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History and Evolution:
By William E. Steinman:
Part 15, Athens and Solon:
June 30, 2003:
If we view Mesopotamia as the cradle of civilization, we can only
see Greece and, perhaps particularly Athens, as the cradle of
democracy. Around 900 BC the city-states began to emerged out
of the dark ages. Attica is thought to be the first to do so under
the leadership of Athens. As these city-states emerged we find
the first groping toward democracy. It is certain that these were
not pure democracies in any way. Citizenship was a deciding factor
and that was sometimes a tribal affair. In Athens citizenship
seemed to be the privilege of the aristocracy or well born at
first. Later, that changed under the leadership of Solon, an Athenian
statesman and poet.
Let us look more closely at Athens and Attica for two reasons. First, more is known about Athens than any other ancient Greek city. More important however is that Athens was the home of Socrates, the first of the three great Greek philosophers. The other two being Plato and Aristotle. From these three giants came the basis of Western culture.
We know that this area had human occupancy from somewhere in the Neolithic period onward. The first buildings appeared around 1200 BC. This is about when Attica was consolidated under Athenian leadership. The date of this consolidation is open to some speculation. In some texts it is put as late as 900 BC. I don't think we need fret about that discrepancy.
The date of some of the buildings in the Acropolis at Athens is more firmly established at about 1200 BC. While we are here we can clear up some possible misunderstanding. Acropolis means fortified height or citadel. So Acropolis is not a specific building, but a central place in a city. It is only a specific central place when we name the city.
Athens was unusual in that it had not much in the way of myth or religion. The greatest hero was a, probably mythical, character, Theseus. To him was attributed the consolidation of Attica. However it happened the consolidation made Attica a force in the ancient Greek world. Surrounded mostly by ocean with mountains to the north, Attica was natural defensibly. With a sea port and valuable resources like precious metals and marble these people were in an enviable position.
All was not perfect and rosy however. As always there were intrigues, tyrants, and power politics. There were murders of entire families. All of the stuff of human greed and power monger politics was present. To mitigate some of this bad behavior, in 621 BC a fellow named Draco put some pretty harsh laws into effect. These called for a death penalty for almost any crime. Draco's name of course, became a synonym for harsh remedies as in Draconian laws.
Later another more reasonable person came onto the scene in the person of Solon. In his time the natural born aristocrats still controlled the government. Because of their stupidity and greed, this was not working well. Poor people were put into virtual serfdom and sometimes slavery. Even the better off people had deep resentments growing out their exclusion from government. Revolution was imminent.
Even the rulers did not want that so they called upon Solon and he stepped forward at about 575 BC. If this era produced one superior dominant, Salon was probably the one. However he managed it, he got his way. The high born bureaucrats stepped aside and gave him full power. Of course, he used it. He took back confiscated lands and returned them to the original owners. He also freed all enslaved citizens. Then he prohibited indentured servitude. Under his rule, coinage was introduced, trades were encouraged, and standard weights and measures were adopted. Although he prohibited some exports, trade actually increase and Attica prospered. Poverty was not completely eliminated, but it would never be a rallying point in Athenian politics again.
Next, Solon created a new constitution which deposed the ruling aristocracy. He replaced that with a general assembly of all citizens. This body was empowered to enact laws and elect officials. They could also hear appeals of court decisions. He did put some limits on the rule of the masses. He defined four income groups. Then he created a counsel of 400 which excluded the poorest of the citizens. The task of this counsel was to prepare business for the general assembly. They were, in fact, a filter controlling what the general assembly got to deal with. In addition, only the top two groups could serve in the higher government posts.
Solon also revamped the laws. He discarded Draco's laws and replaced them with a new code. His code of law was much more reasonable and remained in effect for many years. Solon was a master of compromise. No one was satisfied, but everyone was appeased. Even though he deposed the aristocracy, most of them retained power for a long time. His council of 400 prevented the rabble from changing the law helter-skelter. They could not vote on what was not before them and they could not propose laws. The rabble did not get the aristocrats lands, but they did get their own land back.
Thus Solon's actions were accepted. For the time at least,
Solon had saved Athens from herself. He had single handedly created
the foundations of the world's first democratic government. After
that, Solon very wisely went traveling for several years. He left
history to judge him and also those who came after him. Many years
later the Greeks put him on their list of seven wise men.
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