HUMILIATION OF SOLON

Among the literate members of the human race, the name of the Athenian sage and lawgiver Solon is known better than any other name of hoi septa sophoi, even better than the name of Thales himself. As a lawgiver, Solon is credited with a significant democratization of the Athenian law, and his laws were so effective and indispensable for maintaining law and order that they would survive the subsequent onslaughts of tyranny in Athens, and their democratic element would survive with them. In fact, Solon is credited with laying the foundations of the celebrated Athenian democracy, one of the earliest triumphs, if not the earliest, of Western civilization.

Solon the lawgiver, he was by no means celebrated for his laws alone. Herodotus treats him extensively and fairly, and probably the most famous Solon tale he tells portrays Solon not as a legal expert, but as a man of great wisdom. King Croesus of Lydia, proud of his fabulous riches, flatters Solon in their personal meeting about the wise laws he had given to Athens, and expects niceties in return.

“Athenian guest, we’ve heard a lot about you, both in regard to your intelligence and your wanderings, how in your search for intelligence you have traversed many lands to see them; now therefore I desire to ask you whether yet you have seen the man who is the most happy.” He asked (continues Herodotus) supposing that he himself was the happiest of men; but Solon, using no flattery but the truth only, said “Yes O king, Tellos the Athenian.”

Now, it turns out that this Tellos was dead. He had met his glorious end in battle; “and the Athenians buried him at public expense where he fell, and honored him greatly.” The vain king of Lydia has now figured out that Solon, being a patriotic Athenian, cannot bestow the title of the happiest man on a foreigner, and next he asks Solon to name the second-happiest, expecting himself to be named this time for certain. Yet, Solon continues telling him tales of happiness about people who were all dead… Croesus challenges him on that, and this time Solon tells him a general summation, which reveals his most profound philosophical acumen:

---“But we must for everything examine the end, and how it will turn out at the last, for, to many, God shows but a glimpse of happiness and then plucks them up by the roots and overturns them.”

After this, Croesus dismisses Solon as a worthless fool, but in the end, of course, Solon gets his vindication, as Croesus, after all his fabulous fortunes, stands a prisoner, at the point of a horrible death, in front of Cyrus the Great of Persia, and only the remembrance of Solon’s wisdom, which he now shares with Cyrus, saves Croesus’ life…

What was the point of this retelling of a well-known Solon story? It was by no means to refresh the reader’s memory of Herodotus’ Histories. It is to state my opinion that a person of such great philosophical wisdom as Solon must not be denied the title of philosopher, deserving it no less, and arguably even more, than many of those who have been given this title with far less to show for it.

The hidden meaning of the title of this entry, Humiliation Of Solon, must now become perfectly clear.