Solon lived circa 630 to circa 560 BC and was an archaic Athenian statesman, lawmaker, political philosopher and poet, one of the Seven Sages of Greece who is credited with laying the foundations for Athenian democracy. His constitutional reforms replaced most of the earlier laws of Draco and were aimed at legislating against political, economic and moral decline in Athens, including a program of debt relief that Athenians later celebrated as the seisachtheia, or shaking off of burdens. Aristotle, in the Athenian Constitution, described him as the first peoples champion, and Demosthenes credited his reforms with starting a golden age for the city. Modern knowledge of Solon is limited because his own works survive only in fragments, with later authors such as Herodotus and Plutarch, writing long after his death, serving as the main sources for his life.
Facts
RoleStatesman, lawmaker and poet 1 Nationality / Jurisdiction Bornc. 630 BCE, the standard classical-scholarship estimate; no exact year is recorded. Diedc. 560 BCE, the standard classical-scholarship estimate; no exact year is recorded. Place of Death Classification
Field of LawAncient and Customary Law 1 Role
Role (category) Role (category) Connections
Works Attributed
Source Wikipedia: Solonian constitution
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Nationality
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Sources
1. Solon (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece and is credited with laying the foundations for Athenian democracy.
Introduction
Solon (; Ancient Greek: Σόλων; c. 630 - c. 560 BC) was an archaic Athenian statesman, lawmaker, political philosopher (philosopher in an etymological sense), and poet.
Introduction, field of law
He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece and is credited with laying the foundations for Athenian democracy. Solon's efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline resulted in his constitutional reform reforming most of Draco's laws.
View the Source 2. Wikidata: Solon
Wikidata Q133337, P19 place of birth claim
P19 (place of birth): Classical Athens
Wikidata Q133337, P20 place of death claim
P20 (place of death): Cyprus
View the SourceWikipedia: Solonian constitution
Works Attributed: Solonian Constitution, Lead: created by Solon in the early 6th centurQuote, Works Attributed: Solonian Constitution, Lead: created by Solon in the early 6th centur
The Solonian constitution was created by Solon in the early 6th century BC.
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