Life of Solon, 1.25.1

Plutarch  translated by Bernadotte Perrin

« Plut. Sol. 24 | Plut. Sol. 25 | Plut. Sol. 26 | About This Work »

25All his laws were to have force for a hundred years, and they were written on “axones,” or wooden tablets, which revolved with the oblong frames containing them. Slight remnants of these were still preserved in the Prytaneium when I was at Athens, and they were called, according to Aristotle,[38] “kyrbeis.” Cratinus, also, the comic poet, somewhere says:—

“By Solon, and by Draco too I make mine oath,

Whose kyrbeis now are used to parch our barleycorns.”[39]

« Plut. Sol. 24 | Plut. Sol. 25 | Plut. Sol. 26 | About This Work »

Notes

  • [38] Cf. Const. of Athens, vii. 1, with Sandys' notes.

  • [39] Kock, Com. Att. Frag. i. p. 94.

Version menu

Table of contents