Solonian constitution

[1] At the time of Solon, the Athenian State was almost falling to pieces in consequence of dissensions between the parties into which the population was divided.

He promulgated a code of laws embracing the whole of public and private life, the salutary effects[a] of which lasted long after the end of his constitution.

[b] Solon's constitution reduced the power of the old aristocracy by making wealth rather than birth a criterion for holding political positions, a system called timokratia (timocracy).

The constitution was written as poetry, and as soon as it was introduced, Solon went into self-imposed exile for ten years so he would not be tempted to take power as a tyrant.

The pentacosiomedimni or pentakosiomedimnoi (Ancient Greek: πεντακοσιομέδιμνοι) were the top class of citizens: those whose property or estate could produce at least 500 medimnoi of wet or dry goods (or their equivalent), per year.

This assumption appears to be on the basis of the inscription of the statute of Diphilus[7] The zeugitae (Ancient Greek: ζευγῖται, romanized: zeugitai) were those whose property or estate could produce at least 200 medimnoi of wet or dry goods (or their equivalent), per year.

[13] They were eligible for a few positions of government in Athens such as: The thetes (Ancient Greek: θῆτες, romanized: thêtes, sing.

[citation needed] In the reforms of Ephialtes and Pericles around 460–450 BC, the thetes were empowered to hold public office.

[14][full citation needed] Twelve thousand thetes were disenfranchised and expelled from the city after the Athenian defeat in the Lamian War.

There is debate among scholars whether this represented the entire number of thetes, or simply those who left Athens, the remainder staying behind.

In the 4th and 5th century, Athens generally followed a naval policy of enrolling citizens from the lower classes (the thetes), metics and hired foreigners.

Solon, who enjoyed the confidence of all parties on account of his tried insight and sound judgment, was chosen archon by a compromise, with full power to put an end to the difficulties, and to restore peace by means of legislation.

By this measure he pleased neither party, but the rich were dissatisfied at the loss of their securities, and the poor were still more so because the land was not divided afresh, as they hoped it would be, and because he had not, like Lykurgus, established absolute equality.

... [Solon], wishing to leave all magistracies as he found them, in the hands of the wealthy classes, but to give the people a share in the rest of the constitution, from which they were then excluded, took a census of the wealth of the citizens, and made a first class of those who had an annual income of not less than five hundred medimni of dry or liquid produce; these he called pentakosiomedimni.

Solon further instituted a timocracy, (τιμοκρατία) and those who did not belong to the nobility received a share in the rights of citizens,[i] according to a scale determined by their property and their corresponding services to the Athenian State.