Solon (c 658-558 BC) is famous as both statesman and poet but also, and above all, as the paramount lawmaker of ancient Athens. Though his works survive only in fragments, we know from the writings of Herodotus and Plutarch that his constitutional reforms against the venality, greed and political power-play of Attica's tyrants and noblemen were hugely influential-and may even be said to have laid the foundations of western democracy. Solon's legal injunctions covered the widest range of topics and issues: economics and labour; sexual morality; social issues; and society and politics. Yet despite their fame and influence (and Solon's life and work generated a lively reception history), no complete edition of these writings has yet been published. This book offers the definitive critical edition of Solon's laws that has long been needed. It comprises the original Greek fragments with English translations, commentaries, a comprehensive introduction and important comparative Latin texts. It will be enthusiastically welcomed by specialists in ancient Greek language and history.

Solon of Athens was an historical figure of great significance, quoted by some 115 classical and post-classical authors. Yet in terms of recent scholarship, no one since Woodhouse (1938) has written exclusively on Solon, and not since Linforth (1919) has there been a commentary on each individual fragment of Solon's poetry. This book fills a significant gap in Greek scholarship in terms of historical analysis, political development, and the beginnings of philosophy in the Greek archaic period. The book addresses the historical, social, and political contexts within which Solon of Athens instituted wide-ranging reforms to the Athenian constitution (594-93 BCE). It also looks at the impact of those reforms on the growing political self-awareness of the archaic Athenians themselves and the developing ethical and political philosophies that drove reform. The book provides a detailed and comprehensive commentary on each of the 43 extant fragments of Solon's poetry. In the light of modern scholarship, the book sets out the story of Solon's life and examines the nature of the entrenched and threatening political and economic crisis which led to his appointment to high political office. It discusses the manner and consequences of Solon's appointment, identifying both the underlying causes of the crisis and the general outlines of the reform measures adopted by Solon. As well, the book explores both the philosophy and the concept of 'justice' that appears to have underpinned Solon's reform agenda.

This book examines the meaning of justice or dike in the political poems of Solon from a new interpretative perspective. The first two chapters argue that neither standard historical nor literary treatments have provided an adequate foundation for understanding Solon’s dike. The main defect lies in an inability to connect Solon’s concrete political work with his poetic perceptions. The book’s central proposal is that the polis idea, from new classical archaeology, provides an objective standard for an interpretation of Solon’s dike, which remedies this defect. The third chapter sets forth the polis idea, which becomes the measure for an examination, in the final two chapters, of Solon’s view of dike. The book thus exhibits an interdisciplinary approach to Archaic poetry.

Now available in paperback for the first time, this collection of essays by specialists in the field offers fundamentally new perspectives on the poetry, laws, and historical facts associated with the figure of Solon of Athens.