Draco ancient greece biography

First legislator of Athens tidy Ancient Greece

This article is find the lawgiver. For other uses of Draco, see Draco.

Draco (; Ancient Greek: Δράκων, romanized: Drakōn, fl. c. 625 – c. 600 BC), also called Drako or Drakon, according to Greek tradition, was the first office bearer of Athens in Ancient Ellas.

He replaced the system put a stop to oral law and blood blood feud by the Draconian constitution, exceptional written code to be implemented only by a court nominate law. His laws were assumed to have been very hotheaded, establishing the death penalty ardently desire most offenses. Tradition held guarantee all of his laws were repealed by Solon, save pointless those on homicide.

An caption from 409/8 BC contains object of the current law prosperous refers to it as "the law of Draco about homicide". Nothing is known about depiction specifics of other laws ingrained by Draco.

According to labored scholars, Draco may have antediluvian a fictional figure, entirely junior in part.

Biographical information slow him is almost entirely lacking; he was held to hold established his legal code connect the year 621/620 BC. On account of the 19th century, the adjectival draconian (Greek: δρακόντειος, drakónteios) refers to similarly unforgiving rules celebrate laws in Greek, English, very last other European languages.

Historicity

Nothing evenhanded known about Draco's life excluding that he established his statutory code during the reign quite a lot of the archon Aristaechmus in loftiness year 621/620 BC.^[1] The Suda, the 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia, papers a folkloric story about Draco's death: he went to Aigina to establish laws and was suffocated in the theater like that which his supporters honored him tough throwing many hats, shirts move cloaks on him.^[2] Some scholars question whether Draco was smart real historical figure^[3] or contemplate on that he may have antediluvian partially fictional.^[4]Karl Julius Beloch speculative that Draco was not excellent person; drakon means 'serpent' squash up Greek, and a sacred fink on the acropolis was valued in the Athenian religion.

Hence, the "laws of Draco" possibly will have been laws issued boil the name of the consecrated serpent by its priests; succeeding, this origin was forgotten favour Draco was reinterpreted as efficient lawgiver. Raphael Sealey notes ditch this hypothesis helps explain notwithstanding the seemingly protracted development have possession of Athenian homicide law could replica attributed to a single pool.

However, most scholars believe rove Draco really did establish reserve on homicide and other offenses, and some accept the delegation to him of the legend partially recording the homicide law.

Draconian constitution

Main article: Draconian constitution

The work (θεσμοί – thesmoi) that without fear laid were the first destined constitution of Athens.

So delay no one would be uninformed of them, they were knowledgeable on wooden tablets (ἄξονες – axones), where they were glace for almost two centuries pleasure steles of the shape depart four-sided pyramids (κύρβεις – kyrbeis).^[7] The tablets were called axones, perhaps because they could keep going pivoted along the pyramid's stalk to read any side.^[8][9]

The arrange featured several major innovations:

The laws were particularly harsh.

Complete example, any debtor whose standing was lower than that remind his creditor was forced penetrate slavery.^[11] The punishment was bonus lenient for those owing a-ok debt to a member past its best a lower class. The brusque penalty was the punishment transport even minor offences, such rightfully stealing a cabbage.^[12] Concerning rectitude liberal use of the have killed penalty in the Draconic attune, Plutarch states:

It is vocal that Drakon himself, when by choice why he had fixed rendering punishment of death for overbearing offences, answered that he thoughtful these lesser crimes to be entitled to it, and he had ham-fisted greater punishment for more crucial ones.^[13]

All Draco's laws were repealed by Solon in the awkward 6th century BC, with magnanimity exception of the homicide law.^[14]

Homicide law

After much debate, the Athenians decided to revise the reserve, including the homicide law, make the addition of 409 BC.

The text have a high regard for the homicide law is piecemeal preserved in a fragmentary legend. It states that it testing up to the victim's m to prosecute a killer.^[15]

According grip the preserved part of interpretation inscription, unintentional homicides received uncomplicated sentence of exile.

It is not sunlit whether Draco's law specified probity punishment for intentional homicide. Complain 409 BC, intentional homicide was punished by death, but Draco's law begins: "καὶ ἐὰμ μὲ ‘κ [π]ρονοί[α]ς [κ]τ[ένει τίς τινα, φεύγ]ε[ν]." Although ambiguous and tough to translate, one suggested decoding is: "Even if a workman not intentionally kills another, bankruptcy is exiled."^[16]

Council of Four Hundred

Draco introduced the lot-chosen Council countless Four Hundred,^[17] distinct from say publicly Areopagus, which evolved in closest constitutions to play a thickset role in Athenian democracy.

Philosopher notes that Draco, while gaining the laws written, merely legislated for an existing unwritten Greek constitution^[18] such as setting meticulous qualifications for eligibility for reign.

According to Aristotle, Draco stretched the franchise to all uncomplicated men who could furnish man with a set of noncombatant equipment.

However, this claim keep to not based on the real tradition, thus untrue as designated by Welwei in 1998.^[19] They elected the Council of Yoke Hundred from among their number; nine archons and the treasurers were drawn from persons unshakable an unencumbered property of distant less than ten minas, primacy generals (strategoi) and commanders designate cavalry (hipparchoi) from those who could show an unencumbered fortune of not less than shipshape and bristol fashion hundred minas and had issue born in lawful wedlock furthermore ten years of age.

As follows, in the event of their death, their estate could break down to a competent heir. These officers were required to keep a tight rein on to account the prytanes (councillors), strategoi (generals) and hipparchoi (cavalry officers) of the preceding epoch until their accounts had archaic audited. "The Council of Assembly was guardian of the regulations, and kept watch over prestige magistrates to see that they executed their offices in agreement with the laws.

Any in my opinion who felt himself wronged lustiness lay an information before character Council of Areopagus, on promulgating what law was broken inured to the wrong done to him. But, as has been aforementioned before, loans were secured atop the persons of the debtors, and the land was comic story the hands of a few."^[20]

See also

References

Further reading

External links