be) of such great service to the state as
soldiers. To protect the poorer classes against abuse on the part of
the judges (who were always elected from the class of the nobles because
they received no salary) Solon made a provision whereby a citizen with a
grievance had the right to state his case before a jury of thirty of his
fellow Athenians.

Most important of all, Solon forced the average freeman to take a direct
and personal interest in the affairs of the city. No longer could he
stay at home and say "oh, I am too busy today" or "it is raining and I
had better stay indoors." He was expected to do his share; to be at the
meeting of the town council; and carry part of the responsibility for
the safety and the prosperity of the state.

This government by the "demos," the people, was often far from
successful. There was too much idle talk. There were too many hateful
and spiteful scenes between rivals for official honor. But it taught
the Greek people to be independent and to rely upon themselves for their
salvation and that was a very good thing.

GREEK LIFE

HOW THE GREEKS LIVED

BUT how, you will ask, did the ancient Greeks have time to look after
their families and their business if they were forever running to the
market-place to discuss affairs of state? In this chapter I shall tell
you.

In all matters of government, the Greek democracy recognised only one
class of citizens--the freemen. Every Greek city was composed of a small
number of free born citizens, a large number of slaves and a sprinkling
of foreigners.

At rare intervals (usually during a war, when men were needed for the
army) the Greeks showed themselves willing to confer the rights of
citizenship upon the "barbarians" as they called the foreigners. But
this was an exception. Citizenship was a matter of birth. You were an
Athenian because your father and your grandfather had been Athenians
before you. But however great your merits as a trader or a soldier, if
you were born of non-Athenian parents, you remained a "foreigner" until
the end of time.

The Greek city, therefore, whenever it was not ruled by a king or a
tyrant, was run by and for the freemen, and this would not have been
possible without a large army of slaves who outnumbered the free
citizens at the rate of six or five to one and who performed those tasks
to which we modern people must devote most of our time and energy if we
wish to provide for our families and pay