Book of the Magistrates of the Athenians

the books of Politics Aristotle's treatise on government. In place of the goldsmiths, the dyers, and other similar arts were the Thetes lowest social class, and they paid nothing to the Republic but one shield, which was called by them Ditikon a small shield. In this way, having ordered his laws, Solon makes the Republic healthy, which was before gravely ill. And so that the power of approving the laws would be greater, imposing them on the Patricians and the Plebeians, he had them approve those while he promised the stability of the tablets, and to these the division of the Attic fields, which, being universally recognized as a great good, they took so to heart and it pleased them so much that they consecrated such a law to immortality. Having done this and quieted the noise, seeing that the matter had gone as he desired, he spoke these words: "Now the People have power, as much as is enough for them. To no one is honor denied, nor is injury done to anyone. I have restrained those who were famous in name for wealth and power and have made them patient to suffer the lesser to be their equals. Placing myself between them, as one places the shield between two combatants, which serves to defend one and the other side, I have not let any side win with cunning."

Of the Tribes and other parts of the People. Chapter II.

Having rendered peace to the People, it seems to me that one should begin from the first origin, treating the Tribes. All Peoples, all nations, and Cities (as Livy Roman historian says) are accustomed to draw their origin from most illustrious men, or truly from those whom the rough antiquity in the first youth of the World placed in the number of the Gods, putting their name to their