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The Grecian History (1-2); From the Earliest State, to the Death of Alex. the Great
The Grecian History From the Earliest State to the Death of Alex the Great - 1-2 Author:Oliver Goldsmith Volume: 1-2 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1805 Original Publisher: Printed for Matthew Carey and Thomas and William Bradford Subjects: Greece History / Ancient / Greece History / Europe / Greece Juvenile Nonfiction / History / Ancient Travel / Europe / Greece Notes: This is a black and white OCR... more » reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAP. Ill, O/ the Government of Athens, the Laws of Solon, and the History of the Republic from the time of Solon to tAe commencement of the Persian War- WE now return to Athens. Codrus, the last king of this state, having devoted himself for the good of his country, a magistrate, under the title of Archon, was appointed to succeed him. The firit who bore this office was Medon, the son of the late king, who, being opposed by his brothel' Kileus, was preferred by the oracle, and accordingly in- rested with his new dignity. This majistracy was at first "for life ; it was soon after reduced to a period of ten years, and at last became annual; and in this state it continued for near . three hundred years. During this inactive government little offers to adorn the page of history ; the spirit of extensive dominion had not as yet entered into Greece, and the citizens were too much employed in their private intrigues'to attend to foreign concerns. Athens, therefore, continued along time incapable of enlarging her power; content with, safety amidst the contending interests of aspiring potentates and factious citizens. A desire of being governed by written laws, at last iy, made way fora new change in government. For - ' ' more than a centuryt they had seen the good effects of laws in the . regulation of the Spartan commonwealth ; and, as they were a mere enlightened people they expe...« less