Solons Initial Economic Reforms example essay topic

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 Mytilene 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 Me gera 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 sympathies 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 sorting out the turmoil that threatened to desolate Athens. He was against the gasping nature of the poor and the arrogance of the rich.

Finally in 594 Solon was chosen as the archon of Athens 'for the rich were ready to accept him as a man of wealth and the poor as a man of principles. Solon had many aims but his outstanding objective was the wellbeing of the whole community rather than of just one specific class. He felt in order to achieve this he aimed for eun omia a reign of good order. He felt it imperative to create a balanced and fair situation in order to do this he had to first take away the grievances of the poor. Solons initial economic reforms were in order to calm the threat of civil war. He started what is known as seisachtheia 'the shaking off of burdens'.

Before this there was a terrible situation for the peasants of Athens many did not own there own land and farmed that of a noble they would be obliged to give them a proportion of what they had grown if they could not do this due to poor harvest they would be they would have to take a loan and when they were unable to pay this loan back they were enslaved by there debtor. Solons first reform was to there for the cancellation of all the debts which involved giving as security the personal freedom of the peasants all those who had been made slaves now became free. In order to stop the peasants being caught in this situation again he made a law that prevented loans being secured in this manor. He called for the removal of all hori these were the stones that marked out the land this subsequently eliminated the class of hektemoroi.

There was then the return of all of the slaves who had been abroad it is unknown just how this was achieved but it is thought that he purchased the people returned them to Athens and then set them free. All the people that had been exiled were now free to return to Athens. These reforms were extremely radical and they were also unexpected. Solon reforms as radical as they were did not solve every thing, yes the peasants were now free but nothing was done about the conditions which had led to the peasants being forced to borrow money in the first place. The peasants were left with out land upon which to begin there new free lives. Subsequently many peasants were left dissatisfied with there hopes dashed of some of the some of land being redistributed from the wealthy.

The wealthy were even more dissatisfied by these economic reforms. They had lost control over large areas of land that the hektemoroi had previously worked for them. They lost the interest upon there loans. They did however retain there estates. Solon put a limit upon the amount of land that an individual could on to reduce the threat of powerful estates arising. This is a quote that Plutarch wrote upon this issue 'at first his policy did not please either party.

The rich were angry about being deprived of there securities, and the poor even moor so, because Solon did not carry out a redistribution of the land as they had expected or impose a strictly equal and uniform style of living upon everyone. 'In order to relieve this problem Solon encouraged many peasants to take up a craft. He also placed a ban on all exports of food goods in order to prevent a famine as the peasants were short of food. Solon also changed the currency of Athens so that it could improve its trading links.

Solons political reforms were also very extreme. In the years Before Solon there had been three classes determined by military status. When Solon came to power he took a census and changed the classes according to wealth. There were the pentacosiomedimmi men with more than 500 bushels a year, hippies over 300, zeugitae over 200 and the the tes these were the peasants with fewer than 200 bushels a year.

Political writes were then subsequently associated with the wealth and class of these people. Pentacosiomedimmi were eligible for all of the top positions they also had a new council of 400. The hippies were now eligible for lower position of state they to have a new council of 400. Zeugitae could hold some position of slate and they had a council. But the major reform was that for the first time all citizens were able to attend the assemble this was something that was very alien to people at this time. Now every one had an input in to the running of the polis at the assemble the boule which was the council of 400 made up of the top three classes would prepare the agenda for the assemble and then these issues would be discussed and voted upon at the assemble.

After Solon had been in power he left Athens for ten years. In summary was Solon the father of democracy I think not but it is certain that if is was not for Solon and his radical reforms that democracy would not have risen in Athens so I feel he paved the way for it. Solons economic were very effective he took the first steps towards making Athens a free nation for all however he failed to go far enough. Instead of solving the problems he simple elevated them a paved the way for future discontent. His encouragement of trade and industry and made it possible for people to better them self in the future and move up the classes. His social reforms and the re classing of people helped the situation for the people however it just made the society one that was simple determined by money and this had inevitable problems associated with it.

His political reforms were these that really made a difference and because they were so new and unexpected. Solon was a great man who had the wellbeing of Athens in his heart..