Besides this exclusive admission to offices, Solon employed other means of elevating the aristocracy. Of them the Athenian senate was exclusively com posed. This body consisted originally of four hun dred ; one hundred from each of the four wards into which Athens was divided : but, when the wards were increased to ten, each of them sent fifty, which raised the number of the senate to five hundred. These members were chosen by lot. Before enter ing on their office, they underwent a strict examina tion, which extended to every part of their previous life and conduct ; and a similar scrutiny took place on their leaving office, respecting the manner in which they had conducted themselves in the exercise of it. No proposal for a new law could be made to the as sembly of the people, without having first passed through their hands. They were bound, however, to receive a proposal from any citizen : nor does it appear that, like the Scottish Lords of Articles, they had any power of withholding such as were disagree able to them. They met once a day, or oftener. Out of the number of four hundred, fifty were chosen, who were called prytanes, and performed, ten in the week, by tunes, the office of presidents. These ten were called proedri, and chose, by lot, an epistate, or first president. From these the senate-house was called prytaneium. The senate had a considerable superin• tendancc over different branches of administration ; but, upon the whole, their political power seems not to have been great, nor do we find their name often mentioned in the course of Athenian history.
When any law had been digested in the senate, a or statement of its nature, was posted up in some public situation. On the day of assem bly, the epistate, or first' president) came, accompa nied by the rest of the prytanes, and read the decree of the senate, on which they were to deliberate. He then called out, " Who above fifty chooees to speak ?" When these had done, he cried, " Any one not dis qualified by law might speak." The disqualifications were, the having fled from their colours, the being indebted to the public, or being convicted of some flagitious crime. The vote was given by casting beans, and afterwards pebbles, Cto a vessel. The assembly met four times in thirty-five days. • In the first, they deliberated on the general concerns of the state, and elected magistrates ; in the second, they received appeals from the different courts of justice ; in the third, they gave audience to foreign ambassa dors ; the fourth was appropriated to the offices of religion. Besides these ordinary assemblies, however, extraordinary ones could be, and were frequently, call ed by the magistrates, on any pressing emergency. Another counterpoise to the preponderance of the people was provided by Solon, in the court of Areo pagus, whose power had been considerably reduced. by Draco, but which the present legislator restored to all its former privileges. This is the most respect able court of justice known in ancient times. It consisted of those archons who had filled their office with the greatest credit, and had stood an cxamina don of peculiar strictness. But their high character seems especially to have arisen from the circumstance of having been the first judicial body, which was inde pendent both of the legislative' and executive powers. Yhe members continued during life. They had also an extensive censorial power, and a large share in the management of the treasury. Pericles, with the view of courting the people, abridged very much their power, a change which was by no means advanta geous to the constitution. See AREOPAGUS.
Besides regulating the political constitution of Athens, Solon established also a body of laws, which have served as the basis of all subsequent systems of legislation. He mitigated the severity of those of Draco. Like most of the ancient legislators, he en tered deep into the concerns of private life. Strict
sumptuary regulations were enacted. The ceremo nies to be observed, and the dress to be worn, at marriages and funerals, were particularly enumerated. Industry and economy were strictly enforced. No person was allowed to remain in Athens who could not shew the manner in which he obtained his liveli hood ; the father who had not taught his son a trade, could not claim support from him in his old age ; and lie who had wasted his patrimony, was declared incapable of 'rising to any public honours. Ingrati tude, opprobrious language, and disobedience to pa rents, were also subjected to punishment.
One of the most remarkable laws was that which imposed penalties on those who declined taking part in public dissensions. Solon was aware, that such dissensions must occur in a popular state ; but, on these occasions, the wisest and beat men are often dis posed to withdraw into domestic life, and shun the public tumult. The management of tjie state would thus fall into the hands of the most ignorant and un principled. To prevent 614 evil, it appeared expe dient to make a regulation which might draw the former class out of the retirement to which they were naturally inclined, and force them to engage in the management of public affairs.
Having completed his system, Solon adopted a -' policy which seems to have been general at that time, and was also employed by Lycurgus. He left Athens, to which he did not return for the space of ten years. The experiment, however, was not fortu nate ; the tranquillity which he had established, seems to have been the fruit rather of his personal influence, than of the authority of his laws. On his departure, factions broke out, with all their former violence. Lycurgus was at the head of the country, or aristo party ;.Megacles, the chief of the Alcmeo nids, supported the party of the principal inhabitants of the city, who were for a mixed government ; Pi sistratus was the leader of the purely democratical party, which consisted of the highlanders, and of the lower orders in the city. He courted popularity by every method with which a large fortune and enga ging manners could furnish him. He lavished money on the necessitous, and conversed familiarly with all. Thus he silently made his advances to the sovereignty. At length, when his plans appeared ripe, he one day made his entry into the market-place, wounded, and flying, as it were, from pursuing enemies. The people being immediately assembled, one of his friends mo ved, that a guard should be appointed to attend him. With this he contrived to make himself master of the citadel ; and it is alsc; said, that, by a stratagem, he de prived the people of the arms which they were ac customed to wear. He ruled however mildly, obser ving all the outward forms of liberty, and enforcing the execution of Solon's laws. Solon was his inti mate friend, and fully admitted his merits, but oppo sed, to the utmost, the establishment of his tyranny. This last account, however, though conformable to the general voice of antiquity, is not considered by Mr Mitford as resting on any very solid evidence. It would appear, indeed, that Pisistratus ruled at first more by opinion than by force ; for the heads of the two opposite parties, Lycurgus and Megacles, having coalesced against him, he was obliged to leave the city. The victorious factions, however, could not agree among themselves, and Megacles called in the aid of Pisistratus, in order to expel his rival. The manner in which they accomplished their pur pose, however singular it may appear to us, was not ill suited to the ideas of the age. A woman of a majestic figure was dressed in the manner of the god dess Minerva ; and the report was spread, that this deity was reconducting Pisistratus to Athens. The people, who probably regretted his ab;ence, readily ackao•ledged the pretended goddess, and restored him to all his former authority.