -- he was the first Athenian to win renown by his poetry. Solon's life fell in the time of great social and economic change in Greece. As a result of the growing importance of commerce, capital was becoming concentrated in a few hands, while the small farmers and agricultural laborers were weighed down with debt. The small proprietors were deprived of their lands; many free Athenians who could not pay what they owed were sold into slavery. The law favored the rich, and a revolution seemed imminent, when, in the year 594-593 (or 592-591), Solon was elected archon, probably by the more moderate of both parties, and received full power to reform the oppressive conditions. He began with two radical measures: he forbade the borrowing of money on the person of the debtor, and also annulled all mortgages and debts in which the person of the debtor had been pledged. Probably he reduced debts in general and lowered the rate of interest. This great reform was called the Seisachtheia, or Shifting of Burdens, and was celebrated by a festival. he then restored by an amnesty all who had lost civil rights before his arehonship, with the exception of those who had been punished for murder or attempted tyranny. His next remedial measure was to forbid the export of all products with the exception of oil; he thereby secured a sufficient supply of grain for Athens at a moderate price. He also limited the amount of land which might be held by a single person. Of great importance was the substitution of a standard of coinage closely resembling the Euban for the prevailing Ęginetan standard. Seventy of the new drachma equaled one hundred of the old. This secured to the poor great relief, and emancipated Athens from her rivals, Ęgina and Megara, and gave her the advantage of trade with the colonies in Sicily and Italy. Solon abolished tine laws of Draco (q.v.), except those which referred to murder. In place of the old four classes, which had been based on the amount of capital possessed, he divided the citizens into four classes on the basis of income. The political offices were open only to the members of the first three classes; the treasury and the archons were reserved for the first. The fourth class had simply the right to take part in the assembly and the public law courts. But the gaining of this privilege was a most important step in the direction of democracy, for before the popular courts every magistrate might be accused when he laid down his office, and in this way the people had control over the administration. For the selection of officials Solon introduced a peculiar combination of choice and lot. The Senate was composed of 400 members, 100 from each tribe. (See BOULE.) This body and the popular assembly undoubtedly received many of the rights formerly possessed by the Areopagus (q.v.), which now retained jurisdiction only in murder cases, together with general censorial power over the laws. Tradition says that after his year of office Solon bound his fellow citizens by an oath to keep the laws and withdrew from Athens for a period of 10 years. Although many details are obscure and disputed, it is undoubted that Solon emancipated the individual and took the first decisive step towards complete democracy, despite the fact that after his year of office internal disorder broke out, and Solon lived to see a tyranny established at Athens by one of his own kinsmen. See PISISTRATUS. The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XXI (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 277. |