His appointment was hailed with satisfaction by the poor; and all
parties were willing to accept his mediation and reforms.

Solon commenced his undertaking by relieving the poorer class of
debtors from their existing distress. He cancelled all contracts
by which the land or person of a debtor had been given as
security; and he forbad for the future all loans in which the
person of the debtor was pledged. He next proceeded to draw up a
new constitution and a new code of laws. As a preliminary step
he repealed all the laws of Draco, except those relating to
murder. He then made a new classification of the citizens,
distributing them into four classes according to the amount of
their property, thus making wealth and not birth the title to the
honours and offices of the state. The first class consisted of
those whose annual income was equal to 500 medimni of corn and
upwards, and were called PENTACOSIOMEDIMNI. [The medimnus was
one bushel and a half.] The second class consisted of those
whose incomes ranged between 300 and 500 medimni and were called
KNIGHTS, from their being able to furnish a war-horse. The third
class consisted of those who received between 200 and 300
medimni, and were called ZEUGITAE from their being able to keep a
yoke of oxen for the plough. The fourth class, called THETES,
included all whose property fell short of 200 medimni. The first
class were alone eligible to the archonship and the higher
offices of the state. The second and third classes filled
inferior posts, and were liable to military service, the former
as horsemen, and the latter as heavy-armed soldiers on foot. The
fourth class were excluded from all public offices, and served in
the army only as light-armed troops. Solon, however, allowed
them to veto in the public assembly, where they must have