A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

—
Timocracy; Solon 125
must be the fathers of children above ten years of age,
There can
be no doubt
born of a lawful ^\^fe. It was necessary for these persons, that such a
namely the prytanes, generals and hipparchs, to give ernment fn
^'
security for the year to the time of their audit, furnishing
?^j^^'"^^gfp'^;g
four securities of the same census class as the generals Solon, though
. /-> -1 r -n some of these
and the hipparchs. There was to be a Council oi tour details seem
|'j[°"S
Hundred and One, appointed by lot from those who had \°^^
a right to vote. This and other offices were filled by lot P^^fg^^j^^g
from the citizens above thirty years of age, and it was not of these
permitted to hold the same office a second time till all
had their turn,
'
then the lot was drawn anew from the
"''^sistra
Greece 45;
Ancient
beginning. When there was a session of the council or World, 126 f.
assembly if any councillor was absent, he was fined if a
pentacosiomedimnus three drachmas, if a knight two, if
a zeugite one. The council of the Areopagus was guardian
of the laws, and supervised the offices to see that they
were legally administered. It was permitted to anyone
who was injured, to bring an impeachment before the
Areopagites, citing the law in violation of which he was
suffering harm.
However, there were loans on the security
of the person, as has been said, and the land was in the
hands of the few,
III.
Solon
Such being the organization of the government, while ^^^'^^^^^ *°_
the many were in slavery to the few, the commons rose in
ship,
revolt against the nobles. After the sedition had grown Arist. ib. 5.
strong and the two parties had long been arrayed against
each other, they in common elected Solon as arbitrator Greece, 50 ff.;
and archon, and intrusted to him the constitution. The worid, 1306.
occasion was his composition of the elegy beginning thus:
"I perceive, and within my heart lie griefs, as I see the
oldest country of laonia in distress. Never is it the will