Quick Facts
Solon was an Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and poet who is remembered particularly for his efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline in archaic Athens. His reforms failed in the short term, yet he is often credited with having laid the foundations for Athenian democracy. He abolished debt slavery, reformed the currency, created a more inclusive political system based on wealth rather than birth, and established the Council of Four Hundred. As one of the Seven Sages of Greece, Solon was renowned for his wisdom, moderation, and the principle that good laws benefit all citizens equally. His famous maxim 'Know thyself' remains influential to this day.
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Life Journey
Solon was born into a noble but impoverished Athenian family descended from the last king of Athens, Codrus. His father had diminished the family fortune through generous acts, leaving young Solon to make his own way in the world through trade and poetry.
Solon received a thorough education in poetry, philosophy, and the art of commerce. He began composing elegiac verses and developed a reputation for wisdom beyond his years, studying the works of Homer and the oral traditions of Greek society.
To restore his family's fortunes, Solon became a merchant, traveling throughout the Mediterranean world. These journeys exposed him to different political systems and cultures, broadening his perspective on governance and social organization.
Solon composed a stirring elegiac poem urging the Athenians to recapture the island of Salamis from Megara. When Athens had forbidden discussion of Salamis under penalty of death, Solon feigned madness to recite his poem publicly, inspiring the Athenians to action.
Following his rousing poetry, Solon was appointed to lead the military expedition against Megara. His successful capture of Salamis brought him enormous prestige and established him as a leader capable of both words and deeds.
Athens faced a severe crisis with widespread debt slavery and social unrest. Both nobles and common people agreed to appoint Solon as archon with extraordinary powers to reform the constitution and resolve the conflicts threatening to tear the city apart.
Solon's first and most dramatic reform was the Seisachtheia or 'shaking off of burdens.' He cancelled all existing debts secured on land or person, freed those who had been enslaved for debt, and prohibited future loans secured on the debtor's person, ending debt slavery in Athens forever.
Solon reorganized Athenian society into four property classes based on agricultural wealth rather than birth. This allowed wealthy commoners to hold offices previously reserved for aristocrats, beginning the long transition toward democracy by linking political rights to wealth rather than lineage.
Solon created the Boule, a Council of Four Hundred members drawn from the four Athenian tribes. This body prepared business for the popular assembly and served as a check on aristocratic power, giving ordinary citizens a greater voice in governance.
While retaining Draco's homicide laws, Solon repealed most of his harsh penalties and created new laws governing commerce, family matters, and public behavior. Crucially, he allowed any citizen to bring prosecution on behalf of an injured party, democratizing access to justice.
After completing his reforms, both factions urged Solon to seize absolute power and become tyrant. He firmly refused, believing that his laws should bind ruler and ruled alike. This principled stance became legendary and was later cited as proof of his wisdom.
To prevent pressure to change his laws, Solon bound the Athenians by oath to observe them for ten years, then departed on a decade of voluntary exile. He traveled to Egypt, Cyprus, and other lands, engaging in philosophical discussions and gathering wisdom.
According to tradition, Solon visited Croesus, the famously wealthy king of Lydia. When asked who was the happiest man, Solon named ordinary Greeks who lived well and died honorably, teaching Croesus that one cannot judge happiness until death, as fortune is fickle.
Solon returned to Athens after his exile to find the city still troubled by factional strife. Though no longer in office, he continued to advise his fellow citizens and speak out against the growing threat of tyranny from ambitious politicians.
Solon recognized the tyrannical ambitions of his kinsman Pisistratus and publicly warned the Athenians against him. When Pisistratus eventually seized power by trick, the aged Solon was reportedly the only citizen brave enough to denounce him openly.
Solon died in Athens at an advanced age, having lived long enough to see his kinsman Pisistratus establish a tyranny. Despite this, his laws remained largely in force, and his reputation as one of the Seven Sages of Greece only grew after his death.