the athenian constitution-第2章

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or　ever　obey。

Indeed；　he　constantly　fastens　the　blame　of　the　conflict　on　the　rich；　and　accordingly　at　the　beginning　of　the　poem　he　says　that　he　fears'　the　love　of　wealth　and　an　overweening　mind'；　evidently　meaning　that　it　was　through　these　that　the　quarrel　arose。

Part　6

　　As　soon　as　he　was　at　the　head　of　affairs；　Solon　liberated　　the　people　once　and　for　all；　by　prohibiting　all　loans　on　the　security　of　the　debtor's　person：　and　in　addition　he　made　laws　by　which　he　cancelled　all　debts；　public　and　private。　This　measure　is　commonly　called　the　Seisachtheia　＇=　removal　of　burdens＇；　since　thereby　the　people　had　their　loads　removed　from　them。　In　connexion　with　it　some　persons　try　to　traduce　the　character　of　Solon。　It　so　happened　that；　when　he　was　about　to　enact　the　Seisachtheia；　he　communicated　his　　intention　to　some　members　of　the　upper　class；　whereupon；　as　the　partisans　of　　the　popular　party　say；　his　friends　stole　a　march　on　him；　while　those　who　wish　to　attack　his　character　maintain　that　he　too　had　a　share　in　the　fraud　himself。　For　these　persons　borrowed　money　and　bought　up　a　　large　amount　of　land；　and　so　when；　a　short　time　afterwards；　all　debts　were　cancelled；　they　became　wealthy；　and　this；　they　say；　was　the　origin　of　the　families　which　were　afterwards　looked　on　as　having　　been　wealthy　from　primeval　times。　However；　the　story　of　the　popular　party　　is　by　far　the　most　probable。　A　man　who　was　so　moderate　and　public…spirited　in　all　his　other　actions；　that　when　it　was　within　his　power　to　put　his　fellow…citizens　beneath　his　feet　and　establish　himself　as　tyrant；　he　preferred　instead　to　incur　the　hostility　of　both　parties　by　placing　his　honour　and　the　general　welfare　above　his　personal　aggrandisement；　is　not　likely　to　have　consented　to　defile　　his　hands　by　such　a　petty　and　palpable　fraud。　That　he　had　this　absolute　power　is；　in　the　first　place；　indicated　by　the　desperate　condition　the　country；　moreover；　he　mentions　it　himself　repeatedly　in　his　　poems；　and　it　is　universally　admitted。　We　are　therefore　bound　to　consider　this　accusation　to　be　false。

Part　7

　　Next　Solon　drew　up　a　constitution　and　enacted　new　laws；　and　the　ordinances　of　Draco　ceased　to　be　used；　with　the　exception　of　those　relating　to　murder。　The　laws　were　inscribed　on　the　wooden　stands；　and　set　up　in　the　King's　Porch；　and　all　swore　to　obey　them；　and　the　nine　Archons　made　oath　upon　the　stone；　declaring　that　they　would　dedicate　a　golden　statue　if　they　should　transgress　any　of　them。　This　is　the　origin　of　the　oath　to　that　effect　which　they　take　to　the　present　day。　Solon　ratified　his　laws　for　a　hundred　years；　and　the　following　was　the　fashion　in　which　he　organized　the　constitution。　He　divided　the　population　according　to　property　into　four　classes；　just　as　it　had　been　divided　before；　namely；　Pentacosiomedimni；　Knights；　Zeugitae；　and　Thetes。　The　various　magistracies；　namely；　the　nine　Archons；　the　Treasurers；　the　Commissioners　for　Public　Contracts　（Poletae）；　the　Eleven；　and　Clerks　（Colacretae）；　he　assigned　to　the　Pentacosiomedimni；　the　Knights；　and　the　Zeugitae；　giving　offices　to　each　class　in　proportion　to　the　value　of　their　rateable　property。　To　who　ranked　among　the　Thetes　he　gave　nothing　but　a　place　in　the　Assembly　and　in　the　juries。　A　man　had　to　rank　as　a　Pentacosiomedimnus　if　he　made；　from　his　own　land；　five　hundred　measures；　whether　liquid　or　solid。　Those　ranked　as　Knights　who　made　three　hundred　measures；　or；　as　some　say；　those　who　were　able　to　maintain　a　horse。　In　support　of　the　latter　definition　they　adduce　the　name　of　the　class；　which　may　be　supposed　to　be　derived　from　this　fact；　and　also　some　votive　offerings　of　early　times；　for　in　the　Acropolis　there　is　a　votive　offering；　a　statue　of　Diphilus；　bearing　this　inscription：

　　　The　son　of　Diphilus；　Athenion　hight；　　　　Raised　from　the　Thetes　and　become　a　knight；　　　　Did　to　the　gods　this　sculptured　charger　bring；　　　　For　his　promotion　a　thank…offering。

And　a　horse　stands　in　evidence　beside　the　man；　implying　that　this　was　what　was　meant　by　belonging　to　the　rank　of　Knight。　At　the　same　time　it　seems　reasonable　to　suppose　that　this　class；　like　the　Pentacosiomedimni；　was　defined　by　the　possession　of　an　income　of　a　certain　number　of　measures。　Those　ranked　as　Zeugitae　who　made　two　hundred　measures；　liquid　or　solid；　and　the　rest　ranked　as　Thetes；　and　were　not　eligible　for　any　office。　Hence　it　is　that　even　at　the　present　day；　when　a　candidate　for　any　office　is　asked　to　　what　class　he　belongs；　no　one　would　think　of　saying　that　he　belonged　to　the　Thetes。

Part　8

　　The　elections　to　the　various　offices　Solon　enacted　should　　be　by　lot；　out　of　candidates　selected　by　each　of　the　tribes。　Each　tribe　selected　ten　candidates　for　the　nine　archonships；　and　among　these　the　lot　was　cast。　Hence　it　is　still　the　custom　for　each　tribe　to　choose　ten　candidates　by　lot；　and　then　the　lot　is　again　cast　among　these。　A　proof　that　Solon　regulated　the　elections　to　office　according　to　the　property　classes　may　be　found　in　the　law　still　in　force　with　regard　to　the　Treasurers；　which　enacts　that　they　shall　be　chosen　from　the　Pentacosiomedimni。　Such　was　Solon's　legislation　with　respect　to　the　nine　Archons；　whereas　in　early　times　the　Council　of　Areopagus　summoned　suitable　persons　according　to　its　own　　judgement　and　appointed　them　for　the　year　to　the　several　offices。　There　were　four　tribes；　as　before；　and　four　tribe…kings。　Each　tribe　was　divided　into　three　Trittyes　＇=Thirds＇；　with　twelve　Naucraries　in　each；　and　the　Naucraries　had　officers　of　their　own；　called　Naucrari；　whose　duty　it　was　to　superintend　the　current　receipts　and　expenditure。　Hence；　among　the　laws　of　Solon　now　obsolete；　it　is　repeatedly　written　that　the　Naucrari　are　to　receive　and　to　spend　out　of　the　Naucraric　fund。　Solon　also　appointed　a　Council　of　four　hundred；　a　hundred　from　each　tribe；　but　he　assigned　to　the　Council　of　the　Areopagus　the　duty　of　superintending　the　laws；　acting　as　before　as　the　guardian　of　the　constitution　in　general。　It　kept　watch　over　the　affairs　of　the　state　in　most　of　the　more　important　matters；　and　corrected　offenders；　with　full　powers　to　inflict　either　fines　or　personal　punishment。　The　money　received　in　fines　it　brought　up　into　the　Acropolis；　without　assigning　the　reason　for　the　mulct。　It　also　tried　those　who　conspired　for　the　overthrow　of　the　state；　Solon　having　enacted　a　process　of　impeachment　to　deal　with　such　offenders。　Further；　since　he　saw　the　state　often　engaged　in　internal　disputes；　while　　many　of　the　citizens　from　sheer　indifference　accepted　whatever　might　turn　up；　he　made　a　law　with　express　reference　to　such　persons；　enacting　that　any　one　who；　in　a　time　civil　factions；　did　not　take　up　arms　with　either　party；　should　lose　his　rights　as　a　citizen　and　cease　to　have　any　part　in　the　state。

Part　9

　　Such；　then；　was　his　legislation　concerning　the　magistracies。　There　are　three　points　in　the　constitution　of　Solon　which　appear　to　be　its　most　democratic　features：　first　and　most　important；　the　　prohibition　of　loans　on　the　security　of　the　debtor's　person；　secondly；　the　right　of　every　person　who　so　willed　to　claim　redress　on　behalf　of　any　one　to　whom　wrong　was　being　done；　thirdly；　the　institution　of　the　appeal　to　the　jurycourts；　and　it　is　to　this　last；　they　say；　that　the　　masses　have　owed　their　strength　most　of　all；　since；　when　the　democracy　is　master　of　the　voting…power；　it　is　master　of　the　constitution。　　Moreover；　since　the　laws　were　not　drawn　up　in　simple　and　explicit　terms　（but　like　the　one　concerning　inheritances　and　wards　of　state）；　disputes　inevitably　occurred；　and　the　courts　had　to　decide　in　every　matter；　whether　public　or　private。　Some　persons　in　fact　believe　that　Solon　deliberately　made　the　laws　indefinite；　in　order　that　the　final　decision　might　be　in　the　hands　of　the　people。　This；　however；　is　not　probable；　and　the　reason　no　doubt　was　that　it　is　impossible　to　attain　ideal　perfection　when　framing　a　law　in　general　terms；　for　we　must　judge　of　his　intentions；　not　from　the　actual　results　in　the　present　day；　but　from　the　general　tenor　of　the　rest　of　his　legislation。

Part　10

　　These　seem　to　be　the　democratic　features　of　his　laws；　but　in　addition；　before　the　period　of　his　legislation；　he　carried　　through　his　abolition　of　debts；　and　after　it　his　increase　in　the　standards