A T H 



fliorld be accompanied by certain hymns. As wliile fpfak- 

 ing lie fc'trmtd agitated witli a divine infpiration, his iinpc- 

 tiious eloqin;:ice was ineiiftiblc. He availed himfelf of the 

 afcendi-ncy he had acquired, to efTedl fevtra! changes in the 

 rehgious cenmonies, aid in the manners of the people ; and 

 by various ufcfi.l rei;riilations, he endeavoured to bring the 

 Athenians to the two priiiciples of focial union and jiillice. 

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

 extended, was very inadequate to the evils. The people 

 were ilill fuffering under combined anarchy and opprelTion; 

 the magiitrates plundered the trcafury and ih; temples; and 

 often betrayed for bribes the intertfts of their country : 

 the rich tyrannifed over the poor, the poor continually 

 alarmed the fafety of the rich : the rapacity of creditors 

 knew no bounds ; they compelled tlie infolvent debtors to 

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

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

 their fons and daughters, whom they exported as flaves 

 to forcio-n countries. In fuch a dillrelTed fituation, there 

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

 celebrated fage firft cillinguifhed himfelf by military policy 

 and warlike efforts. The Athenians had been long engaged 

 in a war againll the Megarenfians, concerning the ifland of 

 Salamis; fatigued and broken by tedious and arduous hofti- 

 lities, they abandoned the cnterprife in dcfpair, and even 

 made a law enatling the punifiiment of death againft any 

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

 aware of the importance of a poffeflion that commanded the 

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

 glorious as well as impolitic, ardently defired to roufe his 

 countrymen to more vigorous counfels; but the new penal 

 law rcllrained his efforts. At length he devifcd an expe- 

 dient for patriotically tranfgreffing the pufilianimous law, 

 and avoiding the punifhm.ent. He accordingly counter- 

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

 aftually 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 verfcs, ftrong and imprefllve, 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 occupied 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 dcferter, 

 and to tell the Megarenfian«, that if they defired to feizc the 

 chief Athenian women, to make all failtoCoUas. Thr Mega- 

 renfians, taking the ftory for truth, prefcntly manned a lliip ; 

 and Solon defcrying this (hip jutl as it put off from tlie 

 ifland, commanded the women to be gone, and ordered 

 feme beardlefs youths, drefled in thcfe women's clothes, their 

 Ihoes and mitres, and privately armed with daggers, to dance 

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

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

 the Megarenfians were allured with the appearance, and, 

 coming near the fliore, ftrove who fliould leap out firfl, 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 %vhich 

 Solon thus acquired, he foon increafed by his policy and 

 conduft with regard to another fubjedt of foreign policy. 



The Crifleans were a flourifliing Hate, not far from Del- 

 phi, and, commanding the approaches to that rendezvous 

 cf Grecian fuperllition, derived confiderable emolument 

 irom the expenoes of the d«yoteeti. But with tbefe advan- 



A T n 



tares they were rot fatisfied; they began to exaft vexatious 

 aiid txoibilanl duties from t! e r.erehaiits wlio came to ex- 

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

 great concourfc of pi\.fligate pilgrims from every quarter, 

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

 tion, vanity, and licentious plcafure. It was in vain for the 

 merchants to exclaim againll thcfe unexampled inr.p(.fitions; 

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

 the cxpeftation of either remedy or relief ; and the ftrangcrs, 

 famiharifed to it by cuftom, began to fiibmit without mur- 

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

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

 the increafed price of their commodities. Encouraged by 

 this acquiefeence in their tyranny, the Crifleans levied a 

 feveve impoll on tlie pilgrims, whether Greeks or Barbarians, 

 who vifiled the temple of Apollo; a meafure diicdly incon- 

 fiftent with a decree of the AmphiAyons, which declared 

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

 extremely hurtful to the iiitcrell of the Delphians, who foon 

 felt a gradual diminution of their profits from the holy 

 flirine. The Crifleans, totally regardlefs of the fentiments 

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

 cumftances of aggravating atrocity. Solon rouftdhis coun- 

 trymen to avenge the facrilege ; and to his ingenuity and fl<ill 

 it was chiefly owing that the Crifleans were vanquilhed (Gil- 

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

 by legiflation, moft beneficial to his country. The general 

 opinion of his genius and virtues, joined to the experience 

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

 had procured him dillinguiflied influence over the people. 

 His experienced ability, and above afl, his approved wifdom 

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

 employment of humanity, that of regelating the laws and 

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

 may be confidered, when their unanimous fuffragc rendered 

 Solon the abfolute umpire of their whole conilitution and 

 policy. When he undertook the reform of the Itate, 

 tyranny and difordei- pre> ailed; the wretched populace, 

 deriving courage from defpair, had determined no longer to 

 fubmit to fuch multiplied rigours; and, before the wifdom 

 of the lawgiver interpofed, they had taken the refolutioii to 

 elcCl and follow fome warlike leader, to attack and butcher 

 their oppreffors, eftablifli an equal partition of lands, and in- 

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

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

 arts and manufaflures, depended on the wealthy proprietors 

 of the lands and mines of Attica, rendered this undertaking 

 alike dangerous to both parties; fo that both became willing 

 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 debtor 'hould 

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

 children into fervitude. After thcfe preliminary regulations, 

 which feemcd immediately neceflary 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 aflembly, were entitled to 

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

 war; contract or diifolve alliances with foreign ftates; enjoy 

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

 approve, and judge the magiftrates or minifters cntruftcd, 

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



and 



