B. Constitutional Reform.—It is on this part of his work that Solon's claim to be considered a great statesman is founded. By his new constitution, he laid the foundations of the Athenian democracy and paved the way for its later developments. It should be noted in the first place that the following account is written on the assumption that the Draconian constitution de scribed in chapter iv. of the Constitution of Athens had never existed (see DRACO). In some respects that alleged constitution is more democratic than Solon's. This, coupled with the fact that Solon is always spoken of as the founder of democracy, is one of the strongest reasons for rejecting the Draconian constitution. It will be seen that Solon's state was by no means a perfected democracy, but was in some respects rather a moderate oligarchy in which political privilege was graduated by possession of land. To Solon are generally ascribed the four classes—Pentacosio medimni, Hippeis, Zeugitae and Thetes. Of these the first con sisted of those whose land produced as many measures (medimni) of corn and as many measures (metretae) of oil and wine as to gether amounted to Soo measures. The Hippeis (the horsemen, i.e., those who could provide a war-horse for the service of the state) were rated at over 30o and under 500 medimni; the third class (those who tilled their land with a yoke of oxen) at 200 medimni and the Thetes below 200 medimni. The Zeugites, prob ably served as heavy-armed soldiers, and the Thetes were the sailors of the state. It is likely that the Zeugites were mainly Hektemoroi (see above) whom Solon converted into freeholders. Whether Solon invented these classes is uncertain, but it seems clear that he first put them into definite relation with the political organism. The Thetes (who included probably the servants of the Eupatridae, now secured as freemen), the fishermen of the Paralia (or sea-coast), and the artisans (cerameis) of Athens for the first time received political existence by their admission to the sovereign assembly of the Ecclesia (q.v.). Of these classes the first alone retained the right of holding the offices of archon and treasurer; other offices were, however, opened to the second and third classes (sc. the Poletae, the Eleven and the Colacretae ; see Cleisthenes [1] ). It is of the utmost importance to observe that the office of Strategus (q.v.) is not mentioned in connection with Solon's reform. It is often said that Solon used his classifi cation as the basis of a sliding scale of taxation. Against this, it is known that Peisistratus, whose faction was essentially the poorer classes, established a uniform 5% tax, and it is highly un likely that he would have reversed an existing arrangement which was particularly favourable to his friends. The admission of the Thetes to the Ecclesia was an important step in the direction of democracy (for the powers which Solon gave to the Ecclesia, see ECCLESIA). But the greatest reform of Solon was undoubtedly the institution of the Heliaea (or courts of justice). The jury was appointed by lot from all the citizens (including the Thetes), and thus the same people elected the magistrates in the Ecclesia and subsequently tried them in the Heliaea. Hence Solon trans ferred the sovereign power from the areopagus and the magistrates to the citizens as a whole. Further, as the archons, at the expiry of their year of office, passed into the areopagus, the people ex ercised control over the personnel of that body also (see AREO PAGUS). In spite of the alleged Draconian constitution, alluded to above, it is still very generally held that Solon invented the Boule or Council of Four Hundred, loo from each of the old tribes. The importance of this body as an advisory committee of the Ecclesia, and the functions of the Prytaneis are explained under BouLE. It is sufficient here to point out that, according to Plutarch's Solon, (ch. 19) the state henceforth rested on two councils "as on anchors" and that the large powers exercised by the Cleisthenean Boule were not exercised by the Solonian. From this and the articles AREOPAGUS, BOULt, ECCLESIA and GREEK LAW, it will be seen that Solon contrived an absolutely organic constitution of a "mixed" type, which had in it the seeds of the great democratic growth which reached its maturity under Pericles. It should be added here, in reference to the election of
magistrates under Solon's constitution, that there is discrepancy between the Politics and the Constitution; the latter says that Solon gave to the Thetes nothing but a share in the Ecclesia and the courts of justice, and that the magistrates were elected by a combination of selection and lot (anpwroi EK rpotcpircov), where as the Politics says that Solon gave them only the power to elect the magistrates and try them at the end of their year. It seems likely for other reasons that the former scheme should be assigned to the years after Marathon, and, therefore, that the account in the Politics is correct (but see ARCHON).
C. Miscellaneous.—The miscellaneous laws of Solon are interesting primarily as throwing light upon the social condition of Athens at the time (see Evelyn Abbot, History of Greece, I. xiii. §i8). In the matter of trade it has been said that he favoured one export only, that of olive oil, in which Athens was peculiarly rich; further he encouraged the settlement of aliens (metoikoi) engaged in commerce, and compelled fathers to teach their sons a useful trade under penalty of losing all right to sup port in old age. The influence of women Solon regarded as most pernicious. Wealthy wives he forbade; no bride might bring more than three changes of raiment and a little light furniture to the house ; all brothels and gymnasia were put under stringent state-control (see Solon also regulated intestate succession, the marriage of heiresses, adoption, the use and sink ing of wells, bee-farming, the planting of olives and figs, the cutting down of olive trees, the calendar. Further, he ordained that each citizen must show how he obtained his living (Herod. ii. 177) and must, under penalty of losing the franchise, adhere to one or other party in a sedition (for these laws see Plutarch's Solon, chs. 20-24).
The laws were inscribed on Kyrbeis or tablets framed in wood which could be swung round (hence also called axones). The boule as a body swore to observe the laws, and each archon un dertook to set up a life-size golden statue at Delphi if he should be convicted of transgressing them.
Solon appears to have supplemented his enactments by a law that they should remain in force for 10o years, and according to another account that his laws, though not the best, should stand unchanged for ten years (Plut. Solon, 25; Herod. i. 29). Yet according to the Constitution of Athens (chs. 11-13) (without which the period from Solon to Peisistratus was a blank), when Solon went abroad in 593 ( ?) the city was disturbed, and in the fifth year dissension became so acute that no archon was elected (for the chronological problem, see J. E. Sandys, Constitution of Athens, ch. 13, note) ; again four years later the same anarchia (i.e., no archon elected) occurred. Then four years later the archon Damasias (582?) continued in office illegally for two years and two months. The office of the archon was then put into commission of ten : five from the Eupatrids, three from the Agroeci and two from the Demiurgi, and for 20 years the state was in a condition of strife. Thus we see that 12 years of strife (owing to Solon's financial reforms) ended in the reversal of Solon's classification by assessment. We are, therefore, driven to conclude that the practical value of his laws was due to the strong and enlightened government of Peisistratus, whose tyranny put an end to the quarrels between the Shore, the Upland and the Plain, and the stasis of rich and poor.
See editions with notes of Constitution of Athens (q.v.) ; histories of Greece later than 1891 (e.g., Busolt, Eduard Meyer, etc.). See also Gilliard, Quelques reformes de Solon (1907) ; Cavaignac, in Revue de Philol., 19o8. All works anterior to the publication of the Constitution are so far out of date, but reference should be made to the work of Grote. (J. M. M. ; X.)