Episode Description
At the start of the 6th century BCE, Athens had only recently escaped a tyranny. Draco's published law code made the law accessible to more people but did nothing to alleviate the crushing debt that afflicted the poor. As Aristotle puts it, the poor were slaves of the rich. To forestall the rise of a tyranny, the Athenians gave an exceptionally adept nobleman named Solon full powers to solve the economic crisis and reorganize the state. In this episode, host Scott Emmons examines the causes of the crisis and the policies intended to address it, often in Solon's own words.
For a few accompanying visuals, check out Episode 20 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com.
Reading Suggestions:
Aristotle, The Constitution of Athens, chapters 1-13
Plutarch, Life of Solon
Victor Ehrenberg, From Solon to Socrates
Robin Osborne, Greece in the Making, 1200-470 BC
Anthony Snodgrass, Archaic Greece: The Age of Experiment