Solon

Life

Seisachteia
- = “shaking of burdens”
- One time cancellation of debts
- Before the reforms, it was established that if an Athenian couldn’t pay his debts, he would either be sold into slavery or he could flee
  - So lots of Athenians started coming back to Athens after this reform
No Athenian could hold other Athenian as a slave
Replacing the criterion of birth with the criterion of wealth
- Establishing 4 property classes
  - Pentacosiomeimnoi
    - “500 measure men”
    - The traditionally wealthy landowners
  - Hippeis
    - “Horsemen” or “knights”
    - Citizens wealthy enoigh to afford cavalry outfit
  - Zeutigae
    - “Yokemen”
    - Wealthy enough farmers to afford a hoplite armor
  - Thetes
    - All other citizens
- Most political offices were limited only to some classes, but all citizens could participate in the assembly
  - Ecclesia
    - Assembly of all citizens
- Right of legal intervention
  - Any citizen could intervene on behalf of other citizens legally
  - Right to transfer a legal case, before delivery of a verdict, from a magistrate to a jury court