In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life and legacy of Solon (c. 630 – c. 560 BC), the Archaic Athenian statesman revered as one of the Seven Sages of Greece,. Faced with a city-state paralyzed by economic inequality and harsh Draconian laws, Solon was granted extraordinary authority to reform the government and save Athens from civil strife.

Join us as we discuss:

• The Seisachtheia: Solon’s radical "shaking off of burdens," which cancelled debts, removed boundary markers, and outlawed the enslavement of citizens used as security for loans,,.
• Constitutional Overhaul: How Solon repealed most of Draco’s laws and restructured Athenian society into four classes—such as the pentakosiomedimnoi and the thetes—based on agricultural wealth rather than noble birth,,.
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