A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

858 SOLON. SOLON.
suit which would furnish the amplest means for one of those who received grants of land in Sala.
its gratification. (Plut. Sol. 2.) The desire of imis, and this may account for his being termed a
amassing wealth at any rate does not seem to have Salaminian. (Diog. Laert. i. 45.) The authority
been his leading motive. The extant fragments of of Herodotus (i. 59, comp. Plut. Sol. 8) seems
his poetry (Fr.: 12, 15, 16, ap. Bergk, 1. c. pp. 327, decisive as to the fact that Solon was aided in the
330) contain various dignified sentiments on the field as well as in the agora by his kinsman Peisubject of riches, though a sufficient appreciation of sistratus. The latter, however, must have lived to
their advantages is also perceptible. Solon early a great age, if he died in B. c. 527, and yet served
distinguished himself by his poetical abilities. His in the field about B. c. 596, or even earlier.
early effusions were in a somewhat light and ama- Soon after these events (about B.C. c595; see
tory strain, which afterwards gave way to the more Clinton; Fasti Ilellen. s. a.) Solon took a leading
dignified and earnest purpose of inculcating profound part in promoting hostilities on behalf of Delphi
reflections or sage advice. So widely indeed did against Cirrha, and was the mover of the decree of
his reputation spread, that he was ranked as one the Amphictyons by which war was declared. It
of the famous seven sages, and his name appears does not appear however what active part he took
in all the lists of the seven. It was doubtless the in the war. We would willingly disbelieve the
union of social and political wisdom which marked story (which has no better authority than Pashim in common with the other members of this sasias, x. 37 ~ 7. Polyaenus, Stralteg. vi. 13,
assemblage and not his poetical abilities, or any makes Eurylochus the author of the stratagem),
philosophical researches, that procured him this that Solon hastened the surrender of the towni by
honour. causing the waters of the Pleistus to be poisoned.
The occasion which first brought Solon promi- It was about the time of the outbreak of this
nently forward as an actor on the political stage, war when Solon's attention was turned more
was the contest between Athens and Megara re- forcibly than ever to the distracted state of his
specting the possession of Salamis. The ill success own country. He had already interfered to put a
of the attempts of the Athenians to make them- stop to the dissension between the Alcmaeonidae
selves masters of the island, had led to the enact- and the partisans of Cylon [ALCMAEONIDAE;
ment of a law forbidding the writing or saying CYLON], and had persuaded the former to abide by
anything to urge the Athenians to renew the con- the result of a judicial decision.. It was very likely
test. Solon, indignant at this dishonourable also at his recommendation, and certainly with his
renunciation of their claims, and seeing that many sanction, that, when the people were suffering from
of the younger and more impetuous citizens were the effects of pestilential disorders and superstitious
only deterred by the law from proposing a fresh excitement, and the ordinary religious rites brought
attempt for the recovery of the island, hit upon no relief, the celebrated Epimenides [EPIMENIDES]
the device of feigning to be mad, and causing a was sent for from Crete. (Plut. Sol. 12.) But
report of his condition to be spread over the city, the sources of the civil dissensions by which the
whereupon he rushed into the agora, mounted the country was torn required a more thorough remedy.
herald's stone, and there recited a short elegiac Geographical as well as political distinctions had
poem of 100 lines, which he had composed, calling separated the inhabitants of Attica into three
upon the Athenians to retrieve their disgrace and parties, the Pedieis, or wealthy aristocratical inreconquer the lovely island. To judge by the three habitants of the plain, the Diacrii, or poor inhabitshort fragments that remain, the poem seems to ants of the highlands of Attica, and the Parali, or
have been a spirited composition. At any rate mercantile inhabitants of the coast. These last,
either by itself, or, as the account runs, backed by in point both of social condition and of political
the eloquent exhortation of Peisistratus (who sentiment, held a position intermediate between
however, must have been extremely young at the the other two. It is difficult to say how far we
time), it produced the desired effect. The pusilla- are to trust Plutarch, when he says that the
nimous law was rescinded, war was declared, and Pedieis and Diacrii differed in being respectively
Solon himself appointed to conduct it. The ex- of oligarchical and democratical tendencies. The
pedition which he made was a successful one, difficulties arising from these party disputes had
though the accounts of its details varied. Certain in the time of Solon become greatly aggravated by
propitiatory rites seem to have been performed, by the miserable condition of the poorer population
the direction of the Delphic oracle, to the guardian of Attica - the Thetes. The great bulk of these
heroes of the island. A body of volunteers was had become sunk in poverty, and reduced to the
landed on the island, and the capture of a Mega- necessity of borrowing money at exorbitant inrian ship enabled the Athenians to take the town terest from the wealthy on the security of their
of Salamis by stratagem, the ship, filled with estates, persons, or families; and by the rigorous
Athenian troops, being admitted without suspicion. enforcement of the law of debtor and creditor
The Megarians were driven out of the island, but many had been reduced to the condition of slavery,
a tedious war ensued, which was finally settled by or tilled the lands of the wealthy as dependent
the arbitration of Sparta. Both parties appealed, in tenants. Of the rapacious conduct of the richer
support of their claims to the evidence of certain portion of the community we have evidence in the
local customs and to the authority of Homer (Arist. fragments of the poems of Solois himself. (Fr. 3,
Rhet. i. 16), and it was currently believed in anti- ap. Bergk, 1. c. p. 321.) Matters had come to such
quity that Solon had surreptitiously inserted the a crisis that the lower class were in a state of
line (I1. ii. 558) which speaks of Ajax as ranging mutiny, and it had become impossible to enforce
his ships with the Athenians. Some other legend- the observance of the laws. Solon was well known
ary claims, and the authority of the Delphic oracle, as a man of wisdom, firmness, and integrity; and
which spoke of Salamis as an Ionian island, were his reputation and influence had already been eanalso brought forward. The decision was in favour hanced by the visit of Epimenides. Ile was now
of the Athenians. Solon himself, probably, was called uponl by all parties to mediate between