Solon, Athenian politician and poet, late 7th century to early 6th century BCE
Solon, Athenian politician and poet, late 7th century to early 6th century BCE
- Edward M. Harris
Summary
Solon was an Athenian lawgiver who wrote poetry and enacted laws in 594/3 bce. He confronted a chaotic situation in Attica caused by violence and raids for plunder and slaves. Solon created four property classes and distributed power among various sections of society. His main aims were to prevent tyranny, the concentration of power in the hands of one man, and to strengthen formal institutions. Solon abolished enslavement for debt, gave all citizens the right to have their cases heard in court, and allowed all citizens to bring accusations on behalf of those who had been wronged. Solon did not enact a cancellation of debt but abolished payment for protection by poor citizens to local leaders. Finally, he legislated not only for the élite but for all citizens on a wide range of topics ranging from family and property to funerals and religion. It is difficult, however, to determine in many cases whether the laws attributed to him are genuine or not.
Keywords
Subjects
- Greek History and Historiography
- Greek Law
- Greek Literature
Updated in this version
Article rewritten and expanded to reflect current scholarship.
