Solon
Athenian lawmaker and poet who laid foundations for democracy.
Solon was an archaic Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and poet who lived around 630 BC.[1][2] The foundations of Athenian democracy are attributed to Solon, who was also counted among the Seven Sages of Greece.[3]
Quick Facts
- Born
- c. 630 BC
- Birthplace
- Athens
- Died
- c. 560 BC (aged approximately 70)
- Place of death
- Cyprus
- Occupation
- Statesman
- lawmaker
- poet
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Solon was born in Athens around 630 BC to a noble family, and his father was probably Execestides.[2] According to Diogenes Laërtius, he was chosen archon in 594 BC.[4] He also canceled all debts and freed Athenians who had been enslaved for debt.[5][6] After completing his reforms, Solon traveled abroad for ten years so the Athenians could not repeal his laws.[7]
When Solon served as archon, he abolished nearly all of Draco's legal code, keeping only the statutes concerning murder.[8] Herodotus reports that during his travels, Solon paid a visit to the Egyptian ruler Amasis II.[9] After returning to Athens, Solon actively resisted the aspiring tyrant Pisistratus.[10] Solon passed away on Cyprus at roughly seventy years of age; his remains were cremated and the ashes were dispersed over Salamis.[10]
What the cited sources add
The same source states that Solon's most democratic enactments included forbidding loans on the person and allowing anyone to sue over wrongdoings.[4] Diogenes Laërtius states that Solon composed 5,000 lines of verse, among them pieces about Salamis and the constitution of Athens.[4]
References
- Wikipedia, "Solon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; "Solon", Encyclopædia Britannica (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Solon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Solon", Encyclopædia Britannica; Plutarch Solon 1 s:Lives (Dryden translation)/Solon#1 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Solon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Andrews, A. Greek Society (Penguin 1967) 197; E. Harris, "A New Solution to the Riddle of the Seisachtheia", in The Development of the Polis in Archaic Greece, eds. L. Mitchell and P. Rhodes (Routledge 1997; Aristotle, Politics, 1273b 35–1274a 21 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Solon of Athens. facts only, no text reused. csun.edu
- Wikipedia, "Solon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: E. Harris, "A New Solution to the Riddle of the Seisachtheia", in The Development of the Polis in Archaic Greece, eds. L. Mitchell and P. Rhodes (Routledge 1997; Athenaion Politeia 12.4, quoting Solon.; Athenaion Politeia 6; Plutarch, Solon 15.2.; Athenaion Politeia 12.4, quoting Solon. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Solon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Solon quoted in Athenaion Politeia 12.4.; Forrest G. The Oxford History of the Classical World ed. Griffin J. and Murray O. (Oxford University Press, 1995), p. 32.; Stanton, G. R. Athenian Politics c. 800–500 BC: A Sourcebook Routledge, London (1991), p. 57, n. 1. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Solon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Herodotus, The Histories, Hdt. 1.29 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Solon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Solon of Athens; Plutarch, Solon 17. (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Solon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Herodotus, The Histories, Hdt. 1.30; Plutarch Solon 26 s:Lives (Dryden translation)/Solon#26 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Solon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Plutarch, Solon 32; "Solon", Encyclopædia Britannica; Diogenes Laertius 1.62; I. M. Linforth, Solon the Athenian, University of California Press (1919), p. 308, Google Books link (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Solon (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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