A T H 



fiioi'.ltl be accoimpaTiicd by certain hymns. As while fpeak- 

 ing he fc-erncd agitated with a divine infpiratioii, his impe- 

 tuous eloquence was intfiftiblc. He availed himfelf of the 

 afcender.cy he had acquired, to cfTeft fevtia! changes in the 

 religioui ceremonies, a'^d in the manners of the people ; and 

 by various ufcfi 1 rej;ulations, he endeavoured to bring the 

 Athenians to the two principles of focial union audjullice. 

 But the reform of Epitnenides, though beneficial as far as it 

 extended, was very inadequate to the evils. The people 

 were ilill fuffcring under combined anarchy and oppreiTion ; 

 the magiilrates plundered the treafury and the temples; and 

 often betrayed for bribes the intertfts of their counti7 : 

 the rich tyrannifed over the poor, the poor continually 

 alarmed the fafety of the rich : the rapacity of creditors 

 knew no bounds; they compelled tiie iufolvent debtors to 

 cultivate their lands like cattle, to perform the fervice of bealls 

 of burden (Gillies, v. ii. 107.), and to transfer to them 

 their fons and daughters, whom they exported as Haves 

 to foreio-n countries. In fuch a diftreflTed fituation, there 

 arofe for their relief the illuftrious Solon, B.C. 594. This 

 celebrated fage lirft diilinguifhed himfelf by military policy 

 and warlike efforts. The Athenians had been long engaged 

 in a war againft the Megarenfians, concerning the iiland of 

 Salamis; fatigued and broken by tedious and arduous hofli- 

 litics, they abandoned the enterprife in dcfpair, and even 

 made a law enafting the punifliment of death againft any 

 one who Ihould propofe the capture of that ifland. Solon, 

 aware of the importance of a poffeffion that commanded tl'.e 

 coafts of Attica, and deem.ing the national defpondencc in- 

 glorious as well as impolitic, ardently defired to roiife his 

 countrymen to more vigorous counfels; but the new penal 

 law rellrained his efforts. At length he devifed an expe- 

 dient for patriotically tranfgreffing the pufiUanimous law, 

 and avoiding the punifhm.ent. He accordingly counter- 

 feited infanity, and caufed his family to report that he was 

 actually mad (Plutarch's Solon); the rumour being fpread 

 and generally believed, he compofed a poem, defcribing the 

 advantages of Salamis, and inciting the Athenians to renew 

 the war. His verfes, ftrong and impreffive, produced the 

 defired effeft. The people were roufed, an expedition was 

 undertaken, and Solon is, by Plutarch, faid to have devifed 

 the following ilratagem for cutting off the Megarenfians, 

 who then occup'ed Salamis. With his friend Pififtratus he 

 failed at the head of an armament to Colias, there finding a 

 number of women facrificing to Ceres, he fent a confidential 

 perfon to Salamis, inftrufted to profefs himfelf a deferter, 

 and to tell the Megarenfian's, that if they defired to feize the 

 chief Athenian women, to make all fail to Colias. The Mega- 

 renfians, taking the ftory for truth, prefently manned a (liip ; 

 and Solon defcrying this (hip jull as it put off from the 

 ifland, commanded the women to be gone, and ordered 

 fome beardlefs youths, dreffed in thcfe women's clothes, their 

 (hoes and mitres, and privately armed with daggers, to dance 

 and wanton near the Ihore, till the enemies had landed, and 

 the fhip was in their power. Things being thus ordered, 

 the Megarenfians were allured with the appearance, and, 

 coming near the fhore, ftrove who fliould leap out firft, as it 

 •were only to feize the women ; but were fo v/armly received, 

 that not one of them efcaped. The Athenians failed for 

 the ifland, thus deprived of its defenders, and annexed 

 Salamis to the territories of Athens. The fame which 

 Soloii thus acquired, he foon increafed by his policy and 

 conduft with regard to another fubjeft of foreign policy. 



The Criffeans were a fiouriftiing ftate, not far from Del- 

 phi, and, commanding the approaches to that rendezvous 

 cf Grecian fuperftltion, derived conCderable emolument 

 irom the expenoes of the devotees. But with thefe advan- 



A T H 



tatres they were not fatisfied; they began to exaft vexatious 

 and exorbitant duties from tl e rierchants who came t^' ex- 

 pofe their wares in the facred city ; which, on account of the 

 great coucourfc of prL.fiigatc pilgrims from every quarter, 

 foon became the feat, not of devotion only, but ot difiipa- 

 tion, vanity, and licentious pltafure. It was in vain for tlie 

 merchants to exclaim againll thcfe unexampled impcfitions; 

 the taxes were continually incr^afed; the evil admitted not 

 the cxpeftation of cither remedy or relief ; and the ftrangers, 

 famiharifed to it by cuflom, began to fubmit without mur- 

 mur; and perha^js endured the hardfiiip with greater pa- 

 tience, when they perceived that they drew back the tax in 

 the incrcafcd price of their commodities. Encouraged by 

 this acquicfcence in their tyranny, the Criffeans levied a 

 fevere impoll on the pilgrims, whether Greeks or Barbarians, 

 who vifiled the temple of Apollo; a mcafure direclly incon- 

 fiftent with a decree of the Amphicfyons, which declared 

 that all men (hould have free accefs to the oracle, as well as 

 extremely hurtful to the intereil of the Delpliians, who foon 

 felt a gradual diminution of their profits from the holy 

 flirine. The Criffeans, totally regardlefs of the fentiments 

 of religion, plundered the temple of Delphi, with many cir- 

 cumftances of aggravating atrocity. Solon rouftd his coun- 

 trymen to avenge the facrilege ; and to his ingenuity and flfill 

 it was chiefly owing that the Criffeans were vanquilhcd (Gil- 

 lies, vol. i. 221.), but Solon was deftined to render himfelf, 

 by Icgiflation, moft beneficial to his cotmtry. The general 

 opinion of his genius and virtues, joined to the experience 

 of his military talents, fuccefs in wars, and political addrtls, 

 had procured him diilinguifhed influence over the people. 

 His experienced abihty, and above all, his approved wlfdom 

 and equity, pointed him out for the noblell and moft fublime 

 employment of humanity, that of regulating the laws and 

 government of a free people. Such, at Icaft, the Athenians 

 may be confidered, when their unanimous fuffrage rendered 

 Solon the abfolute umpire of their whole conftitution and 

 policy. When he undertook the reform of the itate, 

 tyranny and difordei- pre>ai!ed; the wretched populace, 

 deriving courage from dcfpair, had determined no longer to 

 fubmit to fuch multiplied rigours; and, before the wifdom 

 of the lawgiver interpofed, they had taken the refolutioii to 

 elecl and follow fome warlike leader, to attack and butcher 

 their oppreffors, eftabllfh an equal partition of lands, and In- 

 ftitute a new form of government. But the numerous cli- 

 ents and retainers, who, in a counti-y little acquainted with 

 arts and manufaftures, depended on the wealthy proprietors 

 of the lands and mines of Attica, rendered this undertaking 

 alike dangerous to both parties; fo that both became wiUing 

 rather to fubmit their differences to law, than to decide 

 them by the iwoid. The impartiality of Solon merited the 

 unlimited confidence of his country. He maintained the 

 ancient divifion of property, but aboliflied debts: he efta- 

 bliflied the rate of intercft at 12 per cent, at which it after- 

 wards remained; but forbade that the infolvent d-btor Ihould 

 become the flave of his creditor, or be compelled to fell his 

 children into fervitude. After thefe preliminary regulations, 

 which feemcd immediately neceft'ary to the public peace, 

 Solon proceeded, with an impartial and fteady hand, to new 

 model the government; on this generous, but equitable 

 principle, that a few ought not, as hitherto, command, and 

 the many obey; but that the collective body of the people, 

 legally convened into a national affembly, were entitled to 

 decide, by a plurality of voices, the alternatives of peace and 

 war; contract or diffolve alliances with foreign ftates; enjoy 

 all the branches of legiflative or fovereign power; and eleft, 

 approve, and judge the magiftrates or minifters entruftcd, 

 for a ILiiited time, with the executive authority. Strangers, 



and 



