Page:History of Greece Vol III.djvu/154

 138 HISTORY OF GREECE. among Greeks, as well as foreigners, found a strcng and growing opposition at Athens, as I have already said, corroborated also by a similar feeling at Corinth. 1 The trade of Corinth, as well as of Chalkis in Euboea, was extensive, at a time when that of Athens had scarce any existence. But while the despotism of Periander can hardly have failed to operate as a discourage- ment to industry at Corinth, the contemporaneous legislation of Solon provided for traders and artisans a new home at Athens, giving the first encouragement 1o that numerous town-population both in the city and in the Peiraaeus, which we find actually residing there in the succeeding century. The multiplication of such town-residents, both citizens and metics, or non-freemen, was a capital fact in the onward march of Athens, since it determined not merely the extension of her trade, but also the preeminence of her naval force, and thus, as a farther consequence, lent ex traordinary vigor to her democratical government. It seems, moreover, to have been a departure from the primitive temper of Atticism, which tended both to cantonal residence and rural oc- cupation. We have, therefore, the greater interest in noting the first mention of it as a consequence of the Solonian legislation. To Solon is first owing the admission of a power of testamen- tary bequest at Athens, in all cases in which a man had no le- gitimate children. According to the preexisting custom, we may rather presume that if a deceased person left neither children nor blood relations, his property descended, as at Rome, to his gens and phratry. 2 Throughout most rude states of society, the power of willing is unknown, as among the ancient Germans, among the Romans prior to the twelve tables, in the old lawr of the Hindus, 3 etc. Society limits a man's interest or power of 1 Herodot. ii, 167-177: compare Xcnophon, (Economic, iv, 3. The unbounded derision, however, which Aristophanes heaps upon Klcon as a tanner, and upon Hyperbolas as a lamp-maker, proves that, if any man- ufacturer engaged in politics, his party opponents found enough of the old sentiment remaining to turn it to good account against him. i.6e'. TU xpf/ita,Ta KOI rbv O!KOV Kara/j.t-veiv, for that early day (Plutarch, Solon ; 21) : compare Meier, DC Gentilitate Attica, p. 33. 3 Tacitus, German, c. 20 ; Halhed, Preface to Gentoo Code, p. i, iii ; Mill's History of British India, b. ii, ch. iv, p. 214.
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