Solon

@Laid the Foundations for Democracy in Athens, Family and Personal Life ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Solon was an Athenian lawmaker, poet and politician Greek Leaders Political Leaders Solon was an Athenian politician, lawmaker and poet and is considered the person who laid the foundation of democracy in Athens, through his constitutional reforms. He was the social reformer who brought in moderation into the social, economic and political system of Athens by dividing the citizens into four income groups according to their annual income, which also ensured their respective privileges in the political system. Before Solon, Athens was suffering with bonded labor and slavery, the first reform that he brought was to relive the enslaved citizens off their debts. He also introduced new forms of livelihood like export of olive oil and circulation of new coinage. His poetry was a medium for him to spread his messages and warnings to the citizens. Not a lot of information is available on his personal life except for that fact that he belonged to an influential family and was a merchant, who travelled a lot, for a big part of his early life. Before the end of the 5th century the Greeks made a list of the ‘Seven Wise Men’ who prominently influenced the intellectual and political growth of their nation and Solon’s name is held in high regard in that list.

Personal Details

Birthday: 638 BC Nationality: Greek Famous: Greek Men, Laid the Foundations for Democracy in Athens, Leaders, Political Leaders Birth Place: Classical Athens Gender: Male Born in: Classical Athens Famous as: Laid the foundations for Democracy in Athens. Information Detail Birthday 638 BC Nationality Greek Famous Greek Men, Laid the Foundations for Democracy in Athens, Leaders, Political Leaders Birth Place Classical Athens Gender Male Born in Classical Athens Famous as Laid the foundations for Democracy in Athens. Died at Age 80

Classical Athens

Solon born at Unsplash Birth Place

After finishing the work of reforms, Solon surrendered his extraordinary authority and went travelling for 10 years. His first stop was Egypt where he acquainted himself with the Pharaoh of Egypt Amasis II and with Egyptian priests, Psenophis and Sonchis. Unsplash Personal Life

He also went to capital of Lydia where he met with Croesus and gave the Lydian king advice, which Croesus appreciated later and Solon established himself as a wise man. Unsplash Personal Life

Within 4 years of Solon's departure, the old social rifts re-appeared, with Peisistratos, one of Solon's relatives, ending the factionalism by force. Peisistratos established an unconstitutional tyranny. Upon his return, Solon accused Athenians of stupidity and cowardice as they had allowed this to happen. Unsplash Personal Life

Solon was born in Athens around 638 B.C. into a notable family of Attica. Not a lot is known about Solon’s personal life, especially his childhood because during his lifetime the Greeks had not started to write history. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

It was in the 5th century that the sporadic information on his life was put together, mainly through information from his poetries and laws. Solon might have been a merchant as he travelled a lot in his early life. Unsplash Career

Solon gained prominence in around 600 BC, at the time when Athenians were dismayed by their defeat in a war with their neighbors of Megara and Megara’s ultimate ownership of the island of Salamis. Unsplash Career

Athenians resumed the war with Megara and this time captured the island, owing it to a public recital of Solon’s poem by Solon himself, which encouraged them to save their honor and give their all to the war. Unsplash Career

During Solon’s time, Athens was going through a troubled political system as the society was dominated by aristocracy and the political monopoly of eupatridae, which led poor farmers into debt. People were excluded from the government. Unsplash Career

People came to Solon to get a moderate solution for their problems as he was not a revolutionary but a reformer and he believed in the society where each class had its well defined place and function. Unsplash Career

Solon’s legal reforms have been considered as one of his greatest works. These laws were inscribed on large wooden slabs attached to a series of axles that stood upright in the Prytaneum, for people’s reference and convenience. Unsplash Major Works

Information	Detail
Birthday	638 BC
Nationality	Greek
Famous	Greek Men, Laid the Foundations for Democracy in Athens, Leaders, Political Leaders
Birth Place	Classical Athens
Gender	Male
Born in	Classical Athens
Famous as	Laid the foundations for Democracy in Athens.
Died at Age	80

Solon

Greek

638 BC

Biography

Personal Details

Classical Athens