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Plutarch's Lives of Romulus, Lycurgus, Solon and Others and His Comparisons; With Notes, Critical and Historical
Plutarch's Lives of Romulus Lycurgus Solon and Others and His Comparisons With Notes Critical and Historical Author:Plutarch General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1889 Original Publisher: W.L. Allison co. Notes: This is a black and white OCR 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 ca... more »n select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: SOLON. B. C. 597- Didymus, the grammarian, in his answer to Asclepiades concerning the laws of Solon, cites the testimony of one Philocles, by which he would prove Solon the son of Euphorion, contrary to the opinion of others that have written of him. For they all with one voice declared that Execestides was his father ; a man of moderate fortune and power, but of the noblest family in Athens, being descended from Codrus. His mother, -according to Hera- elides of Pontus, was cousin-german to the mother of Pisistratus. This tie of kindred at first united Solon and Pisistratus in a very intimate friendship, which was drawn closer (if we may believe some writers) by the regard which the former had for the beauty and excellent qualities of the latter. Hence we may believe it was, that when they differed afterwards about matters of state, this dissension broke not out into any harsh or ungenerous treatment of each other ; but their first union kept some hold of their hearts, some sparks of the flame still remained, and the tenderness of former friendship was not quite forgotten. Solon's father having hurt his fortune, as Hermippus tells us, by indulging his great and munificent spirit, though the son might have been supported by his friends, yet as he was of a family that had long been assisting to others, he was ashamed to accept of assistance himself ; and therefore in his younger years applied himself to merchandise. Some, however, say that he travelled rather to gratify his curiosity and extend his knowledge than to raise an estate. For he professed his love of wi...« less