ave as the Spartans, and far more thoughtful and
wise, besides having a most perfect taste and sense of beauty.

[Picture: Gate of Mycenae]

The Athenians claimed Theseus as their greatest king and first lawgiver.
It was said that, when the Dorians were conquering the Peloponnesus, they
came north and attacked Attica, but were told by an oracle that they
never would succeed if they slew the king of Athens. Codrus, who was
then king of Athens, heard of this oracle, and devoted himself for his
country. He found that in battle the Dorians always forbore to strike
him, and he therefore disguised himself, went into the enemy's camp,
quarrelled with a soldier there, and thus caused himself to be killed, so
as to save his country. He was the last king. The Athenians would not
have anyone less noble to sit in his seat, and appointed magistrates
called Archons in the stead of kings.

Soon they fell into a state of misrule and disorder, and they called on a
philosopher named Draco to draw up laws for them. Draco's laws were
good, but very strict, and for the least crime the punishment was death.
Nobody could keep them, so they were set aside and forgotten, and
confusion grew worse, till another wise lawgiver named Solon undertook to
draw up a fresh code of laws for them.

Solon was one of the seven wise men of Greece, who all lived at the same
time. The other six were Thales, Bion, Pittacus, Cleobulus, Chilo, and
Periander. This last was called Tyrant of Corinth. When the ancient
Greeks spoke of a tyrant, they did not mean a cruel king so much as a
king who had not been heir to the crown, but had taken to himself the
rule over a free people. A very curious story belongs to Periander, for
we have not quite parted with the land of fable. It is about the poet
Arion, who lived chiefly with him at Corinth, but made one voyage to
Sicily. As he was coming back, the sailors plotted to throw him
overboard, and divide the gifts he was bringing with him. When he found
they were resolved, he only begged to play once more on his lyre; then,
standing on the prow, he played and sung a hymn calling the gods to his
aid. So sweet were the sounds that shoals of dolphins came round the
ship, and Arion, leaping from the prow, placed himself on the back of
one, which bore him safely to land. Periander severely punished the
treacherous sailors. Some think that this story was a Greek alteration
of the history of