Search -
The History of Greece, From the Earliest State to the Death of Alexander the Great
The History of Greece From the Earliest State to the Death of Alexander the Great Author:Oliver Goldsmith General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1823 Original Publisher: Printed by Charles Wood for W. Baynes and Son Subjects: Greece History / Ancient / Greece History / Europe / Greece Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When ... more »you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: 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. 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 who 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 after reduced to a period of ten years, and at last became annual ; and in this state it continued for near 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 enlarging 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 way for a new change in government. For more . , Q than a century they had seen the good effects of A-M-3380- laws in the 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, ...« less