1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. So back in twenty twenty, 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: we had an episode about Crisus of Lydia, and Sollen 5 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: came up in it, and I mentioned that Solin was 6 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: on my list, and then he came up again recently, 7 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: and when we did our most recent Eclipse episode, another 8 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: of the seven Stages of Greece, sta Ley's of my 9 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: leaders came up, and I was like, whoops, I forgot 10 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,840 Speaker 1: about Solin. And then I just randomly saw someone using 11 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: Solin as part of their username on social media. That 12 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 1: person was kind of being a jerk to people, frankly, 13 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: but I thought, okay, Universe, I get it. Go back 14 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: to Solin. So we're going to do that today. But 15 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: talking about Solin comes with a pretty significant caveat because 16 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: the main biographies about him that we have were written 17 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: by Aristotle and hundreds of years after his death. There's 18 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: a lot of very valid examination and criticism regarding how 19 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: much of any of the their four main biographies that 20 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: we have, how much of any of those feature accurate content. 21 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,759 Speaker 1: We don't have anything really in the way of primary 22 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,559 Speaker 1: sources in terms of Salin's writing. It's like a few 23 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 1: lines here and there that have survived. As historian Ivan 24 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: Mortimer lynfthrote in nineteen nineteen, quote, are we to suppose 25 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: that Aristotle owed nothing to earlier writers? Meaning that there's 26 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: almost certainly been a bending of truths or a shifting 27 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: of truths as one person's perspective is used as a 28 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: source and then viewed through the lens of another writer 29 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: who has their own perspective. And even those accounts that 30 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: we do have have all been translated by different people 31 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: with some differences that affect the way that we might 32 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: perceive Salin's life. And we're going to talk about one 33 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: such difference right out of the gate. So keep all 34 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:08,679 Speaker 1: of that in mind as we discuss this this merchant 35 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: slash civic leader slash military leader. Today, as we said, 36 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 1: Salin is considered to be one of the seven Sages 37 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: or wise men of Greece, and his actions are credited 38 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,679 Speaker 1: with sowing the seeds of what would become Athenian democracy. 39 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: He's kind of considered a founding father of Athens. In 40 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: what is sometimes perceived as its idealized state, but as 41 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: will become a parent, there's really no such thing, and 42 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 1: a lot of people get mad anytime people try to 43 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:44,959 Speaker 1: make changes. So here we go. Sollin was born around 44 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: six forty to six thirty BCE. A lot of sources 45 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: cite the year six thirty eight BCE as the specific year. 46 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: That's tough to really substantiate, though, given how far back 47 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: that is. His father was excess steed and their family 48 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: was considered high ranking in the social hierarchy of the time, 49 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: they didn't seem to have the wealth that often came 50 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: with that standing. Though his father was believed to be 51 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: descended from Kodras, one of the so called semi mythical 52 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,919 Speaker 1: kings of Athens, who is said to have reigned after 53 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: ten sixty eight BCE. On Solom's mother's side, he is 54 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: said to have had an intense friendship with the son 55 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: of his mother's cousin, that's a man named Paisistratus. In 56 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: Plutarch's biography of Solin, he writes that Soalen was said 57 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: to be passionately in love with Paisistratus. That is according 58 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: to one translation, but another translation, which was translated in 59 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: eighteen ninety five by John Dryden, is less direct about 60 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: the possibility of a romantic attachment between the men, stating quote, 61 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: and they say Solin loved him, And that is the 62 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: reason I suppose that when afterward they differed about the government, 63 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: their enmity never pretty any hot and violent passion. They 64 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: remembered their old kindnesses and retained still in its embers, 65 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: living the strong fire of their love and dear affection. 66 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: So I point that out just to note that like obviously, 67 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: different authors would not have been as comfortable suggesting whenever 68 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: they did their translation that these two men were romantically 69 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: affinitied towards one another, but others are very comfortable with it. 70 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: That is just one example of the ways that different 71 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: perspectives have shifted Salin's life story through the years. We 72 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: mentioned the already that Salin's family was not wealthy, and 73 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,920 Speaker 1: part of this was because his father quote had impaired 74 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: his estate in sundry benevolent charities. So Salin's father had 75 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: donated family money to various causes. In any case, Salin 76 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: had to work in his earliest career, and he had 77 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: a few was working as a merchant or a trader. 78 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:58,799 Speaker 1: According to the Plutarch biography, he had plenty of friends 79 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: who would have helped him out find Angeley, but quote, 80 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: since he was descended from a family who were accustomed 81 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: to do kindnesses rather than receive them, therefore applied himself 82 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: to merchandise in his youth. Though others assure us that 83 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 1: he traveled rather to get learning and experience than to 84 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: make money. Yeah, so he did travel a lot, and 85 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: we'll talk about it. Working as a merchant was not 86 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 1: stigmatized or considered shameful in Salin's time. Plutarch noted many 87 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 1: great men who have worked in the same field. The 88 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: reason Plutarch points it out is because when he was 89 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: writing many years later, that would have had a little 90 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 1: more stigma. Solin is credited with writing that he was 91 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: fine with having wealth, but not if it was gained 92 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: in some wrong way. So there's a moral element to 93 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: his relationship with money. There is also a bit of 94 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: what seems a contradiction, at least to Plutarch, in the 95 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: way that Salin moved in the world, because Solin considered 96 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: himself to be a relatively poor man, but he also 97 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: had plenty of experiences and a lot of things that 98 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: we would associate with wealth, which Plutarch reconciles as being 99 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: quote due to his mercantile life, which along with travel, 100 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:16,720 Speaker 1: came with a certain number of luxuries, and also the 101 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 1: necessity of like courting people when it came to interactions 102 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: of a business nature. But merchant work was not what 103 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 1: Salon became famous for. An ongoing conflict over occupation of 104 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: the island of Salamis was what eventually put Salon in 105 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: a position of notoriety. Athens and its neighboring city, Magara 106 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: had been at war over Salamis for a long time. 107 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: This island sat and sits between them. Both of them 108 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:48,679 Speaker 1: were depleted by this ongoing conflict. At this point, Magara 109 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 1: held the islands, but even in Athens, most people wanted 110 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,840 Speaker 1: a little bit of time to just rest and recuperate. 111 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: According to that Dryden translation, there were even laws on 112 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: the books in Athens that quote, no one in the future, 113 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,159 Speaker 1: on pain of death, should move in writing or orally 114 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: that the city take up its contention for Salamis. Uh 115 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: Salon apparently did not agree with the idea of just 116 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: taking a breather from this war, and he found it 117 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: to be so disgraceful that the leadership of Athens was like, 118 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: let's just drop this. Uh. He found it so disgraceful that, 119 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: according to Plutarch, he created a ruse to enable himself 120 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: to speak out on the matter, even though that was illegal. Yeah, 121 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: So that ruse was that Salen pretended to be mad, or, 122 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: as Dryden translates it, out of his head, and his 123 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 1: family is said to have actually shared the information that 124 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: Salon was not in his right mind with authorities, kind 125 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: of laying this groundwork that he clearly, you know, should 126 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: not be held accountable for things that he said, so 127 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: that if and when he said something that was perceived 128 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: as illegal or inappropriate, everyone would know he's not really responsible, 129 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: and thus he would have the death penalty. This was 130 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: all part of a bigger plan because it set the 131 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: stage for an oration that Salen had been preparing. He 132 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: had written it out and memorized it, and when he 133 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: felt ready, he walked out into the marketplace and it 134 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: was already crowded, but a crowd continued to gather and 135 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: he addressed those present, and this was a poem that 136 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 1: he called Salamis, and it opened with the lines quote, 137 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: behold in me a herald come from lovely Salamis with 138 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: a song and ordered verse instead of a harangue. This poem, 139 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 1: which was one hundred verses long, was apparently quite moving 140 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: and inspired not only praise but also a renewed desire 141 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: to once again take Salamis back from Magara and to 142 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: change that law. And when the decision was made to 143 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: return to warring over the island, Athenians put Solin in 144 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:54,560 Speaker 1: charge of the military effort. So this does kind of 145 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 1: open the question of why a merchant would be put 146 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,680 Speaker 1: in such a position and also why he was willing 147 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 1: to risk the death penalty to speak out about the 148 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: issue in the first place. While Plutarch characterizes this as 149 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: a matter of Athenian pride, there are other factors that 150 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 1: should be considered. For one, Salin's family was from Salamis, 151 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: Salin was born there, so he did feel an attachment 152 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: to that island and he wanted it to be part 153 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: of Athenian territory. But there was also a matter of money. 154 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: In an article titled Solon and the Meagarian Question, which 155 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: was published in the Journal of Hellenistic Studies in nineteen 156 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 1: fifty seven, writer A French notes quote the war for 157 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: Salamis was most probably fought to make possible the free 158 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,479 Speaker 1: use to Athenian ships of the ports of southern Attica, 159 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: as well as to open the route to the Isthmus 160 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: of Corinth. Perhaps even with Salamis in enemy hands, Athenian 161 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: ships or ships trading with Athenians had managed to run 162 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,559 Speaker 1: into the ports of southern Attica, and no doubt the 163 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: attempted molesting of such ships had helped to keep the 164 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: struggle alive. But it is hard to believe that any 165 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 1: great volume of trade would have regularly passed this dangerous way, 166 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 1: and that there was a volume of trade is fairly 167 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: substantiated not only by the Athenian success against Magara, implying 168 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 1: the existence of substantial naval strength, but also by the 169 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: career of Solon himself, by Solomon's measures affecting international trade, 170 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: and by the distribution of early Attic pottery. So to 171 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: sum that up a bit, Solin's oration was likely informed 172 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: and motivated by his work. If Solomis was not controlled 173 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: by Athens, Athenian merchants like himself were likely losing some 174 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: of their potential business. Even in the Plutarch account, two 175 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:47,119 Speaker 1: different versions of how the Athenian effort to retake Salamis 176 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: played out, and one the Athenians led a trap. That's 177 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: another ruse that was attributed to Solon, and this trap, 178 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: they sent a fake informant to the Megarians to tell 179 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:03,199 Speaker 1: them where the quote chief Athenian women were making their 180 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: usual sacrifices to series. This was suggesting that the Megarians 181 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: could easily capture the women there. But when the troops 182 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: of Magara acted on this information and arrived at the 183 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: Cape of Colias, the Athenians were waiting there. They were 184 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 1: not women, they were clean shaven men who had disguised 185 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 1: themselves as women. According to Plutarch's version, none of the 186 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: Megarians got away. The Athenians were able to sail to 187 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 1: Salamis very easily and seize it. As an aside, the 188 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 1: Cape of Colias was an area to the west of 189 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: that region of Attica, that's the historical region of Attica 190 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: that contained the city of Athens. So in the second 191 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: possible way that things went down, Salin got a message 192 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 1: from the oracle at Delphi that he had to make 193 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: offerings to the heroes of Salamis, which he did, and 194 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: then he gathered five hundred men of Athens and mounted 195 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: a small fleet and anchored off the coast of Salamis, 196 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: and when a Megarian show went out to scout the area, 197 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: Saloon's men took it, and then they sailed that ship 198 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:08,679 Speaker 1: back to Salamis for a sneak attack. At the same time, 199 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: Salon mounted a ground assault, and while he and the 200 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: men with him engaged the army of Megara, the men 201 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: who were on that ship were able to attack from 202 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 1: the other side. But this actually doesn't sound like a win. 203 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:25,640 Speaker 1: Both sides continued to fight, and eventually Spartans were called 204 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: in to arbitrate the situation. The Spartans who examined the 205 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 1: information and made their determinations over who the victor was were, 206 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: according to Plutarch, Critulaitis, Amampharidas, Hipsychitis, Annexilis, and Cleomenes. And 207 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: they heard both sides of things, which included some wheeling 208 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: and dealing about various people being given citizenship in Athens 209 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 1: as a potential way to work things out, and also 210 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: how the dead were to be buried, And then they 211 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: ultimately determined that Salin's Athenian forces had won the battle 212 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 1: and the island up. We'll talk about the responsibility Solon 213 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 1: was given after his military triumph first, though we will 214 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:18,440 Speaker 1: pause for a sponsor break. As a result of his 215 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 1: massive success at Salamis, Solen was made the arkhon of Athens, 216 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 1: So that word arkhan lends itself to a little bit 217 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:29,680 Speaker 1: of fuzziness, depending on what definition you're looking at. Beginning 218 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: in six point eighty two BCE, Athens had moved to 219 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 1: a governance structure in which arkhan served for one year 220 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 1: terms of leadership. This was a change from the previous 221 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: setup where arkans had lifetime appointments, and of course that's 222 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 1: a change from a whole previous thing. But for the 223 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: context of arkon, to become an arkon, you had to 224 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: be elected, but you were elected by previous arkhans. Commoners, 225 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,479 Speaker 1: so to speak, did not have a voice. This evolved 226 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 1: over the course of a couple of decades to be 227 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:01,319 Speaker 1: almost a committee or council style of power structure called 228 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: the areopagus, where nine arkons led Athens. Plutarch's description of 229 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: Solon in this role, which he likely stepped into in 230 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: the five nineties BCE, mentions it as singular, though sometimes 231 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,199 Speaker 1: he's called the chief Arkon, so he is either the 232 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: only one or the one that is leading this group, 233 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 1: depending on which translation you look at. Plutarch quotes the 234 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 1: oracle of Delphi calling Solon the pilot of Athens, and 235 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: that's because he was considered chief Arkon. The rest that 236 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: would have been there acted as a council kind of 237 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: under him, and that too, was a setup that had evolved. 238 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 1: There were different names for different positions within that group 239 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 1: of the rest of the Arkans, but having a chief 240 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: Arkon had led to infighting among the aristocratic families, who 241 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: all wanted their guide to be the chief Arkhan. Of course, 242 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: some Arkons in various points had refused to give up 243 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: their power when their year was up, and that led 244 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 1: to additional infighting. H this was a time when Athens 245 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: really needed a good life. There was a very unbalanced 246 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: situation playing out economically. Most of the wealth was in 247 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: the hands of just a handful of Athenians. In terms 248 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: of landholdings, almost all the agricultural land that supported people 249 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: with food was owned by that small ruling group, and 250 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: they had acquired it on the cheap when struggling farmers 251 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: had needed to sell it. The rest of the people 252 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: were in situations similar to indentured servitude or sharecropping, and 253 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 1: that progressed into enslavement. The common people who worked the 254 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: land had to pay one sixth of the value of 255 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 1: their crops to the owners of that land, and if 256 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: their payments fell short for any reason, their debts were 257 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: paid with their own bodies or those of their families. 258 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 1: They basically became enslaved to the landowners. In some cases, 259 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 1: people became enslaved when they took loans from the wealthy 260 00:15:55,760 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: they offered their families as collateral. They're really just wasn't 261 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: any way to gain enough income working the lands to 262 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 1: pay off a debt, So this was a losing arrangement 263 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: for anybody except people who were already wealthy. And then 264 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 1: once a person became enslaved, they could be forced to 265 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: continue working as farmers or they could be sold off. Yeah, 266 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: in some cases they were sold off to people in 267 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 1: other countries or other city states. So it was just 268 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: a completely unstable structure. This entire economic problem was further 269 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: complicated by the politics at the time. The leadership positions 270 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: of Athens could only be held by members of the aristocracy, 271 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 1: and they were certainly not going to amend any laws 272 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: to lose their power over everyone else, since most people 273 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 1: were in some degree of predicament or danger in terms 274 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: of owing landowners' money or being enslaved to them, or 275 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: being on the precipice of that situation. The vast majority 276 00:16:56,400 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: of Athens was calling for reform, and Sullen, who was 277 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 1: outside of this particular structure as a merchant, but who 278 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: was also from a noble family and who was perceived 279 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,919 Speaker 1: as the hero who had retaken Salamis, was looked to 280 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: as the person who could figure this whole problem out. 281 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 1: According to Plutarch, quote, then the wisest of the Athenians, 282 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 1: perceiving Solon was, of all men, the only one not 283 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,399 Speaker 1: implicated in the troubles, that he had not joined in 284 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:27,040 Speaker 1: the exactions of the rich and was not involved in 285 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:30,199 Speaker 1: the necessities of the poor, pressed him to succor the 286 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:34,919 Speaker 1: commonwealth and compose the differences. He was specifically asked to 287 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: mediate the resolution and to find a way that Athenians 288 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: and Athens could move forward before the city state tore 289 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: itself apart from the inside. Plutarch and Aristotle described Soloon 290 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,159 Speaker 1: as being really reluctant to take this role because he 291 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,680 Speaker 1: knew no matter what he did, he was likely going 292 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,439 Speaker 1: to anger people. He had apparently become known for saying, 293 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:58,360 Speaker 1: according to Plutarch quote, when things are even, there can 294 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:02,159 Speaker 1: never be war. But it seems that everyone, regardless of 295 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 1: their wealth, perceived this to mean that they would get 296 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:07,400 Speaker 1: the best end of the deal in terms of what 297 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:11,160 Speaker 1: evenness meant. So the wealthy thought that this meant everyone 298 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: would get their fair amount based on their value and 299 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:16,439 Speaker 1: standing in society, which would mean they still got a 300 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:18,639 Speaker 1: whole bunch of money or a whole bunch of land, 301 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: while the poor interpreted it as being a promise to 302 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: divide wealth and prosperity of Athens evenly among all of 303 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: its citizens. When he started this new role in five 304 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:34,200 Speaker 1: ninety four BCE, Salin made some bold moves. His first 305 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 1: move is frequently described as a racing all debt, but 306 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:41,400 Speaker 1: that might be an overstatement. It appears that the real 307 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: way he altered the debt system was to create laws 308 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: that forbade anyone from using themselves or their family as 309 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: financial collateral, and he enabled people to claim the land 310 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 1: that they worked as farmers, so that gave them the 311 00:18:56,160 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: financial footing to pay off their debts. He also emancipated 312 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: people who had been enslaved because of debt. Incidentally, he 313 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: was embroiled, according to Plutarch, in a mild scandal over 314 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: the idea of forgiving debts. Apparently, as he was working 315 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 1: through his ideas and what he was going to do, 316 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 1: he spoke with some of his friends about his plan 317 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:21,479 Speaker 1: to enact debt forgiveness. And then those friends with the 318 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 1: inside tip went and borrowed a bunch of money and 319 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: purchased land with it in anticipation of the debt soon 320 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 1: being erased. But again, debts weren't canceled outright. A lot 321 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: of them were restructured and their interest agreements amended to 322 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 1: more reasonable terms. And Solin himself had people who owed 323 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 1: him money and he fully forgave those debts, and that 324 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: kind of helped silence his critics on the matter. But 325 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: his friends who did not reverse their dealings they had 326 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 1: made were pretty much perceived as weasels after that. Naturally, 327 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 1: this whole debt forgiveness thing was not popular with the 328 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: aristocracy because they felt like their wealth had been diminished. 329 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 1: The whoorr also were not really happy because they thought 330 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: the wealth of Athens could be redistributed in a way 331 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:09,439 Speaker 1: that would give them more of it. Solin noted in 332 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 1: his writing that any other man would have made himself 333 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: rich with the power of the Arkon. Eventually, the initial 334 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 1: fury over the changes died down those changes were accepted. 335 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:24,120 Speaker 1: His debt relief efforts later came to be known as seisachthea, 336 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 1: which translates to shaking off of burdens. But Solin went 337 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,560 Speaker 1: further than that in changing Athens completely in his time 338 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:36,880 Speaker 1: as Arkan. He also laid out a completely new class system, 339 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: and this was designed to appease the wealthy by still 340 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 1: giving them positions of leadership within the government, and to 341 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:46,400 Speaker 1: appease those of the lower classes by still giving them 342 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: a voice in how Athens was run. He wrote a 343 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:52,640 Speaker 1: verse about his new system that went like this quote, 344 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 1: such power I gave the people as might do, abridged 345 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:59,399 Speaker 1: not what they had now lavish knew those that were 346 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,800 Speaker 1: great and wealth, health and high in place. My council 347 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: likewise kept from all disgrace before them. Both I held 348 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,640 Speaker 1: my shield of might, and let not either touch the others. Right, 349 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: The new system was based on what any given person had, 350 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 1: and used that as a way to sort them into 351 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: four categories. These accountings of holdings. They're translating slightly differently 352 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 1: depending on what translation you're reading. For example, in that 353 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:31,360 Speaker 1: John Dryden translation, the first group, called the pentacosoid medem noi, 354 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 1: had to have an estate that was worth quote, five 355 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 1: hundred measures of fruit, dry and liquid. Other translations assign 356 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 1: a value to that measure that's more recognizable to modern readers, 357 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: so the requirement is described as being that their land 358 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 1: needed to yield at least five hundred bushels of produce. 359 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: The second group was the hypaeus. These were people whose 360 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 1: production level was three hundred to five hundred bushels per 361 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: year or quote, that could keep a horse. Next was 362 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: the zugatai, with two hundred to three hundred bushels, and 363 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: the last group was the thetes, whose produce was estimated 364 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,159 Speaker 1: at less than two hundred bushels. People who worked the 365 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 1: land as laborers but did not own it were automatically 366 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 1: put into that last group as well. It kind of 367 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: became a catch all. And the reason for all this 368 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: accounting and sorting was that in Solon's new system, different 369 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: levels of the social strata would have different degrees of 370 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: agency in government. So members of the first two classes 371 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: could hold public office. Members of the third class could 372 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 1: hold lesser roles in government. Members of the fourth thetes 373 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:41,479 Speaker 1: group could not hold public office, but they could quote 374 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: come to assembly and act as jurors. Clutarch describes this 375 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:50,399 Speaker 1: as an enormous privilege, noting that this meant they had 376 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 1: a say in all the many disputes that were argued legally. 377 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: But to some historians it seems more likely that overall 378 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: the lives of people in the Thetes class didn't change 379 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 1: all that much, although they did have legal equality in 380 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:07,360 Speaker 1: a way they hadn't had before. Some of this, according 381 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 1: to Plutarch, was because he was cagey about the way 382 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 1: he wrote his laws. Quote. Besides, it is said that 383 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 1: he was obscure and ambiguous in the wording of his 384 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,440 Speaker 1: laws on purpose to increase the honor of his courts. 385 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: For since their differences could not be adjusted by the letter, 386 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 1: they would have to bring all their causes to the judges, 387 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: who thus were, in a manner masters of the laws, 388 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: so knowing that any dispute would have a lot of 389 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,920 Speaker 1: gray area no matter the social class levels of each 390 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: of the parties involved, they would have to go before 391 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: a court to make their cases, so everyone's positions would 392 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: be heard. So that sounds like maybe a pretty clever 393 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: trick on Solin's part, But it has gotten a lot 394 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:53,920 Speaker 1: of criticism over the centuries, and we're going to talk 395 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: about some of that criticism after we hear from the 396 00:23:56,240 --> 00:24:08,879 Speaker 1: sponsors who keep the show going. The vague nature of 397 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 1: Solin's law writing has been criticized by many overtime, most 398 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:16,959 Speaker 1: notably by Aristotle. Aristotle did not believe the story that 399 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 1: Salen had carefully crafted nebulous laws to ensure a sort 400 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 1: of equality. Writing quote. This, however, is not probable, and 401 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,959 Speaker 1: the reason, no doubt, was that it is impossible to 402 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:31,160 Speaker 1: attain ideal perfection when framing a law in general terms, 403 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:34,679 Speaker 1: for we must judge of his intentions not from the 404 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 1: actual results in the present day, but from the general 405 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: tenor of the rest of his legislation. Aristotle did, though, 406 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: acknowledge that this nebulous law writing resulted in greater representation 407 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 1: in the courts for the lower classes. Another change that 408 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: Salin made was to wipe the Draconian laws almost entirely 409 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: off the books. Draco had been a leader of Athens 410 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:02,400 Speaker 1: a couple of decades before Solon and had laid down 411 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: a lot of very strict laws, where the word draconian 412 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: comes from. Most crimes, even minor ones like stealing a 413 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: piece of fruit, were punishable by death. Plutarch relays the 414 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 1: story of Draco being asked why his laws insisted that 415 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 1: even the mildest crimes carried death sentences, and his reply was, quote, 416 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: small ones deserve that, and I have no higher for 417 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:31,359 Speaker 1: the greater crimes. This ideology was very unpopular, so Solin 418 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: repealed all except for the laws that related to homicide. Yeah, 419 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 1: especially when you consider that in the greater context of 420 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 1: the economic problems we're talking about, where people didn't have 421 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: enough to eat, they didn't have any money because they 422 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: had to give it all towards these mounting debts, there 423 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 1: were probably a lot of people stealing food, and like 424 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 1: the idea that they were going to die so that 425 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 1: their family could have bread was just seen as really, 426 00:25:56,320 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 1: really over the top. The new laws under Solin were 427 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: much more reasonable. There are some varying interpretations of how 428 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: they came to be. Salon is sometimes credited with creating 429 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 1: a council of four hundred, that's one hundred men from 430 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:14,159 Speaker 1: each of the four tribes of Athens, which, according to 431 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:17,879 Speaker 1: Aristotle he quote, assigned to the Council of the Areopagus 432 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:21,680 Speaker 1: the duty of superintending the laws, acting as before as 433 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: the guardian of the constitution. In general, it kept watch 434 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:27,239 Speaker 1: over the affairs of state in most of the more 435 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:31,400 Speaker 1: important matters, and corrected offenders with full powers to inflict 436 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: either fines or personal punishment. But it should be noted 437 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: that Salon did not invent the idea of the Council 438 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:41,119 Speaker 1: of four hundred. Draco had done the same thing, although 439 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: his obviously worked in a different way. Aristotle also describes 440 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: the way that Salon set his new laws in clear 441 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: public view once they were made quote. The laws were 442 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:54,440 Speaker 1: inscribed on the wooden stands and set up in the 443 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:58,080 Speaker 1: king's porch, and all swore to obey them, and the 444 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 1: nine archons made oath upon the stone, declaring they would 445 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:06,400 Speaker 1: dedicate a golden statue if they should transgress any of them. 446 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:09,360 Speaker 1: This is the origin of the oath to that effect, 447 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: which they take to the present day. Salon ratified his 448 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: laws for one hundred years. One hundred years sounds like 449 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: a long time, And once he thought he had settled 450 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: all of the major problems, and set up a system 451 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:24,919 Speaker 1: that he believed would work for all of the people 452 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 1: of Athens. Salon stepped down from the position of Arkhan, 453 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 1: and he left. He had created legislation for inheritance, for crimes, 454 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 1: for how export and import would work, for how political 455 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: mechanisms worked, laws about marriage and dowries, and even a 456 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:43,440 Speaker 1: law that made it illegal to speak ill of the dead. 457 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 1: It was truly a comprehensive package of guidelines. And he 458 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 1: did not want to be tempted to change those rules. 459 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 1: And he did not want to hang around and let 460 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 1: people complain to him about those laws and try to 461 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:59,960 Speaker 1: get him to repeal them. And so, according to his legend, 462 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 1: and he started traveling, leaving Athens for ten years. Some 463 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: accounts indicate that the people of Athens promised to abide 464 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: by the laws that Salin had set forth, and that 465 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 1: that ten year period was also so that they could 466 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:16,880 Speaker 1: become completely established without people trying to change them. Not 467 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 1: all versions of Salin's life story include this. Plutarch's, for example, 468 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 1: leaves it out, but it does also suggest that Salin 469 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 1: made this decision after he had been harangued by people 470 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:29,760 Speaker 1: for a little bit where he was just like, I'm leaving. 471 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 1: Salin's first stop was Egypt, where he's said to have 472 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: studied with the most learned priests and learned about the 473 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: lost City of Atlantis, a tale he put into verse 474 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: to bring home and share with his fellow Greeks. He 475 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 1: then went to Cyprus and helped with the building of 476 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: a city by Demophon, who was the son of Theseus. 477 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:52,200 Speaker 1: So we mentioned at the top of the show that 478 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 1: Solon appears in the story of Criesus of Lydia, and 479 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 1: we mentioned that in our crisis episode, but we'll go 480 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:00,640 Speaker 1: over it again in a brief version. The way that 481 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:03,160 Speaker 1: one goes is that Salen decided to visit the king 482 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: he may have been summoned to the king, and that 483 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 1: Cresus spent their entire visit showing off all that he 484 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 1: had acquired, and even had the staff of his household 485 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: point out all of the lux items that the king 486 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: had to show this visiting Athenian that he was rich, rich, rich, 487 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 1: And then Crisus asked Salen who the most fortunate man 488 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,160 Speaker 1: he had ever seen was, expecting, of course, the answer 489 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 1: to be Crisus, but Salin said it was an Athenian 490 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 1: named Tellus, who had lived a good life and had 491 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:34,440 Speaker 1: good children who all survived to adulthood and had children 492 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 1: of their own, and that he had died an honorable death. 493 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: And then Crisus kept asking who the next most fortunate 494 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:43,640 Speaker 1: man was that Salen had met, hoping that the answer 495 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: would eventually be him, but it was always other people, 496 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:50,600 Speaker 1: often with much more mundane lives. And finally Crisus kind 497 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: of pressed Solin about why he wasn't on his list, 498 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 1: and the Athenian stated that he couldn't count any man 499 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: happy until his death, when he could see his life. 500 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:03,000 Speaker 1: In totality, it's a pretty good story, but it's really 501 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: a parable about what's actually valuable in life, And even 502 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 1: though Plutarch includes it in his account of Solin's life, 503 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: he himself kind of suggests that it's probably fiction and 504 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: notes that it doesn't fit the actual timeline of history, 505 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 1: writing quote that Solon should discourse with Creases. Some think 506 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 1: not agreeable with chronology, but I cannot reject so famous 507 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 1: and well attested a narrative, and what is more so, 508 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 1: agreeable to Solon's temper and so worthy his wisdom and 509 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 1: greatness of mind. The reason there were arguments about whether 510 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: it could be real is because Creases's rain would have 511 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: only begun kind of right as Solin's ten years away 512 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:44,120 Speaker 1: from Athens would have ended. And that's even if all 513 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:47,000 Speaker 1: of the dates that we think we know are correct, 514 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 1: which of course is its own problem. A lot of 515 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 1: them are estimates. Back home in Athens, things were not 516 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: going great. Initially, all of Salin's new laws and reforms 517 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 1: seems to work out okay, but after a few years 518 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 1: there was in fighting in discord. People started to jockey 519 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 1: for power, so when he got back it was kind 520 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: of a mess. People were glad to see him, but 521 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: he was too old to really take on the job 522 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: of totally reorganizing everything again. He did meet with leaders 523 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 1: of the various factions in this conflict to try to 524 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 1: help find a resolution, but a man named Pessistratus ultimately 525 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: seized power. Solin was deeply opposed to his rule and 526 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 1: protested it, even though he was quite old at this point, 527 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:36,800 Speaker 1: and his friends encouraged him to leave the city. He 528 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:41,960 Speaker 1: made speeches to try to stop the rising tyranny of Pisistratus. 529 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,360 Speaker 1: When Salin was asked why he felt so emboldened to 530 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 1: challenge Pisistratus, he answered that it was his old age. Yeah, 531 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 1: he was kind of like, I'm running on empty, I 532 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:55,640 Speaker 1: might as well gun it, like I'm I'm gonna fight 533 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: the power. But there is an interesting turn about that 534 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 1: happened where Pisistratus did not kill Solin, although a lot 535 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: of people expected him to instead. According to Plutarch, he 536 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:11,720 Speaker 1: quotes so extremely courted Solon, so honored him, obliged him, 537 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: and sent to see him that Salin gave him his 538 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 1: advice and approved many of his actions. For he retained 539 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: most of Soalin's laws, observed them himself, and compelled his 540 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:25,479 Speaker 1: friends to obey. So there's an interesting thing here right 541 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: where Pisistratus is considered a tyrant most of the time 542 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 1: if you look him up today, because he gained his 543 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 1: power by force, But he is also credited with making 544 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 1: Athens very prosperous and kind of bringing about an age 545 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:43,640 Speaker 1: of not just prosperity but stability. The length of time 546 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: that Salen lived after the rule of Pisistratus is really 547 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: different among the varying accounts. Some say just a couple 548 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 1: of years, others a very long time. He worked on 549 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:57,640 Speaker 1: his verse story about Atlantis toward the end of his life, 550 00:32:57,640 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 1: but was not able to finish it. It said that 551 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 1: when he died, his ashes were scattered around Salamis, in 552 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,960 Speaker 1: accordance with his wishes. But Plutarch writes quote, the story 553 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: that his ashes were scattered about the island Salamis is 554 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:13,840 Speaker 1: too strange to be easily believed or be thought anything 555 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:17,200 Speaker 1: but a mere fable, And yet it is given, amongst 556 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:21,520 Speaker 1: other good authors, by Aristotle the philosopher. This cracks me 557 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:24,920 Speaker 1: up because he's like, well, so many people said he 558 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: met Criesus. That must have happened, But this whole scattering 559 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 1: of ashes seems bananas. That couldn't have. Of the two, 560 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:35,360 Speaker 1: one is very easy to be believed. In my opinion, 561 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,560 Speaker 1: it just makes me giggle. So we have noted in 562 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 1: this episode that Solin wrote a lot of verse, so 563 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 1: I thought it seemed fitting to end with one brief 564 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 1: line that he wrote late in his life, which is 565 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:48,520 Speaker 1: a pretty good piece of advice, and I feel like 566 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:50,280 Speaker 1: is very much in the spirit of stuff you missed 567 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:53,840 Speaker 1: in history class, and that is each day grow older 568 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:58,920 Speaker 1: and learn something new. Sounds great to me sure, So 569 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:02,400 Speaker 1: finally I have knocked Solin off of my list. All 570 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:06,520 Speaker 1: Ray and the universe can stop sending me pro solid propaganda. 571 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:10,400 Speaker 1: Hopefully no more people called Solin being jerks on the 572 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:14,480 Speaker 1: internet especially. I mean, listen, people will always invoke any 573 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 1: philosopher and then kind of put together a profile of 574 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:20,839 Speaker 1: like just being cruel and mean because people just want 575 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:22,799 Speaker 1: to be mean on social media. That's fine. It wasn't 576 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:24,360 Speaker 1: mean to me. I just noticed he was being a 577 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:27,799 Speaker 1: jerk anyway. Don't be a jerk to people online or 578 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:31,719 Speaker 1: in your life. I have a fun piece of email 579 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:37,600 Speaker 1: about both popcorn and the way someone's family connects to 580 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:42,799 Speaker 1: history we've talked about. This is from our listener Ray, 581 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 1: who writes, Dear Holly and Tracy. In the behind the 582 00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:48,680 Speaker 1: Scenes about your History of Popcorn episode, you talked about 583 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:51,440 Speaker 1: different cooking methods and I needed to add to the list. 584 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:54,120 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure this was also something I got from 585 00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:57,359 Speaker 1: Alton Brown, so of course it works brilliantly. Just tossed 586 00:34:57,360 --> 00:34:59,719 Speaker 1: about a quarter cup of popcorn kernels in a brown 587 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:02,840 Speaker 1: paper lunch bag, add oil and seasonings if you like, 588 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:05,640 Speaker 1: and then add afterward like air popped, fold the end, 589 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:08,839 Speaker 1: and staple it closed. I'm going to have an aside here. 590 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:14,960 Speaker 1: I do remember there being a very early version of 591 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:17,680 Speaker 1: this where I think too it was Alton Brown that said, 592 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:20,959 Speaker 1: like you can use a staple, it will not cause 593 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:24,960 Speaker 1: problems in your microwave. However, if you look up his 594 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:28,399 Speaker 1: recipe today on Food Network or any of the other 595 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 1: websites that carry it, the staple is no longer recommended. 596 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:35,319 Speaker 1: It's a double fold that's like hard creased so that 597 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:37,960 Speaker 1: you don't run a foul of anything in your microwave. 598 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:42,480 Speaker 1: But then, I'm so my aside is ended. Don't put 599 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:47,080 Speaker 1: metal in your microwave, and microwave three continues the same 600 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 1: way you would store bought microwave popcorn. Now that I've 601 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:52,920 Speaker 1: gotten the important popcorn info in the real reason I 602 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,080 Speaker 1: wanted to write to you for years is just a 603 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:58,000 Speaker 1: fun fact that probably has little interest to anyone outside 604 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:01,759 Speaker 1: my family and friends. An interview about the Lower east 605 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:05,440 Speaker 1: Side Tenement Museum sometime before I started listening. I was 606 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:07,600 Speaker 1: excited to see it when I looked at the back catalog, 607 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:11,040 Speaker 1: because my family's apartment is preserved as an exhibit in 608 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:14,080 Speaker 1: that museum. They weren't mentioned in the episodes, but I 609 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:16,439 Speaker 1: remember going to the opening when I was a little kid, 610 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:19,359 Speaker 1: and it was so fascinating They do an incredible job 611 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:22,760 Speaker 1: with engaging young people and making connections to history, even 612 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:25,319 Speaker 1: for those who aren't literally looking at their great great 613 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:28,840 Speaker 1: aunts and uncles. I'm also including pictures of my senior 614 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:31,840 Speaker 1: pitbull Karma, not so much as pet tax as an 615 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 1: excuse to shove pictures of my dog in someone else's face. 616 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:37,840 Speaker 1: This week. Baby turned fifteen in January, and she's definitely 617 00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:43,320 Speaker 1: the best dog ever. No bias, Okay, one yes, popcorn 618 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:45,400 Speaker 1: at home, easy PC. You don't have to buy microwave. 619 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:48,319 Speaker 1: I buy microwaves sometimes because I'm lazy and it's pre 620 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 1: portioned and I don't have to think, and sometimes that's 621 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:53,640 Speaker 1: how I want to snack. But I have often used 622 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:56,880 Speaker 1: the paperbag trick and it works just fine. I love 623 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:59,520 Speaker 1: the idea of knowing that your family's apartment is part 624 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 1: of the ten museum. That is cool, and that is 625 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 1: a very cool museum. Karma is so cute. I want 626 00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: to kiss her face. Her eyes just stare right into 627 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:14,640 Speaker 1: my heart and they're so She's so cute. I love 628 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:18,800 Speaker 1: a pity. You know, they get a lot of bed press, 629 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:21,239 Speaker 1: But I have known some of the sweetest dogs I 630 00:37:21,239 --> 00:37:23,719 Speaker 1: have ever known in my life are pip bulls who 631 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:29,319 Speaker 1: are just big hunks of muscly adoration. They just want 632 00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:31,919 Speaker 1: to be a lappuppy and hugging kiss all the time. 633 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:36,680 Speaker 1: I love them. Yeah, I think there are probably people 634 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:41,439 Speaker 1: currently typing angry emails about metal in the microwave. I'm 635 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:44,759 Speaker 1: just gonna say there's some nuance to that. It's not 636 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:48,600 Speaker 1: a podcast to give advice on it. Yeah, listen, I 637 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:51,680 Speaker 1: just am My thing is I was like, always steer 638 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:56,040 Speaker 1: clear of any risk when it comes to your snacks. 639 00:37:57,160 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 1: There's just no reason to take a risk for a snack. 640 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,880 Speaker 1: So in the behind the scenes I will talk about 641 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:06,640 Speaker 1: a very silly experiment my husband and I did many 642 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:10,080 Speaker 1: mini Oh yeah, I know exactly the experiment you're talking about. Yes, 643 00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:13,200 Speaker 1: it was so fun. I highly recommend it in a 644 00:38:13,239 --> 00:38:16,279 Speaker 1: controlled situation. Ray. Anyway, Ray, thank you so much for 645 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:20,240 Speaker 1: sharing pictures of karma, once again invoking my favorite snack, 646 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,399 Speaker 1: and sharing your family's connection to the Tenement Museum. If 647 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:24,960 Speaker 1: you would like to write us, you can do so 648 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:28,399 Speaker 1: at History Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. You can also 649 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:31,200 Speaker 1: find us on social media as missed in History, and 650 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:33,080 Speaker 1: if you would like to subscribe to the show and 651 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:35,560 Speaker 1: you haven't yet. That is easy to do on the 652 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:37,880 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app or wherever it is you listen to your 653 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:45,600 Speaker 1: favorite shows. Stuff you Missed in History Class is a 654 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:50,000 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 655 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 656 00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:54,280 Speaker 1: favorite shows.