Editing Solon (section)

=== Travels ===
[[File:Atlantis map 1882 crop.jpg|thumb|Solon is Plato's source for the story of Atlantis]]
After completing his work of reform, Solon surrendered his extraordinary authority and traveled abroad for ten years, so that the Athenians could not induce him to repeal any of his laws.<ref>Herodotus, The Histories, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D29 Hdt. 1.29]</ref>{{efn|According to [[Herodotus]]<ref>Herodotus 1.29 (e.g. Campbell's translation [[gutenberg:2707|2707]]).</ref> the country was bound by Solon to maintain his reforms for 10 years, whereas according to [[Plutarch]]<ref name="ReferenceA" /> and the author of the ''[[Constitution of the Athenians (Aristotle)|Athenian Constitution]]''<ref>''Athenaion Politeia'' [[wikisource:Athenian Constitution#7|7.2]].</ref> (reputedly [[Aristotle]]) the contracted period was instead 100 years. A modern scholar<ref>Stanton, G. R. ''Athenian Politics c. 800–55 BC: A Sourcebook'' Routledge, London (1991), p. 84.</ref> considers the time-span given by Herodotus to be historically accurate because it fits the 10 years that Solon was said to have been absent from the country.<ref>Plutarch, ''Solon'' [[wikisource:Lives (Dryden translation)/Solon#25|25.6]].</ref>}}

Within four years of Solon's departure, the old social rifts re-appeared, but with some new complications. There were irregularities in the new governmental procedures, elected officials sometimes refused to stand down from their posts and occasionally important posts were left vacant. It has even been said that some people blamed Solon for their troubles.<ref>''Athenaion Politeia'' [[wikisource:Athenian Constitution#13|13]].</ref> Eventually one of Solon's relatives, Pisistratus, ended the factionalism by force, thus instituting an unconstitutionally gained [[Tyrant|tyranny]]. In Plutarch's account, Solon accused Athenians of stupidity and cowardice for allowing this to happen.<ref>Plutarch, ''Solon'' [[wikisource:Lives (Dryden translation)/Solon#30|30]].</ref>

Solon's first stop in his travels was Egypt. There, according to Herodotus, he visited the Pharaoh of Egypt, [[Amasis II]].<ref>Herodotus, ''The Histories'', [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D30 Hdt. 1.30]</ref> According to Plutarch, he spent some time and discussed philosophy with two Egyptian priests, Psenophis of [[Heliopolis (Ancient Egypt)|Heliopolis]] and [[Sonchis of Sais]].<ref name="autogenerated8">Plutarch ''Solon'' 26 [[s:Lives (Dryden translation)/Solon#26]]</ref> A character in two of Plato's dialogues, ''[[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]]'' and ''[[Critias (dialogue)|Critias]]'', claims Solon visited [[Neith]]'s temple at [[Sais]] and received from the priests there an account of the history of [[Atlantis]]. Next, Solon sailed to [[Cyprus]], where he oversaw the construction of a new capital for a local king, in gratitude for which the king named it [[Soloi]].<ref name="autogenerated8" />

[[File:Kroisos stake Louvre G197.jpg|thumb|[[Croesus]] awaits fiery execution ([[Attica|Attic]] red-figure [[amphora]], 500–490 BC, [[Louvre]] G 197)]]

Solon's travels finally brought him to [[Sardis]], capital of [[Lydia]]. According to Herodotus and Plutarch, he met with [[Croesus]] and gave the Lydian king advice, which Croesus failed to appreciate until it was too late. Croesus had considered himself to be the happiest man alive and Solon had advised him, "Count no man happy until he be dead." The reasoning was that at any minute, fortune might turn on even the happiest man and make his life miserable. It was only after he had lost his kingdom to the Persian king [[Cyrus the Great|Cyrus]], while awaiting execution, that Croesus acknowledged the wisdom of Solon's advice.<ref>Herodotus 1.30.</ref><ref>Plutarch ''Solon'' 28 [[s:Lives (Dryden translation)/Solon#28]]</ref>