HISA07H3 Chapter : Week 9 - HIS.docx
Document Summary
Ramshackle fortress on a hill, not a grand city until later in history. Sympoliteia (being together in politics) brought attica roughly 1000 sq miles came under athens" control by the 8th century. Athens" earliest gvn"ts = aristocratics and small set of families controlled its military and judicial affairs. Clans continued to dominate athenian life despite the failed coup of cylon and the. Draconian laws of draco: tried to override old aristocratic system and set themselves as rulers of athens. Solon, an aristocrat with a reputation for wisdom was empowered to draw up new laws that would alleviate the sufferings of the poor. Solon"s first act was to make it illegal to secure a debt on an athenian person"s freedom, and he freed those who had already been enslaved in debt. In this bold measured called the seisachtheia (shaking off of burdens) athenians" shackles of debt were removed. Solon did not ban the enslavement of non-athenians.
