SOLON

born c. 630 BC died c. 560 Athenian statesman, known as one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece. He ended exclusive aristocratic control of the government, substituted a system of control by the wealthy, and introduced a new and more humane law code. He was also a noted poet. Additional reading Modern accounts in English include Ivan M. Linforth, Solon the Athenian (1919, reprinted 1971); Kathleen Freeman, The Work and Life of Solon (1926, reprinted 1976); and W.J. Woodhouse, Solon the Liberator (1938, reprinted 1965), dealing mainly with the agrarian reforms.