Ancient Athens Social Crisis

Social Crisis in Athens

• Athenian nobility faced an economic and social crisis that undermined their power and affected the whole community.
• In 632 or 636, Cylon, a nobleman and former Olympic victor, attempted to seize power but was thwarted by armed peasants who saved the situation for the authorities.

Cylon's Attempt and its Aftermath

• Cylon's attempt showed general disturbance and unrest, but also a united front against tyranny.
• The people in arms had become a serious danger to the ruling class.
• Shortly after, Dracon introduced the first written codification of laws, granting the people some safety against arbitrary jurisdiction.

Dracon's Legislation

• Dracon's code distinguished between murder and manslaughter, with the penalty for unpremeditated murder being exile.
• This law marked the beginning of the end of blood-vengeance and private punishment in Athens.

Social and Economic Conditions

• The poor, including women and children, were in servitude to the rich, and all the land was in the hands of a few.
• The rich could buy out farmers, leading to the accumulation of land and wealth.
• Small farms were being divided, making it likely that many peasants fell into debt.

Solution Needed

• A wise and courageous leader was needed to address the social and economic crisis.
• Solon, in one of his poems, renders an account of his actions, including freeing the land from the horoi (boundary stones or markers).