Athens was one of several Greek colonies that grew into city-states after the Dorian invasions of about 750 B.C.. Each of these city-states developed independently and had its unique character and characteristics. Athens is generally considered one of the two greatest of the city-states (Sparta was the other). Athens was also unique among the city-states of Greece. Politically, it was originally an aristocracy of old families who believed they had the right to rule because of training and character. When Solon became ruler in the late sixth century B.C., he made many changes, including ending slavery as a punishment for debt and opening the assembly to all free men. By the fifth century Athens reached an intellectual climax unmatched in western history. It was a time of the flowering of the arts, of.....
