constituted by far the largest number. He gave the assembly the
right of electing the archons and the other officers of the
state; and he also made the archons accountable to the assembly
at the expiration of their year of office.

This extension of the duties of the public assembly led to the
institution of a new body. Solon created the Senate, or Council
of Four Hundred with the special object of preparing all matters
for the discussion of the public assembly, of presiding at its
meetings, and of carrying its resolutions into effect. No
subject could be introduced before the people, except by a
previous resolution of the Senate. The members of the Senate
were elected by the public assembly, one hundred from each of the
four ancient tribes, which were left untouched by Solon. They
held their office for a year, and were accountable at its
expiration to the public assembly for the manner in which they
had discharged their duties.

The Senate of the Areopagus [It received its name from its place
of meeting, which was a rocky eminence opposite the Acropolis,
called the hill of Ares (Mars Hill)], is said by some writers to
have been instituted by Solon; but it existed long before his
time, and may be regarded as the representative of the Council of
Chiefs in the Heroic age. Solon enlarged its powers, and
intrusted it with the general supervision of the institutions and
laws of the state, and imposed upon it the duty of inspecting the
lives and occupations of the citizens. All archons became
members of it at the expiration of their year of office.

Solon laid only the foundation of the Athenian democracy by