A fragment
by Alcaeus of Mytilene on a Storm in the State; “I cannot understand how the winds are set against each other. Now from this side and now from that the
waves roll. We between them run with the
wind in our black ship driven, hard pressed and laboring under the giant
storm. All round the mast-step washes
the sea we shipped. You can through the
sail already where there are opening rents within it. The forestays slacken…” Here the fragment
ends.
“But the citizens themselves in their wildness
are bent on destruction of their great city and money is the compulsive
cause. The leaders of the people are
evil-minded. The next stage will be
great suffering, recompense for their violent acts.” Solon
“I gave the people as much privilege as
they have a right to. I neither degraded
them from rank nor gave them free hand and for those who already held the power
and were envied for money I worked it out that they also could have no cause for
complaint. I stood there holding my
sturdy shield over both the parties. I
would not let either side win a victory that was wrong.” Solon
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