chief business was to harangue and repeat his own verses The Spartans were little pleased with their new leader; but their veneration for the oracle kept them obedient to his commands. Their success, however, did not seem to improve with their duty: they suffered a defeat from Aristomenes; who, losing his shield in the pursuit, their total overthrow was prevented. A second and a third defeat followed soon after; so that, the Lacedæmonians, quite dispirited, had thoughts of concluding a peace, upon any terms; but Tyrtæus so inflamed them by his orations and songs in praise of military glory, that they resolved upon another battle; in which, they were victorious; and, shortly afterwards, Aristomenes was taken prisoner, in a skirmish, with fifty of his followers. The adventures of this hero deserve our notice. Being carried prisoner to Sparta, he was thrown into a deep dungeon, which had been used for the execution of malefactors, and his fifty soldiers with him. They were all killed, by the fall, except Aristomenes; who, finding a wild beast at the bottom, preying upon a carcass, he secured the animal's mouth, and continued to hold by the tail, until the beast made directly to its hole. There, finding the issue too narrow, he was obliged to let go his hold; but, following the track with his eye, he perceived a glimmering from above, and at length wrought his way out.

After this extraordinary escape, he repaired immediately to his troops; and, at their head, made a successful sally by night, against the Corinthian forces. Nevertheless, he was once more, soon afterwards, taken by some Cretans; but his keepers being made drunk, he stabbed them with their own daggers, and returned to his forces.

But his single valour was not sufficient to avert the ruin of his country; although, with his own single prowess, he had thrice earned the Hecatomphonia, a sacrifice due to those who had killed one hundred of the enemy, hand to hand, in battle. The body of his forces being small, and fatigued with continual duty, the city of Eira, which he defended, was taken; and the Messenians were obliged to take refuge with Anaxilas, a prince of Sicily.

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As for Tyrtæus, the Lacedæmonians made him free A. M. of their city, which was the highest honour they had in their power to bestow. By the accession of the Messenian country to the territory of Sparta, this state became one of the most powerful of all Greece, and was second only to Athens, which state it always considered with an eye of jealousy.

CHAPTER III.

Of the Government of Athens, the Laws of Solon, and the History of the Republic, from the time of Solon, to the commencement of the Persian war.

We now return to Athens. Codrus, the last king of this state, having devoted himself for the good of his country, a magistrate, under the title of archon, was appointed to succeed him. The first that bore this office, was Medon, the son of the late king; who, being opposed by his brother Nileus, was preferred by the oracle, and accordingly invested with his new dignity. This magistracy was at first for life: it was soon reduced to a period of ten years, and at last became annual; and in this state it continued for nearly three hundred years.

During this inactive government, little offers, to adorn the page of history; the spirit of extensive dominion had not as yet entered into Greece, and the citizens were too much employed in their private intrigues, to attend to foreign concerns. Athens, therefore, continued a long time incapable of enlarg ing her power; content with safety, amidst the contending interests of aspiring potentates and factious citizens.

A desire of being governed by written laws, at last made A. M. way for a new change in government. For more than a century, they had seen the good effects of laws in the 3380. regulation of the Spartan commonwealth; and, as they were a more enlightened people, they expected greater advantages from a new institution. In the choice, therefore, of a legislator, they pitched upon Draco; a man of acknowledged wisdom and unshaken integrity; but rigid, even beyond hu man sufferance.

It does not appear, that any state of Greece was possessed of written laws, before his time. However, he was not afraid to enact the most severe laws; which laid the same penalties on the most atrocious, and the most trifling offences. These laws, which punished all crimes with death, and which were said not to be written with ink, but with blood, were too cruel, to be duly and justly administered. Sentiments of humanity in the judges, compassion for the accused, when his fault was not equal to his suffering, the unwillingness of witnesses to exact too cruel an atonement, their fears also of the resent ment of the people; all these, conspired to render the laws obsolete, before they could well be put into execution. Thus, the new laws counteracted their own purpose; and their excessive rigour paved the way for the most dangerous impunity.

It was in this distressful state of the commonwealth, that Solon was applied to, for his advice and assistance, as the wisest and justest man of all Athens. His great learning had acquired him the reputation of being the first of the seven wise men of Greece; and his known humanity procured him the love and veneration of every rank among his fellow-citizens. Solon was a native of Salamis, an island dependent on Athens; but which had revolted, to put itself under the power of the Megareans. In attempting to recover this island, the Athenians had spent much blood and treasure; until, at last, wearied out with such ill-success, a law was made, rendering it capital ever to advise the recovery of their lost possession. Solon, however, undertook to persuade them to another trial; and, feigning himself mad, ran about the streets, using the most violent gestures and language; but the purport of all was, upbraiding the Athenians for their remissness and effeminacy, in giving up their conquests in despair.

He acted his part so well, by the oddity of his manner, and the strength of his reasoning, that the people resolved upon another expedition against Salamis; and, by a stratagem of his contrivance, in which he introduced several young men upon the island, in women's clothes, the place was surprised, and added to the dominion of Athens.

But this was not the only occasion on which he exhibited superior address and wisdom. At a time when Greece had carried the arts of eloquence, poetry, and government, higher than they had yet been seen among mankind, Solon was considered as one of the foremost in each perfection. The sages of Greece, whose fame is still undiminished, acknowledged his merit, and adopted him as their associate.

The correspondence between these wise men, was at once instructive, friendly, and sincere. They were seven in number;-Solon of Athens, Thales the Milesian, Chilo of Lacedæmon, Pittacus of Mitylene, Periander of Corinth, Bias and Cleobolus, whose birth places are not ascertained. Those sages often visited each other; and their conversations generally turned upon the methods of instituting the best form of government, or the arts of private happiness.

One day, when Solon went to Miletos, to see Thales, the first thing he said was to express his surprise, that Thales had never desired to marry, or have children. Thales made

him no answer, then, but, a few days afterwards, he contrived that a stranger, supposed to have just arrived from Athens. should join their company. Solon, hearing whence the stran ger came, was inquisitive after the news of his own city; but was only informed, that a young man died there, for whom

*ne whole place was in the greatest affliction, as he was reputed the most promising youth in all Athens. "Alas!" cried Solon," how much is the poor father of the youth to be pitied! Pray, what was his name?" "I heard the name," re plied the stranger, who was instructed for the occasion," but I have forgot it: I only remember that all people talked much of his wisdom and justice.”

Every answer afforded new matter of trouble and terror to the inquisitive father; and he had just strength enough to "The very ask, "if the youth was not the son of Solon." same," replied the stranger. At which words, Solon showed all the marks of the most inconsolable distress. This was the opportunity which Thales wanted; who took him by the hand, and said to him, with a smile; "Comfort yourself, my friend; all that has been told you is mere fiction, but may serve as a very proper answer to your question, why I never thought proper to marry."

One day, at the court of Periander of Corinth, a question was proposed; which was the most perfect popular government?" That," "said Bias," where the law has no superior." That," said Thales, "where the inhabitants are neither too rich nor too poor." "That," said Anacharsis, the Scythian, "where virtue is honoured, and vice always detested." "That," said Cleobolus," where the citizens fear blame, more than punishment." "That," said Chilo," where the laws are more regarded than the orators." But Solon's opinion seems to have the greatest weight, who said, “where an injury done to the meanest subject, is an insult to the whole constitution."

Upon a certain occasion, when Solon was conversing with Anacharsis, the Scythian philosopher, about his intended reformation in the state; "Alas!" cried the Scythian, "all your laws will be found to resemble spiders' webs: the weak and small flies will be caught and entangled, but the great and pow erful will always have strength enough to break through.'

"

Solon's interview with Croesus, king of Lydia, is still more celebrated. This monarch, who was reputed the richest of all Asia Minor, was willing to make an ostentatious display of his wealth, before the Greek philosopher; and, after showing him immense heaps of treasure, and the greatest variety of other ornaments, he demanded whether he did not think the possessor the most happy of all mankind. "No," replied Solon, "I know one man more happy, a poor peasant in Greece, who is neither in affluence or poverty, has but a few wants, and has learned to supply them by his labour."

This answer was by no means agreeable to the vain mon

arch, who, by his question, only hoped for a reply that would tend to flatter his pride. Willing, therefore, to extort one still more favourable, he asked," whether, at least, he did not think him happy?" "Alas!" cried Solon," what man can be pronounced happy, before he dies?"

The integrity and wisdom of Solon's replies, appeared in the event. The kingdom of Lydia was invaded by Cyrus, the empire destroyed, and Croesus himself taken prisoner. When he was led out to execution, according to the barbarous manners of the times, he then, too late, recollected the maxims of Solon; and could not help crying out, when on the scaffold, upon Solon's name: Cyrus, hearing him repeat the name, with great earnestness, was desirous of knowing the reason; and, being informed, by Croesus, of that philosopher's remarkable observation, he began to fear for himself; pardoned Croesus, and took him, for the future, into confidence and friendship. Thus, Solon had the merit of saving one king's life, and of reforming another.

Such, was the man, to whom the Athenians applied for assistance, in reforming the severity of their government; and instituting a just body of laws. Athens was, at this time, divided into as many factions, as there were different sorts of inhabitants in Attica. Those that lived on the mountains, were fond of exact equality; those that lived in the low country, were for the dominion of a few; and those that dwelt on the sea coasts, and were consequently addicted to commerce, were for keeping those parties so exactly balanced, as to permit neither to prevail. But, besides these, there was a fourth party, by much the most numerous, consisting wholly of the poor; who were grievously harassed and oppressed by the rich; and loaded with debts, which they were not able to discharge. This unhappy party, which, when they know their own strength, must ever prevail, were now determined to throw off the yoke of their oppressors; and to choose themselves a chief, who should make a reformation in govern ment, by making a new division of lands.

As Solon had never sided with either, he was regarded as the refuge of all: the rich liking him, because he was rich: the poor, because he was honest. Though he was, at first, unwilling to undertake so dangerous an employment, he, at last, suffered himself to be chosen archon, and to be constituted supreme legislator, with the unanimous consent of all

This was a situation, in which nothing could be added to his power; yet many of the citizens advised him to make himself king: but he had too much wisdom, to seek after a name, which would render him obnoxious to many of his fellow citi