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

SOLON. SOLON. 86I
innovations of Cleisthenes, become far more intelli- and that of Demosthenes; many of the institutions
gible on the hypothesis that the four Ionian thus referred to the great legislator, being among
tribes were Eupatrid tribes, and the Boule of the last refinements and elaborations of the demoSolon an Eupatrid body, whose action, however, cratical mind of Athens. We entirely coincide
was so far controlled by the demus, that its measures in his opinion that the whole arrangement of the
required the ratification of the popular assembly to Heliastic courts and the transference to them of
make themvalid. Mr.Grote (vol. iii. p. 97) expresses the old judicial powers of the archons bespeaks a
an opinion that before the time of Solon there was state of things utterly inconsistent with the known
but one aristocratical council, the same which was relations of the age of Solon. " It would be a
afterwards distinguished from the Council of Four marvel, such as nothing short of strong direct eviHundred as the Upper Council, or the Council of dence would justify us in believing, that in an age
Areiopagus. But his remark that the distinctive when even partial democracy was yet untried,
title of the latter, "Senate of Areiopagus," would Solon should conceive the idea of such institutions:
not be bestowed until the formation by Solon of it would be a marvel still greater, that the halfthe second senate or council, seems at variance emancipated Thetes and small proprietors for
with the quotation from one of the laws of Solon whom he legislated - yet trembling tnder the rod
himself, by which Plutarch shows that the council of the Eupatrid archons, and utterly inexperienced
of Areiopagus was not instituted by Solon. We in collective business- should have been found
incline more to the opinion of Dr. Thirlwall (Hist. suddenly competent to fulfil these ascendent funcof Greece, vol. ii. p. 40), that the Boule of Solon tions, such as the citizens of conquering Athens in
was only a modification of a previously existing the days of Pericles —full of the sentiment of
institution, force, and actively identifying themselves with the
There was no doubt a public assembly of some dignity of their comnmunity - became gradually
kind before the time of Solon, though probably competent, and not more than competent, to exerpossessed of but little more power than those which cise with effect." (p. 165.) The term Heliaea he
we find described in the Homeric poems. Solon thinks was in the time of Solon lno more than the
undoubtedly greatly enlarged its functions. He name of the popular assembly, which is in fact the
gave it the right of electing the archons and other original meaning of the word. The number of
magistrates, and, what was even more important, 6000, which was that of the whole body of dicasts
made the archons and magistrates accountable in after times, had reference to the Cleisthenean
directly to it when their year of office was expired. division into 10 tribes. It is to be observed, that
He also gave it what was equivalent to a veto Plutarch, who after all is our best authority, says
upon any proposed measure of the Boule, though nothing of any such dicastic organisation as that
it could not itself originate any measure. Nor of the later Heliaea. Mr Grote even questions
does it seem at all likely that, as constituted by the statement of Plutarch (Sol. 18), that Solon
Solon, it even had the power of modifying any allowed an appeal to the ecclesia from the sentence
measure submitted to it. Every member of all of an archon, considering that Plutarch has been
the four classes might vote in the popular assembly misled by the recollection of the Roman provocatio
(Dict. of A ntiq. art. Ecclesia), and all votes seem to (1. c. p. 172).
have had the same weight, which forms an im- The idea of the periodical revision of his laws
portant point of difference between the Ecclesia of by the Nomothetae being a part of Solon's
Athens and the Comitia Centuriata of Servius plan is even in contradiction to the statements
Tullius. of our authorities (Herod. i. 29; Plut. Sol. 25).
Plutarch (Sol. 19) remarks that it was an error The institution of the Nomothetae was one of
to attribute to Solon the establishment of the the most ultra-democratical that can well be imlacouncil of the Areiopi;gus (Dict. of Atiq. art. gined. It was a jury appointed by lot out of a body
Areiopagus). He does not seem even to have of dicasts who were appointed by lot, with power
inade any change in its constitution, though he to rescind any law with which any one could
enlarged its powers, and entrusted it with the ge- find sufficient fault to induce an assembly of the
neral supervision of the institutions and laws of people to entertain the idea of subjecting it to
the state, and the religion and morals of the revision. It is to be observed too that Den;oscitizens. thenes (const. Timszarch. p. 706) and Aeschines
Athenians in the age of unmitigated democracy (cont. Ctes. p. 429) mention, in connection with
were extremely fond of speaking of all their in- this procedure, as one of the regulations appointed
stitutions either as originated by Solon, or as the by Solon to be observed by the proposer of a new
natural expansion and application of his principles. or amended law, that he should post up his proSome even carried them back to Theseus. The posed law before the Eponymi, that is, the statues
orators of course were not slow to fall in with this of the ten heroes from whom the ten tribes of
popular prejudice,and various palpable anachronisms Cleisthenes derived their names (comp. Grote, I. c.
in their statements show how little reliance can be p. 163).
p'aced on any accounts of the institutions of Solon Besides the arrangement of the general political
that come from such a source. For instance, the relations of the people Solon was the author of a
oath of the Heliastic dicasts, which is quoted by great variety of special laws, which do not seem
Demosthenes and ascribed to Solon (cont. Timnocr. to have been arranged in any systematic manner.
p. 746), mentions the Cleisthenean senate of Five Those relating to debtors and creditors have been
hundred. Several other curious examples of simi- already referred to. Several had for their object
lar anachronisms are collected by Mr. Grote (vol. the encouragement of trade and manufactures.
iii. p. 163, note 1) who has some excellent re- Foreign settlers were not to be naturalized as
marks on the practice of connecting the name of citizens unless they carried on some industrious
Solon with the whole political and judicial state of pursuit. If a father did not teach his son some
Athens, as it existed between the tage of Pericles trade or profession, the son was not liable to main