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What did Solon achieve
Solon achieved many things during his year of power in 594 BC. He made many changes to the economic, political and social structure in the polis of Athens. In this writing I am first going to discuss the situation in Athens before Solon and the things that led to power. I will then talk about the background and qualification for his position. I will cover the aims and goals Solon wanted to achieve when he came to power. I will then look at Salons reforms the way he changed the economic status of Athens, the way people perceived a polis could be run. The way different people were divided through his social reforms. Finally I will discuss whether Solon was the father of democracy or whether he just paved the way for it.
Athens is one of the many poleis’s that make up Greece. In the years leading up to the rule of Solon there was much turmoil in many of the neighbouring poleis. Many had become a tyranny or a state with an elected dictator like in Mytinene with Aisynetes. Athens was in a situation of stasis, it was close to civil. The classes in which people were divided were not fixed two side almost formed with the rich against the poor these things added to the attempted tyranny by Cylon in 632 BC led to the nobles becoming very desperate and many thought that Solon was there best bet in order to stop Athens being torn apart by war.
But what was the background and qualifications for Solon’s position as leader of over 50000 people. Solon was born of noble birth but he was by no means born very rich it is thought he was perhaps a second son who did not inherit a family estate. When he came to power however he was by no means poor he had become a trader due to this he was very able to understand economic affairs. He had travelled widely and may have been associated with the intellectual movement in Ionia. But what thing made him stand apart from any other bidding leaders? It was the fact that he was seen to be attractive by both sides He was noble but he also had made money through trade. Solon was a well known character after the war with Megera over Salamis where he also wrote very strongly about the need to fight for the island instead of betraying. He was a man of letters, and he let his political views be known in the form of many poems that he wrote. This is shown hear where he is sympathises with the poor and criticised the nobles for there greed. “You who have soared to the surfeit of riche quieten your heart that swells up ambition Humble the mind that is proud, for not all will go to your liking, nor we forever obey”. Solon made it very clear that he was not in support of any revolutionary methods of [next page]