16.2
Solon, on the contrary, could not secure this feature in his commonwealth, since he was a man of the people and of modest station; yet he in no wise acted short of his real power, relying as he did only on the wishes of the citizens and their confidence in him. Nevertheless he gave offence to the greater part of them, who expected different results, as he himself says of them in the lines— Then they had extravagant thoughts of me, but now, incensed, All look askance at me, as if I were their foe Fragment 34 (Bergk); now verses 4 f. of a fragment of nine verses cited by Aristotle ( Const. of Athens., xii. 3. ). And yet had any other man, he says, acquired the same power, He had not held the people down, nor made an end Until he had confounded all, and skimmed the cream.
16.3
Soon, however, they perceived the advantages of his measure, ceased from their private fault-finding, and offered a public sacrifice, which they called Seisactheia, or Disburdenment. They also appointed Solon to reform the constitution and make new laws, laying no restrictions whatever upon him, but putting everything into his hands, magistracies, assemblies, courts-of-law, and councils. He was to fix the property qualification for each of these, their numbers, and their times of meeting, abrogating and maintaining existing institutions at his pleasure
17.1
In the first place, then, he repealed the laws of Draco, all except those concerning homicideCf. Aristot. Const Ath. 7.1. because they were too severe and their penalties too heavy. For one penalty was assigned to almost all transgressions, namely death, so that even those convicted of idleness were put to death, and those who stole salad or fruit received the same punishment as those who committed sacrilege or murder.
