Page:The City-State of the Greeks and Romans.djvu/158

134 giving them a political status by means of which they might care for themselves in future. His work is therefore complete; and if we would speak of him in terms appropriate to Hellenic life, we might call him the perfect Greek artist in the region of politics, who breathed a new spirit into what was conventional, and whose sense of proportion, order, and beauty were all kept in due subjection to the needs of everyday life.

The intent and the general character of Solon's first measures have an objective reality for us which is rare in ancient history, owing to the preservation of large fragments of his poems. It is plain from his own words that he meant not only to relieve immediate distress, but to prevent the poor of Attica from ever falling into servitude a second time. In other words, he wished to see a vigorous and industrious class in Attica, which should stand midway between the rich on the one hand, and the increasing slave population on the other. All outstanding debts incurred on the security of land or person were absolutely cancelled; the families who had been in a condition of serfdom were thereby freed; those who had preferred exile to bondage could return