At that time, the parliament of the God of War Mountain in Athens was the center of the state power structure. With the help of this institution, the nobles manipulated the legislative, executive and judicial powers. Solon resumed the citizens' assembly, making it the highest authority, deciding city-state affairs and electing the chief executive. All citizens, rich or poor, have the right to participate in the citizens' assembly. A new government organ, the 400-member conference, has been established, which is a permanent institution similar to the citizens' conference. It is composed of 100 people from each of the four tribes in Athens, and citizens at all levels can be elected except the fourth grade. A jury court has been set up, and every citizen can be elected as a juror and participate in the trial of cases. The jury court has become the highest judicial organ in Athens. All these have paved the way for the democratization of Athens' political system. Before Solon's reform, the peasants in Athens were in an extremely difficult situation. If the debt borrowed from the rich man is still unclear, the rich man will set up a debt monument on the borrower's land, and the borrower will become a "June 1 farmer". They work for the rich and give him five-sixths of the harvest, only one-sixth. If the harvest is not enough to pay interest, the rich man has the right to sell the indebted farmers and their wives and children to slaves after one year. Before Solon's reform, the delacour law in Athens was famous for its harshness, and people were sentenced to death for stealing fruit and being lazy. People accused it of being written not in ink, but in blood, and Solon reformed this torture. He also took many measures to encourage the development of handicrafts and commerce, such as prohibiting the export of any agricultural and sideline products except olive oil, which can be self-sufficient; Every Athenian citizen must let his son learn a trade; Reward Solon's reform
Encourage skilled craftsmen to move to Athens and give them citizenship; Reform the monetary system; Determine the principle of freedom of inheritance of private property. Solon's series of legal provisions were carved on wooden boards or slates, embedded in rotatable rectangular frames and made public. In 594 BC, the Athenians found Solon and hoped that he would be the chief consul to mediate the already heated conflict between the rich and the poor. At that time, there was a great disparity between the rich and the poor. Many poor people are not only poor themselves, but also owe a lot of debts to the rich. Some people who are unable to pay their debts become "debt slaves" of the contract, and some people are forced to flee to other places, and people's grievances are boiling. The angry poor want to divide the land and wealth of the rich equally; However, the rich are unwilling to give up any benefits they have gained, and some of them are even arrogant and greedy. Fierce conflicts seem inevitable, and once they fall into civil war, they may overthrow the polis. After the reform, the rich can no longer do this, and the broad masses of civilians get rid of the bad luck of being slaves, because people who are sold to foreign countries in debt can also come back. As Solon wrote in his poem, he pulled out the monument of creditor's rights standing on the mortgaged land. Solon was naturally loved by the public.
The reform nature of editing this paragraph.
The reform carried out by the slave-owning class to consolidate its rule.
Edit the main content of this paragraph.
economically
(1) Abolish all debts mortgaged by Athenian citizens, and prohibit borrowing Solon's reform with personal mortgage.
Debt, it is forbidden to turn indebted civilians into slaves. The state paid money to redeem those who were sold to foreign countries as slaves because they could not pay their debts, and abolished the "61 Han" system (civilians were unable to pay their debts, so they had to cultivate land for creditors and only kept one-sixth of their harvest as land rent, so they were called "61 Han" in vain). This measure is called "the order to relieve the negative burden" in history. (2) Implementing a series of policies and measures that are beneficial to the development of industry and commerce, including restricting the export of grain and expanding the export of olive oil; Carry out currency reform to promote commercial trade; Encourage foreign craftsmen to immigrate to Athens and encourage citizens to learn handicraft techniques; Reform weights and measures, cast new Athens currency, and formulated some laws and regulations on property inheritance, prohibition of reburial, and compensation for relatives of citizens who sacrificed their country. (3) recognize the freedom of private property inheritance and eliminate all clan remnants in the system.
politically
(1) Abolish the monopoly right of hereditary nobles, and no longer divide citizens by birth and property. According to the total income of agricultural products in one year, the citizens are divided into four classes (the number of products such as grain changed in one year is listed as 500 buckets of ancient Greek nobles)
, 300 fights, 200 fights and four levels below 200 fights), the political rights of each level depend on its financial resources. The first level can hold all official positions; Citizens of the second grade can hold senior official positions except treasurer (i.e. financial officer); The third level can be a low-level official position; Fourth-level citizens cannot hold public office, but they have the right to participate in citizens' meetings and people's courts. At the same time, different levels have different obligations. For example, in terms of military obligations, the first and second levels provide cavalry, bringing their own weapons, uniforms and horses. The third level provides heavy infantry. They bring their own weapons and uniforms, but they don't need to provide horses. They are the main components of the Athenian army. The fourth level is mainly for light infantry and ordinary sailors. They don't bring their own weapons, but only bring sticks. (2) Establish a meeting of 400 people as the permanent body and the highest administrative organ of the citizens' assembly. The 400-member conference consists of 65,438+000 people from each of the four tribes, and all citizens except the fourth grade can be elected. (3) Establish a jury court. As the highest judicial organ, any citizen has the right of appeal. Jurors in the jury court are selected by citizens at all levels by drawing lots. The jury court accepts and decides citizens' complaints or appeals, which expands citizens' rights. (4) To formulate a new code to replace the harsh laws of delacour, and only keep the part about murder, so as to make the whole Athenian law more humane.
On the reform of editing this paragraph
Solon took on a heavy responsibility at that time, and he could only reform. It should be said that the reform in the cracks was not easy, but he succeeded, which not only helped Athens out of the predicament, but also laid the foundation for Athens' prosperity in the next 200 years. Here, two inspirations of Solon's reform are analyzed. First, Solon always abides by the doctrine of the mean. He didn't meet the requirement that civilians share property equally, but ordered the cancellation of all public and private debts at that time, so that at least the poor people at that time would no longer bear any debts; At the same time, not only the "debt slave" was abolished, but also any future loan guaranteed by this person was prohibited. This prevents free citizens from being divided into two classes: masters and slaves. The rich can't get their loans back, and their wealth will certainly shrink, but the wealth they have been holding in their hands has not been deprived, and there is no danger that their bodies will be destroyed. This can be said to be Solon's "short solution" and "quick solution", which is a decisive measure mainly manifested in the economy, just like pouring a pot of cold water on boiling soup. At first, the rich and the poor were not satisfied with it, but gradually they realized its benefits. When Solon gained the trust of both sides and was endowed with legislative power, he considered his "long-term approach", that is, in the Constitution, citizens were divided into four grades according to their property status, and all four grades had the right to vote, but only the first three richer grades were eligible for public office. At first glance, the rights of the poor are limited. They can't hold official positions. They can only participate in state affairs as members of the citizens' assembly or jurors. However, these two rights, especially the latter, seemed insignificant at first, but later proved to be very important. Most disputes are finally settled by these jurors, including cases decided by senior officials, who gradually become the real masters of the law and the city-state. With the development of economy and "inflation", in fact, almost everyone is qualified to be an official. Solon insisted on the doctrine of the mean because he had a thorough understanding of human nature. Although he helped the poor in the reform, he did not give the poor or the rich a sense of moral superiority, nor did he please anyone. He knows that the rich are often "unkind to the rich", but so are the poor with wealth. Excessive accumulation, especially usurped wealth, will corrode anyone like power. He wrote in his own poem: "Freedom should not be excessive, coercion should not be excessive; If wealth belongs to uneducated people, boredom will breed arrogance. " Therefore, "I am holding a big shield to protect both sides and prevent either side from gaining an unfair advantage. "In today's view, his economic measures, even the temporary abolition of credit, may be too radical or even disastrous for modern market society, and his political thoughts of dividing people into four classes will be too conservative or even reactionary for modern people, but they are actually a kind of moderation in the current situation, because it is important to have absorbed the spirit of moderation. Secondly, Solon brought personal power to the extreme, making power based on law and returning to the rule of law. Solon once gained great power, even close to that of a dictator. Both the poor and the rich tried to persuade him to become a tyrant with exclusive power, but he refused. Of course, he has his own considerations. He said it was good in that position, but few people came down peacefully from there. More importantly, he regarded the welfare of the city-state as more important than individual power, and he also had his own hobbies and cherished values besides power. Therefore, for the long-term stability of the city-state, Solon used his great power and authority to formulate and implement the legal system. He is more concerned about what will happen when he is in power, but what will happen when he is not. But Solon did not blindly believe in the law. He knows that there must be the interests of all parties and strong support behind the law. Someone once laughed at his law as a spider's web, which can only entangle the weak who fall into it, and will be torn to pieces when they meet with money and power. Solon's answer to this is: when breaking the contract is not good for both sides, people will abide by each other's agreement; And he wants to make such laws for citizens, so that they all understand that justice is much more beneficial than breaking the law. He did not expect to make "the best law" for the Athenians, but only "the best law they were willing to accept". He also does not advocate equality in quantity and state, mainly equality before the law. As he said, "I make laws, regardless of rank, without discrimination, and go straight, so that everyone has his place." "The law cannot be established by itself, but it still depends on people. Even in the initial stage, it must be established and consolidated by great authority. Whether a person with great authority can lead the rule of man to the rule of law with long-term vision and fair spirit, and set an example and consciously abide by the law really depends on the quality of this authority. The law can only be implemented when people hold it, and people must hold it for a long time. This may be a lasting tension between the rule of man and the rule of law, and its sound solution may depend on the cooperation of various favorable conditions and sometimes even luck. Indeed, the success of Solon's reform of the rule of law is not only related to his personal political quality and charm, but also depends on the people's feelings that the Athenians had respected the law at that time, and the tyrant Bi Chytra, who followed closely, actually implemented the Solon route without Solon, which is even more fortunate for Solon's legislation.
The significance of editing this paragraph of reform
Solon's reform neither accommodated nobles nor favored civilians, and the fourth class with the least income did not enjoy the right to hold government posts and run for the "400-member conference". This neutral policy failed to completely solve the social contradictions in Cleisthenes.
. However, the reform changed the situation of aristocratic autocracy to a certain extent and promoted the development of democracy and commodity economy in Athens. Through these reforms, the poor citizens in Athens got rid of the threat of debt slavery, attacked aristocratic rule and consolidated the city-state system. At the same time, Solon prevented the excessive concentration of land by stipulating the maximum amount of land occupied by individual citizens, which made the city-state system develop healthily and democratic politics developed. The measures to protect and promote industry and commerce made the status of industrial and commercial slave owners rise rapidly, and the slave economy began to prosper. Solon's reform is an important milestone in the historical development of Athens city-state, which laid the foundation of Athens' democratic politics, promoted the development of industry and commerce, adjusted the interest relationship between different classes of citizens' collective, and guaranteed the economic, political and social status of small and medium-sized owners engaged in their own labor.
The reform impact of editing this paragraph
Solon's reform is an important milestone in the historical development of Athens city-state, which laid the foundation of Athens' democratic politics, promoted the development of industry and commerce, adjusted the interest relationship between different classes of citizens' collective, guaranteed the economic, political and social status of small and medium-sized owners engaged in their own labor, and laid the foundation for the prosperity of Athens' slave owners' industrial and commercial economy. The influence of Solon's reform on Athens' democratic politics: 1, which opened up a road of democratic politics. 2. On this basis, Cleisthenes further completed the democratization of Athens. 3. During the period of Perikles, the democracy in Athens was further improved. Limitations of Solon's reform: Solon failed to meet the demands of the lower class people for land because of historical conditions and the status of the industrial and commercial slave class, so that they enjoyed equal political rights; Solon also expected to improve the economic situation of civilians on the one hand and protect the political privileges of nobles on the other. However, in this way, the demands of the lower classes were not well met, and the nobles were resentful because of their own interests, so Solon was ungrateful to both the civilians and the nobles. The most profitable are industrial and commercial slave owners. The reform did not fundamentally solve the contradiction between nobles and civilians. Solon's economic reform stabilized the citizens in Athens, promoted the rise of the industrial and commercial slave owners' class, developed the class structure of Athens into a pluralistic social pattern of aristocratic slave owners, industrial and commercial slave owners and civilians, and laid a social foundation for Athens' democracy. Political measures enabled the lower classes to participate in national politics, provided institutional guarantee for Athens' democratic politics, and also opened the precedent of western decentralization. The "golden mean" spirit infiltrated in the reform is in sharp contrast with the political struggle of "life and death" in the East, which provides a value basis for Athenian democracy and western democracy. Solon's reform touched the ownership of the main means of production at that time, and it was an adjustment of the old relations of production, so Engels called it a "revolution", but it was an incomplete revolution, the old forces were not completely eliminated, and the demands of the lower classes were not well met. Solon advocated the "golden mean" and tried to seek reconciliation between the two sides of the struggle through compromise. On the one hand, he improved the economic situation of civilians, on the other hand, he protected the political privileges of the nobility. He described himself as "holding a big shield to protect both sides". As a result, both sides did not please him, and he was finally forced to go to Egypt.
Edit the historical evaluation of this paragraph.
Solon's series of major reforms from the economic base to the superstructure are the democratic politics of Athens and ancient Greece.
A great victory in the struggle against aristocrats had a far-reaching impact on the development of Athens' history. First of all, the order of reducing the burden made ordinary people get rid of the bondage of debt slavery and become citizens with free rights, forming a citizen group necessary for democratic politics. Secondly, the establishment of property hierarchy made property qualification replace consanguinity qualification, which fundamentally disintegrated the foundation of aristocratic hereditary political privilege, enabled industrial and commercial slave owners to share political rights, and also enabled lower-class civilians to obtain certain civil rights. Thirdly, the measures of reorganizing state power institutions have broken the monopoly of nobles on state power and ensured the political rights of citizens to participate in state affairs to a certain extent. Finally, Solon's series of measures to develop industry and commerce greatly promoted the development of handicrafts and commerce in Athens, and soon made it the most prosperous industrial and commercial city-state in ancient Greece. At the same time, it strengthened the economic strength of industrial and commercial slave owners and civilians, and laid the economic foundation for the transformation of democratic politics in Athens.
Limitations of editing this paragraph reform
The main purpose of Solon's reform was to eliminate contradictions and stabilize the social order in Athens, so he played the role of Salamis naval battle map.
Playing the role of "mediator", many reform measures are eclectic, and the reform has inevitable historical limitations. Solon determined citizens' different political rights through their property qualifications. The first and second types of wealth occupy an absolute advantage in state power, while the lower class citizens do not have full rights to participate in and discuss state affairs. After Solon's reform, although the power of nobles was exploited, they still enjoyed more political rights than civilians, and the remnants of clan system still existed. By virtue of blood relationship, nobles still have the privilege of hereditary possession of land. As a result, the nobles were dissatisfied with the exploitation of power, the desire of the lower class for further reform was not realized, and the contradiction between nobles and civilians was not fundamentally resolved. Therefore, non-citizens have no democratic rights and women have no political rights. Getting Started Atlas More Atlas