Potter, John; Anthon, Charles [Hrsg.]: Archaeologia Graeca or the antiquities of Greece (New York, 1825)

OF THE CIVIL GOVERNMENT. OF ATHENS.

But in the first year of the seventh Olympiad, both the power and sue
cession devolved upon the people, who, the better to curb the pride, and
restrain the power of their archons, continued them in their government
only for ten years • and the tirst that was created in this manner, was
Charops, the son of iEschylus. But they would not rest contented here ;
for about seventy years after, that the archons might be wholly depend-
ent on the citizens' favour, it was agreed that their authority should
last but for one year, at the end of which they were to give an account of
their administration ; and the first of these was Cleon, who entered upon
his charge in the third year of the twenty-fourth Olympiad(l).

In the thirty-ninth Olympiad, Draco was archon, and was the author of
many new laws, in which there is very little worth our notice, only that
they were very cruel and inhuman, punishing almost every trivial otfence
■with death ; insomuch that those that were convicted of idleness were to
die, and those that stole a cabbage or an apple, to suffer as the villains
that committed sacrilege or murder; and therefore Demades is remarked
for saying that Draco's laws were not written with ink but blood ; and
he himself being asked, why he made death the punishment of most of-
fences ? replied, small crimes deserve that, and I have no higher for the
greatest.

But all these, that only excepted which concerned murder, were re-
pealed in the third year of the forty-sixth Olympiad, in which Solon being
archon, was intrusted with the power of new-modelling the common-
wealth, and making laws for it. They gave him power over all their
magistrates (says Plutarch,) their assemblies, courts, and senates; that
he should appoint the number, times of meeting, and what estate they
should have that could be capable of being admitted to them, and to dis-
solve or continue any of the present constitutions, according to his judg-
ment and discretion(2).

Solon finding the people variously affected, some inclined to a monar-
chy, others to an oligarchy, others to a democracy, the rich men power-
ful and haughty, the poor groaning under the burden of their oppression,
endeavoured, as far as was possible, to compose all their differences, to
ease their grievances, and give all reasonable persons satisfaction. In
the prosecution of this design, he divided the Athenians into four ranks,
according to every man's estate ; those who were worth five hundred
mediums of liquid and dry commodities, he placed in the first rank 'call-
ing them UevTctxo((to^e'Si/*\)ei. The next were the horsemen, called lieirei-
occ tsX»vt££, being such as were of the ability to furnish out a horse, or
were worth three hundred medimns. The third class consisted of those
that had two hundred medimns, who were called ZowyTrui. In the last, he
placed all the rest, calling them ©sJVss, and allowed them not to be capa-
ble of bearing any office in the government, only gave them liberty to
give their votes in all public assemblies; which though at the first it ap-
peared inconsiderable, was afterwards found to be a very important pri-
vilege ; for, it being permitted any man after the determination of the
magistrates to make an appeal to the people assembled in convocation,
hereby it came to pass, that causes of the greatest weight and moment
were brought before them. And thus he continued the power and ma-
gistracy in the hands of the rich men, and yet neither exposed the inferior

(1; Clemens Stromaf, i

(2) Plutarch, in Solone.