Solon Quotes
Solon was an Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and poet, traditionally counted as one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Appointed archon during a period of severe social and economic crisis, he abolished debt slavery, restructured the Athenian constitution to give a measure of political voice to all classes of citizens, and laid the legal foundations on which classical Athenian democracy would later be built. The quotes below are attributed to Solon, organized by topic.
Browse Solon by topic
Solon on Freedom
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“If through your vices you afflicted are, Lay not the blame of your distress on God; You made your rulers mighty, gave them guards, So now you groan 'neath slavery's heavy rod. (tr. C. D. Yonge, 1853 )”
εἰ δὲ πεπόνθατε λυγρὰ δι᾿ ὑμετέρην κακότητα, μὴ θεοῖσιν τούτων μοῖραν ἐπαμφέρετε· αὐτοὶ γὰρ τούτους ηὐξήσατε ῥύματα δόντες, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα κακὴν ἔσχετε δουλοσύνην.
Solon on Happiness
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Attributed to Solon:
“Call no man happy until he is dead.”
Solon on Justice
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“Wealth I desire to have; but wrongfully to get it, I do not wish. Justice, even if slow, is sure. (tr. B. Perrin, 1914 )”
χρήματα δ᾿ ἱμείρω μὲν ἔχειν, ἀδίκως δὲ πεπᾶσθαι οὐκ ἐθέλω· πάντως ὕστερον ἦλθε δίκη.
Solon on Knowledge
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Attributed to Solon:
“I grow old learning many things every day.”
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“εἰ δὲ πεπόνθατε λυγρὰ δι᾿ ὑμετέρην κακότητα, μὴ θεοῖσιν τούτων μοῖραν ἐπαμφέρετε· αὐτοὶ γὰρ τούτους ηὐξήσατε ῥύματα δόντες, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα κακὴν ἔσχετε δουλοσύνην.”
If through your vices you afflicted are, Lay not the blame of your distress on God; You made your rulers mighty, gave them guards, So now you groan 'neath slavery's heavy rod. (tr. C. D. Yonge, 1853 ) | Fragment 11.1–4 -
“χρήματα δ᾿ ἱμείρω μὲν ἔχειν, ἀδίκως δὲ πεπᾶσθαι οὐκ ἐθέλω· πάντως ὕστερον ἦλθε δίκη.”
Wealth I desire to have; but wrongfully to get it, I do not wish. Justice, even if slow, is sure. (tr. B. Perrin, 1914 ) | Fragment 13.7–8 -
“πολλοὶ γὰρ πλουτέουσι κακοί, ἀγαθοὶ δὲ πένονται· ἀλλ᾿ ἡμεῖς τούτοις οὐ διαμειψόμεθα τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸν πλοῦτον, ἐπεὶ τὸ μὲν ἔμπεδον αἰεί, χρήματα δ᾿ ἀνθρώπων ἄλλοτε ἄλλος ἔχει.”
For often evil men are rich, and good men poor; But we will not exchange with them Our virtue for their wealth since one abides always, While riches change their owners every day. (tr. B. Perrin, 1914 ) | Fragment 15 -
“γηράσκω δ᾿ αἰεὶ πολλὰ διδασκόμενος.”
But I grow old ever learning many things. (tr. B. Perrin, 1914 ) | Fragment 18 | Alternate translation: As I grow older, I constantly learn more. -
“But I grow old ever learning many things. (tr. B. Perrin, 1914 )”
γηράσκω δ᾿ αἰεὶ πολλὰ διδασκόμενος. -
“Alternate translation: As I grow older, I constantly learn more.”
γηράσκω δ᾿ αἰεὶ πολλὰ διδασκόμενος. -
“πολλὰ ψεύδονται ἀοιδοί.”
Poets tell many lies. | Fragment 29 -
“Poets tell many lies.”
πολλὰ ψεύδονται ἀοιδοί.
Solon on Politics
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Attributed to Solon:
“He who has learned how to obey will know how to command.”
Solon on Truth
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Attributed to Solon:
“Speech is the mirror of action.”
Solon on Virtue
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“Many bad men are rich, and good men poor; but we will not exchange virtue for wealth.”
πολλοὶ γὰρ πλουτέουσι κακοί, ἀγαθοὶ δὲ πένονται· ἀλλ᾿ ἡμεῖς τούτοις οὐ διαμειψόμεθα τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸν πλοῦτον, ἐπεὶ τὸ μὲν ἔμπεδον αἰεί, χρήματα δ᾿ ἀνθρώπων ἄλλοτε ἄλλος ἔχει. -
Attributed to Solon:
“Nothing in excess.”
Things actually not said by Solon
A number of widely-shared lines are circulated as Solon but are in fact from someone else. Did Solon say these? No. Each entry below pairs the line with the person who actually wrote it.
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Did Solon say this? No.
“Laws are like spider's webs: If some poor weak creature comes up against them, it is caught; but a big one can break through and get away.”
This quote is commonly attributed to philosophers but its actual source is uncertain or unverified in the standard reference works. Wikiquote's note on this attribution: Commonly misattributed to Solon. Actually reported as said by Anacharsis to Solon. Plutarch, Solon , 5.4: τὸν οὖν Ἀνάχαρσιν πυθόμενον, καταγελᾶν τῆς πραγματείας τοῦ Σόλωνος, οἰομένου γράμμασιν ἐφέξειν τὰς ἀδικίας καὶ πλεονεξίας τῶν πολιτῶν, ἃ μηδὲν τῶν ἀραχνίων διαφέρειν, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἐκεῖνα τοὺς μὲν ἀσθ
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Did Solon say this? No.
“Commonly misattributed to Solon. Actually reported as said by Anacharsis to Solon. Plutarch, Solon , 5.4:”
τὸν οὖν Ἀνάχαρσιν πυθόμενον, καταγελᾶν τῆς πραγματείας τοῦ Σόλωνος, οἰομένου γράμμασιν ἐφέξειν τὰς ἀδικίας καὶ πλεονεξίας τῶν πολιτῶν, ἃ μηδὲν τῶν ἀραχνίων διαφέρειν, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἐκεῖνα τοὺς μὲν ἀσθενεῖς καὶ λεπτοὺς τῶν ἁλισκομένων καθέξειν, ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν δυνατῶν καὶ πλουσίων διαρραγήσεσθαι. Anacharsis, accordingly, on learning what Solon was about, laughed at him for thinking that he could check the injustice and rapacity of the citizens by written laws, which were just like spiders' webs; they would hold the weak and delicate who might be caught in their meshes, but would be torn in pieces by the rich and powerful. (tr. B. Perrin, 1914 )