The rest of the life of Theseus is rather personal to himself, than connected with the history of Athens. Intoxicated with prosperity, he appears, towards the end of it, to have indulged in irregularities, which lost him the confidence of the people, and drove him into exile. His immediate successors, Mnestlieus and Demophon, went successively to the Trojan war, and the latter is said to have been one of those inclosed in the wooden horse.
Nothing remarkable occurs till the reign of Co dens. This prince is immortalized by the heroic sa crifice, dictated by superstition, by which he effected the deliverance of Athens from a formidable invasion. This deliverance had, by the Delphic oracle, been at tached to the condition, that the Athenian king should die by the hands of the enemy. Codrus, ha ving insinuated himself into the hostile camp, picked a quarrel with a private soldier there, and suffered himself to be slain. The prophecy produced its own accomplishment. The enemy, disheartened and hope less of success, retreated into their own country. The Athenians, who had long been jealous of the power of their kings, took this opportunity to abolish a title which had become odious. That of Archon was substituted.
The following is a chronological list of Athenian kings, and their reigns, according to Meursius.
It may be observed, that considerable doubts are entertained with regard to the existence of Cecrops II. and Pandion II., and that the actions ascribed to them are by many referred to the first of their name.
After the establishment of the title of archon, for more than 200 years, a singular silence of history takes place. The names only of those who bore it, have been transmitted to us, Medea, Acastus, hippus, Thersippus, Phorbas, Megacles, Diognetus, Phereclus, Ariphron, Thespicus, Ag-amestor, /Escliy Alcmeon. On the death of this last, the archon ship was limited to ten years, and after passing, on this footing, through six hands, a still greater change took place. Theanffice was made annual, and was divided among nine persons, who were to be chosen by the people, but only out of the class of eupatrids, or nobles. One was first in dignity, and gave his name to the year. The second, under the title of king, presided over•reIigious rites. The polemarch, at the first institution, had the superintendance of every thing which related to war. The remaining six, called thesmothetce, exercised the judicial power. The government became thus almost a complete aristo cracy, with a mixture, as yet small, of democracy.
Such a form of government was, however, peculiarly exposed to party spirit, and contentious for power ; these accordingly soon began to skew themselves. The Alcmconids, descendants of the last perpetual archon, commanding, by their birth, a superiority of respect, Cylon, a young man of distinction, indignant at this preference, seized upon the•citadel, with a party of his adherents. He was obliged to fly, and his com panions, in spite of an oath to the contrary, were condemned and executed ; but the impiety of this action brought thenceforth an odium on the opposite party.
Faction and discord, however, continuing to rage, a desire arose to remedy them by the institution of written laws, and Draco was chosen as the lawgiver. This person, unexperienced in his office, and viewing only the violence and disorder which prevailed, sought to remedy them by a blind and indiscriminate seve rity. To every offence without distinction, he award ed the punishment of death, declaring, that " small faults seemed to him worthy of death, and for fla grant offences he could find no higher punishment." The atrocity of this code was soon found to render it incapable of execution ; Draco lost the public fa vour, and died in exile.
This attempt having proved ineffectual, public dis turbances continued to increase. The people ac quired more and more influence in the government, and mingling themselves with the parties among the higher orders, increased the confusion. It was still exasperated by the inequality of property, and the disputes between debtors and creditors, an eternal source of discord in the ancient commonwealths. Under these circumstances, the necessity for a new legislator was felt, and all eyes were turned towards Solon. This person had already distinguished him self in a very singular manner. Salamis had revolted from the Athenians; and the people had been so dis satisfied with several unsuccessful attempts to reduce that island, that they tumultuously assembled, and passed an edict, inflicting the pain of death on any one who should propose farther measures to that ef fect. The nobility were highly indignant, and the people themselves became ashamed of their proceed ing ; but no one durst propose to retract it. In these circumstances, Solon determined to counterfeit madness ; and rushing into the market-place in a fan tastic attire, recited a song, in which he lamented the disgrace of the Athenian name by the loss of Sala mis, and urged his countrymen to efface it. The ex pedient `.