The Good Book (93 page)

11. For when he had resolved to take off the debts, and was considering the proper way of doing it, he told some of his friends, Conon, Clinias and Hipponicus,

12. In whom he had a great deal of confidence, that he would not meddle with the lands, but only free the people from their debts;

13. Upon which, using the advantage of this knowledge, they quickly borrowed considerable sums of money, and purchased several large farms;

14. And when the law was enacted, they kept the possessions, and would not return the money;

15. Which brought Solon into suspicion and dislike, as if he himself had been concerned in the trick.  

16. But he presently stopped this suspicion, by releasing his debtors of five talents (for he had lent so much), according to the law;

17. Others say fifteen talents. His unfaithful friends, however, were ever afterward called Chreocopidae, repudiators.

18. His debt relief scheme pleased neither party, for the rich were angry for their money, and the poor were angry that the land was not divided equally.  

19. That was what Lycurgus had done, but Solon did not have the same power to effect such a thing, being only a citizen of the middle class;

20. Yet he acted to the height of his power, having nothing but the goodwill of his citizens to rely on;

21. And that he offended the majority, who looked for another result, is the mark that he had been fair.

Chapter 21

  1. Solon repealed all of Draco’s laws, except those concerning homicide, because they were far too severe, and the punishments too great;

  2. For in the Draconian law death was the penalty for almost all offences,

  3. So that those convicted of idleness, or for stealing a cabbage or an apple, had to suffer the same as murderers.  

  4. As was well said, Draco’s laws were written not with ink, but with blood;

  5. When asked why he made death the punishment of most offences, Draco replied, ‘Small ones deserve it, and I have no higher for the greater ones.’

  6. Next, Solon, being willing to keep the magistracies in the hands of the rich, and yet to receive the people into the other part of the government,

  7. Took an account of the citizens’ estates, and arranged the orders according to their wealth;

  8. But though those who had less than a certain income were not admitted to any office of state,   they could come to the assembly, and act as jurors;

  9. Which at first seemed nothing, but afterwards was found an enormous privilege, as almost every matter of dispute came before them to decide.  

10. Even in the cases which he assigned to the archons’ cognisance, he allowed an appeal to the courts.  

11. Besides, it is said that he was obscure and ambiguous in the wording of his laws, on purpose to increase the honour of the courts;

12. For since differences could not be adjusted by the letter, citizens would have to bring their causes to the judges, who were thus made masters of the laws.  

13. He mentions this equalisation in one of his poems: ‘Such power I gave the people as might do,

14. ‘Abridged not what they had, and gave them new. Those that were great in wealth and high in place, My counsel likewise kept from all disgrace.

15. ‘Before them both I held my shield of might, And let not either touch the other’s right.’

16. When he had constituted the Areopagus of those who had been yearly archons,

17. Of which he himself was a member, observing that the people, now free from debt, were unsettled and imperious,

18. He formed another council of four hundred, a hundred out of each of the four tribes,

19. Which was to inspect all matters before they were propounded to the people,

20. And to take care that nothing but what had been first examined should be brought before the general assembly.  

21. The upper council, or Areopagus, he made inspectors and keepers of the laws,

22. Conceiving that the commonwealth, held by these two councils, like anchors, would be less liable to tumults, and the people more at quiet.  

23. Amongst his other laws, one is very surprising, which disfranchises all who stand neuter in political controversy;

24. For he would not have anyone remain insensible of the public good,

25. But everyone must at once join with the good party and those that have the right upon their side,

26. To assist and venture with them, rather than keep out of harm’s way and watch who would get the better.

Chapter 22

  1. Regarding marriage, Solon made a law that the bride and bridegroom shall be shut in a chamber to eat a quince together;

  2. And that the husband of an heiress shall consort with her thrice a month;

  3. For though there be no children, yet it is an honour which a husband ought to pay to a virtuous wife;

  4. For it takes off all petty differences, and will not permit their little quarrels to proceed to a rupture.

  5. In all other marriages he forbade dowries to be given;

  6. The wife was to have three suits of clothes, a little household stuff, and that was all;

  7. For he would not have marriages contracted for gain or an estate, but only for love, kind affection, and birth of children.

Chapter 23

  1. Another commendable law of Solon’s is that which forbids men to speak evil of the dead,

  2. For it is unfair to asperse those that are gone, and politic to prevent perpetuations of discord.

  3. He likewise forbade speaking evil of the living in the courts of justice, the public offices, or at the games.

  4. Doing so incurred a fine of three drachmas to the person, and two to the public.  

  5. For never to be able to control passion shows a weak nature and ill-breeding;

  6. Even though always to moderate it is very hard, and to some impossible.  

  7. He is likewise much commended for his law concerning wills; for before him none could be made, but all the wealth and estate of the deceased belonged to his family.

  8. But by introducing wills, he allowed people without children to bestow their estate on whom they pleased,

  9. Showed that he esteemed friendship a stronger tie than kindred,

10. And affection a stronger tie than necessity; and made every man’s estate truly his own.  

11. Yet Solon allowed only legacies not extorted by the frenzy of a disease, imprisonment, force, or the persuasions of a wife;

12. With good reason thinking that being seduced into wrong was as bad as being forced,

13. And that between deceit and necessity, flattery and compulsion, there was little difference, since both can suspend the exercise of reason.

14. Observing Athens to be filled with persons that flocked from all parts into Attica for security of living,

15. And that most of the country was barren and unfruitful,

16. And that traders at sea import nothing to those that could give them nothing in exchange,

17. He turned his citizens to trade, and made a law that no son should be obliged to support an ageing father who had not bred him up to a calling.  

18. It is true that Lycurgus, having a city free from all strangers, and land large enough for twice the population,

19. And above all, an abundance of slaves about Sparta, did well to relieve his citizens from laborious and mechanical occupations, and keep them only to the art of war.  

20. But Solon, fitting his laws to the state of things, and not making things to suit his laws,

21. And finding the ground scarce rich enough to maintain the husbandmen, and altogether incapable of feeding an unoccupied and leisurely multitude,

22. Brought trades into credit, and ordered the Areopagites to examine how every man got his living, and to chastise the idle.  

23. Solon’s laws in general about women are his strangest; for he permitted anyone to kill an adulterer that found him in the act;

24. But if anyone forced a free woman, a hundred drachmas was the fine; if he enticed her, twenty;

25. Except those that sell themselves freely, that is, harlots, who go openly to those that hire them.  

26. He made it unlawful to sell a daughter or a sister, unless, being yet unmarried, she was found wanton.

27. Since Attica has few rivers, lakes or large springs, and many relied on wells they had dug,

28. There was a law made, that, where there was a public well within four furlongs, all should draw at that;

29. But, when it was farther off, they should try to make a well of their own;

30. And, if they had dug ten fathoms deep and could find no water, they had liberty to fetch a pitcherful of four gallons and a half a day from their neighbours’ well;

31. For he thought it prudent to make provision against want, but not to supply laziness.  

32. He permitted only oil to be exported, and those that exported any other fruit, the archon was solemnly to fine a hundred drachmas.

33. He made a law concerning hurts and injuries from beasts,

34. In which he commanded the master of any dog that bit a man to deliver him up with a log about his neck, four and a half feet long; a happy device for men’s security.  

35. He permitted only those foreigners to be made free of Athens who were in perpetual exile from their own country, or came with their whole family to trade.

36. He did this not to discourage strangers, but to invite them to a permanent participation in the privileges of the government;

37. And, besides, he thought those would prove the more faithful citizens who had been forced from their own country, or voluntarily forsook it.  

38. All his laws he established for a hundred years, and wrote them on wooden tables; and the council and people made solemn promises to abide by them.

Chapter 24

  1. Now when these laws were enacted, and some came to Solon every day, to commend or dispraise them,

  2. And to advise, if possible, to leave out, or put in something,

  3. And many criticised, and desired him to explain, and tell the meaning of such and such a passage,

  4. He, knowing that to do it was useless, and not to do it would get him ill-will,

  5. And desirous to bring himself out of all straits, and to escape all displeasure and exceptions,

  6. It being a hard thing, as he himself says, ‘In great affairs to satisfy all sides’,

  7. Decided to travel, and as an excuse bought a trading vessel, and, having obtained leave for ten years’ absence,

  8. Departed, hoping that by that time his laws would have become familiar.

9. His first voyage was to Egypt, and he lived, as he himself says, ‘Near Nilus’ mouth, by fair Canopus’ shore’,

10. And spent some time in study with Psenophis of Heliopolis, and Sonchis, the most learned of all Egyptians;

11. From whom he learned the story of Atlantis. Solon proposed putting this into a poem, and bringing it to the knowledge of the Greeks.  

12. From thence he sailed to Cyprus, where he was feted by Philocyprus, one of the kings there,

13. Whose city lay in a strong but incommodious hilly situation.

14. Solon persuaded him, since there lay a fair plain below, to remove, and build there a pleasanter and more spacious city.  

15. And he assisted in gathering inhabitants, and in fitting it both for defence and for convenience of living;

16. Insomuch that many flocked to Philocyprus, and the other kings imitated the design; and, therefore, to honour Solon, he called the city Soli.

17. Solon himself, in his Elegies, addressing Philocyprus, mentions this foundation in these words:

18. ‘Long may you live, and fill the Solian throne, Succeeded still by children of your own;

19. ‘And from your happy island while I sail, Let Cyprus send me a favouring gale.’

Chapter 25

  1. That Solon should discourse with Croesus on these travels, some think is not agreeable with chronology;

  2. But I cannot reject so famous and well-attested a narrative, and, what is more, so worthy of Solon’s wisdom and greatness of mind.

  3. They say, therefore, that Solon, visiting Croesus at his request, was in the same condition as an inland man when first he goes to see the sea;

  4. For as he fancies every river he meets with to be the ocean, so Solon, as he passed through the court,

  5. And saw a great many nobles richly dressed, and proudly attended with a multitude of guards and footboys, thought each one was the king,

  6. Till he was brought to Croesus himself, who was decked with every possible rarity and curiosity,

  7. In ornaments of jewels, purple and gold, that could make a grand and gorgeous spectacle of him.