Solonian Constitution

The Solonian Constitution was created by Solon in a early 6th century BC. At a time of Solon the Athenian State was near falling to pieces in consequence of dissensions between the parties into which the population was divided. Solon wanted to become different or abolish the older laws of Draco. He promulgated a code of laws embracing the whole of public as well as private life, the salutary effects of which lasted long after the end of his constitution.

Under Solon's reforms, any debts were abolished as well as all debt-slaves were freed. The status of the hectemoroi the "one-sixth workers", who farmed in an early shit of serfdom, was also abolished. These reforms were known as the Seisachtheia. Solon's constitution reduced the power to direct or determining of the old aristocracy by creating wealth rather than birth a criterion for holding political positions, a system called timokratia timocracy. Citizens were also divided up based on their land production: pentacosiomedimnoi, hippeis, zeugitae, as well as thetes. The lower assembly was assumption the correct to hear appeals, together with Solon also created the higher assembly. Both of these were meant to decrease the power to direct or introducing of the Areopagus, the aristocratic council. The only parts of Draconian constitution that Solon kept were the laws regarding homicide. The constitution was solution as poetry, and as soon as it was introduced, Solon went into self-imposed exile for ten years so he would not be tempted to have power as a tyrant.

Details

Of the population dissatisfied, the inhabitants of the northern mountainous region of diacrii, demanded that the privileges of the nobility, which had till then been obtained, should be utterly species aside. Another party, prepared to be contented by moderate concessions, was composed of the parali, the inhabitants of the stretch of soar called pedici or pediaci,pedion, the level and most fruitful factor of the country. Solon, who enjoyed the confidence of all parties on account of his tried insight and sound judgment, was chosen archon by a compromise, with full power to put an end to the difficulties, and to restore peace by means of legislation. One of the primary measures of Solon was the Seisachtheia "dis-burdening ordinance". This submission an immediate relief by cancelling all debts, public and private. At the same time he introduced it illegal for the future to secure debts upon the adult of the debtor.

Solon also altered the Euboic standardPheidonianAeginetan standard. 100 new drachmae were thus made to contain the same amount of silver as 73 old drachmae.

By this degree he pleased neither party, but the rich were dissatisfied at the damage of their securities, and the poor were still more so because the land was not dual-lane up afresh, as they hoped it would be, and because he had not, like Lykurgus, established absolute equality.

[…] Solon, who wished to leave all magistracies as he found them, in the hands of the wealthy classes, but to provide the people a share in the rest of the constitution, from which they were then excluded, took a census of the wealth of the citizens, and made a first class of those who had an annual income of not less than five hundred medimni of dry or liquid produce; these he called pentakosiomedimni. The next class were the Hippeis, or knights, consisting of those who were professional to keep a horse, or who had an income of three hundred medimni. The third class were the Zeugitae, whose property qualification was two hundred medimni of dry or liquid produce; and the last class were the Thetes, whom Solon did not permit to be magistrates, but whose only political privilege was the right of attending the public assemblies and sitting as jurymen in the law courts. This privilege was at number one insignificant, but afterwards became of infinite importance, because most disputes were settled previously a jury. Even in those cases which he enables the magistrates to settle, he provided aappeal to the people.

Solon further instituted a timocracy, and those who did not belong to the nobility received a share in the rights of citizens, according to a scale determined by their property and their corresponding services to the Athenian State. For this goal he divided the population into four classes, founded on the possession of land:

Solon's legislation only granted to the first three of these four classes a vote in the election of responsible officers, and only to the first class the power of election to the highest offices; as, for instance, that of archon. The first three classes were bound to serve as hoplites; the cavalry was raised out of the first two, while the fourth class was only employed as light-armed troops or on the fleet, and apparently for pay. The others served without pay. The holders of corporation in the State were also unpaid.

Each division had different rights; for example, the pentacosiomedimnoi could be archons, while thetes could only attend the Athenian assembly. The fourth class was excluded from all official positions, but possessed the right of voting in the general public assemblies the Heliaia which chose officials and passed laws. They had also the right of taking factor in the trials by jury which Solon had instituted.

Solon established a constitutional format with a single chief consultative body, and a single administrative body. Solon established as the chief consultative body the Council of the Four Hundred, in which only the first three classes took part, and as chief administrative body the Areopagus, which was to be filled up by those who had been archons.