a smaller history of greece-第8部分

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The　first　date　in　Athenian　history　on　which　certain　reliance　can　be　placed　is　the　institution　of　annual　archons；　in　the　year　683　B。C。　　The　duties　of　the　government　were　distributed　among　the　nine　archons　in　the　following　manner。　　The　first　was　called　THE　ARCHON　by　way　of　pre…eminence；　and　sometimes　the　Archon　Eponymus；　because　the　year　was　distinguished　by　his　name。　　The　second　archon　was　called　THE　BASILEUS　or　THE　KING；　because　he　represented　the　king　in　his　capacity　as　high…priest　of　the　nation。　　The　third　archon　bore　the　title　of　THE　POLEMARCH；　or　Commander…in…chief　and　was；　down　to　the　time　of　Clisthenes；　the　commander　of　the　troops。　　The　remaining　six　had　the　common　title　of　THESMOTHETAE；　or　Legislators。　　Their　duties　seem　to　have　been　almost　exclusively　judicial。

The　government　of　the　Eupatrids　was　oppressive；　and　the　discontent　of　the　people　at　length　became　so　serious；　that　Draco　was　appointed　in　624　B。C。　to　draw　up　a　written　code　of　laws。　They　were　marked　by　extreme　severity。　　He　affixed　the　penalty　of　death　to　all　crimes　alike；　to　petty　thefts；　for　instance；　as　well　as　to　sacrilege　and　murder。　　Hence　they　were　said　to　have　been　written　not　in　ink　but　in　blood；　and　we　are　told　that　he　justified　this　extreme　harshness　by　saying　that　small　offences　deserved　death；　and　that　he　knew　no　severer　punishment　for　great　ones。

The　legislation　of　Draco　failed　to　calm　the　prevailing　discontent。　　The　people　gained　nothing　by　the　written　code；　except　a　more　perfect　knowledge　of　its　severity；　and　civil　dissensions　prevailed　as　extensively　as　before。　　The　general　dissatisfaction　with　the　government　was　favourable　to　revolutionary　projects；　and　accordingly；　twelve　years　after　Draco's　legislation　（B。C。　612）；　Cylon；　one　of　the　nobles；　conceived　the　design　of　depriving　his　brother　Eupatrids　of　their　power；　and　making　himself　tyrant　of　Athens。　　Having　collected　a　considerable　force；　he　seized　the　Acropolis；　but　he　did　not　meet　with　support　from　the　great　mass　of　the　people；　and　he　soon　found　himself　closely　blockaded　by　the　forces　of　the　Eupatrids。　　Cylon　and　his　brother　made　their　escape；　but　the　remainder　of　his　associates；　hard　pressed　by　hunger；　abandoned　the　defence　of　the　walls；　and　took　refuge　at　the　altar　of　Athena　（Minerva）。　　They　were　induced　by　the　archon　Megacles；　one　of　the　illustrious　family　of　the　Alcmaeonidae；　to　quit　the　altar　on　the　promise　that　their　lives　should　be　spared；　but　directly　they　had　left　the　temple　they　were　put　to　death；　and　some　of　them　were　murdered　even　at　the　altar　of　the　Eumenides　or　Furies。

The　conspiracy　thus　failed；　but　its　suppression　was　attended　with　a　long　train　of　melancholy　consequences。　　The　whole　family　of　the　Alcmaeonidae　was　believed　to　have　become　tainted　by　the　daring　act　of　sacrilege　committed　by　Megacles；　and　the　friends　and　partisans　of　the　murdered　conspirators　were　not　slow　in　demanding　vengeance　upon　the　accursed　race。　　Thus　a　new　element　of　discord　was　introduced　into　the　state；　In　the　midst　of　these　dissensions　there　was　one　man　who　enjoyed　a　distinguished　reputation　at　Athens；　and　to　whom　his　fellow　citizens　looked　up　as　the　only　person　in　the　state　who　could　deliver　them　from　their　political　and　social　dissensions；　and　secure　them　from　such　misfortunes　for　the　future。　　This　man　was　Solon；　the　son　of　Execestides；　and　a　descendant　of　Codrus。　　He　had　travelled　through　many　parts　of　Greece　and　Asia；　and　had　formed　acquaintance　with　many　of　the　most　eminent　men　of　his　time。　　On　his　return　to　his　native　country　he　distinguished　himself　by　recovering　the　island　of　Salamis；　which　had　revolted　to　Megara　（B。C。　600）。　　Three　years　afterwards　he　persuaded　the　Alcmaeonidae　to　submit　their　case　to　the　judgment　of　three　hundred　Eupatridae；　by　whom　they　were　adjudged　guilty　of　sacrilege；　and　were　expelled　from　Attica。　　The　banishment　of　the　guilty　race　did　not；　however；　deliver　the　Athenians　from　their　religious　fears。　　A　pestilential　disease　with　which　they　were　visited　was　regarded　as　an　unerring　sign　of　the　divine　wrath。　　Upon　the　advice　of　the　Delphic　oracle；　they　invited　the　celebrated　Cretan　prophet　and　sage；　Epimenides；　to　visit　Athens；　and　purify　their　city　from　pollution　and　sacrilege。　By　performing　certain　sacrifices　and　expiatory　acts；　Epimenides　succeeded　in　staying　the　plague。

The　civil　dissensions　however　still　continued。　　The　population　of　Attica　was　now　divided　into　three　hostile　factions；　consisting　of　the　PEDIEIS　or　wealthy　Eupatrid　inhabitants　of　the　plains；　of　the　DIACRII；　or　poor　inhabitants　of　the　hilly　districts　in　the　north　and　east　of　Attica；　and　of　the　PARALI；　or　mercantile　inhabitants　of　the　coasts；　who　held　an　intermediate　position　between　the　other　two。　　Their　disputes　were　aggravated　by　the　miserable　condition　of　the　poorer　population。　　The　latter　were　in　a　state　of　abject　poverty；　They　had　borrowed　money　from　the　wealthy　at　exorbitant　rates　of　interest　upon　the　security　of　their　property　and　their　persons。　　If　the　principal　and　interest　of　the　debt　were　not　paid；　the　creditor　had　the　power　of　seizing　the　person　as　well　as　the　land　of　his　debtor；　and　of　using　him　as　a　slave。　Many　had　thus　been　torn　from　their　homes　and　sold　to　barbarian　masters；　while　others　were　cultivating　as　slaves　the　lands　of　their　wealthy　creditors　in　Attica。　　Matters　had　at　length　reached　a　crisis；　the　existing　laws　could　no　longer　be　enforced；　and　the　poor　were　ready　to　rise　in　open　insurrection　against　the　rich。

In　these　alarming　circumstances　the　ruling　oligarchy　were　obliged　to　have　recourse　to　Solon；　and　they　therefore　chose　him　Archon　in　B。C。　594；　investing　him　under　that　title　with　unlimited　powers　to　effect　any　changes　he　might　consider　beneficial　to　the　state。　His　appointment　was　hailed　with　satisfaction　by　the　poor；　and　all　parties　were　willing　to　accept　his　mediation　and　reforms。

Solon　commenced　his　undertaking　by　relieving　the　poorer　class　of　debtors　from　their　existing　distress。　　He　cancelled　all　contracts　by　which　the　land　or　person　of　a　debtor　had　been　given　as　security；　and　he　forbad　for　the　future　all　loans　in　which　the　person　of　the　debtor　was　pledged。　　He　next　proceeded　to　draw　up　a　new　constitution　and　a　new　code　of　laws。　　As　a　preliminary　step　he　repealed　all　the　laws　of　Draco；　except　those　relating　to　murder。　　He　then　made　a　new　classification　of　the　citizens；　distributing　them　into　four　classes　according　to　the　amount　of　their　property；　thus　making　wealth　and　not　birth　the　title　to　the　honours　and　offices　of　the　state。　　The　first　class　consisted　of　those　whose　annual　income　was　equal　to　500　medimni　of　corn　and　upwards；　and　were　called　　PENTACOSIOMEDIMNI。　　＇The　medimnus　was　one　bushel　and　a　half。＇　　The　second　class　consisted　of　those　whose　incomes　ranged　between　300　and　500　medimni　and　were　called　KNIGHTS；　from　their　being　able　to　furnish　a　war…horse。　　The　third　class　consisted　of　those　who　received　between　200　and　300　medimni；　and　were　called　ZEUGITAE　from　their　being　able　to　keep　a　yoke　of　oxen　for　the　plough。　　The　fourth　class；　called　THETES；　included　all　whose　property　fell　short　of　200　medimni。　　The　first　class　were　alone　eligible　to　the　archonship　and　the　higher　offices　of　the　state。　　The　second　and　third　classes　filled　inferior　posts；　and　were　liable　to　military　service；　the　former　as　horsemen；　and　the　latter　as　heavy…armed　soldiers　on　foot。　　The　fourth　class　were　excluded　from　all　public　offices；　and　served　in　the　army　only　as　light…armed　troops。　　Solon；　however；　allowed　them　to　veto　in　the　public　assembly；　where　they　must　have　constituted　by　far　the　largest　number。　　He　gave　the　assembly　the　right　of　electing　the　archons　and　the　other　officers　of　the　state；　and　he　also　made　the　archons　accountable　to　the　assembly　at　the　expiration　of　their　year　of　office。

This　extension　of　the　duties　of　the　public　assembly　led　to　the　institution　of　a　new　body。　　Solon　created　the　Senate；　or　Council　of　Four　Hundred　with　the　special　object　of　preparing　all　matters　for　the　discussion　of　the　public　assembly；　of　presiding　at　its　meetings；　and　of　carrying　its　resolutions　into　effect。　　No　subject　could　be　introduced　before　the　people；　except　by　a　previous　resolution　of　the　Senate。　　The　members　of　the　Senate　were　elected　by　the　public　assembly；　one　hundred　from　each　of　the　four　ancient　tribes；　which　were　left　untouched　by　Solon。　　They　held　their　office　for　a　year；　and　were　accountable　at　its　expiration　to　the　public　assembly　for　the　manner　in　which　they　had　discharged　their　duties。

The　Senate　of　the　Areopagus　＇It　received　its　name　from　its　place　of　meeting；　which　was　a　rocky　eminence　opposite　the　Acropolis；　called　the　hill　of　Ares　（Mars　Hill）＇；　is　said　by　some　writers　to　have　been　instituted　by　Solon；　but　it　existed　long　before　his　time；　and　may　be　regarded　as　the　representative　of　the　Council　of　Chiefs　in　the　Heroic　age。　　Solon　enlarged　its　powers；　and　intrusted　it　with　the　general　supervision　of　the　institutions　and　laws　of　the　state；　and　imposed　upon　it　the　duty　of　inspecting　the　lives　and　occupations　of　the　citizens。　　All　archons　became　members　of　it　at　the　expiration　of　their　year　of　office。

Solon　laid　only　the　foundation　of　the　Athenian　democracy　by　giving　the　poorer　classes　a　vote　in　the　popular　assembly；　and　by　enlarging　the　power　of　the　latter；　but　he　left