Draco (lawgiver) facts for kids

Draco (also known as Drako or Drakon) was an important figure in Ancient Greece. He lived around the 7th century BC. Draco was the very first lawmaker in Athens.

Before Draco, laws were mostly spoken and passed down. People often settled disagreements through family fights. Draco changed this by creating the first written set of laws for Athens. This set of laws is known as the Draconian constitution.

The citizens of Athens asked Draco to create these laws. They wanted a fair system that everyone could understand. However, Draco's laws turned out to be very strict and harsh.

Some historians wonder if Draco was a real person or more of a legend. This is because we don't have much information about his life. His name, Drakōn, means "sharp-sighted" in Greek.

Today, if rules or laws are extremely strict, we often call them draconian. This word comes from Draco's name.

Life of Draco

Draco created his famous laws around 622 or 621 BC. This was during the 39th Olympiad, a major ancient Greek event.

We don't know much about Draco's personal life. Some old stories say he was part of a noble family in Attica, a region in Greece.

There's a famous story about how Draco died. It's said that in a theater in Aegina, his supporters cheered for him so much that they threw their cloaks and hats on him. He was supposedly buried under the pile! However, this is likely just a folk tale. What we do know is that the Athenians eventually sent Draco away from Athens. He then lived the rest of his life on the nearby island of Aegina.

Draco's Laws: The Draconian Constitution

Draco's laws were the first written constitution for Athens. A constitution is a set of rules that a country or state is governed by. To make sure everyone knew the laws, they were written on wooden tablets. These tablets were displayed for nearly 200 years. They were shaped like four-sided pyramids.

Draco's constitution brought some big changes:

• Written Laws: Before Draco, laws were only spoken. This meant only certain people knew them and could change them easily. Draco wrote down all the laws. This made them public for all citizens who could read. If someone felt a law was used unfairly, they could complain to a special court called the Areopagus.
• Different Types of Killing: Draco's laws were the first to tell the difference between murder (killing someone on purpose) and accidental killing.

However, these laws were very harsh. For example, if you owed money and couldn't pay it back, you could be forced into slavery. Even for small crimes, like stealing a cabbage, the punishment was often the death penalty.

Most of Draco's laws were later canceled by another famous Athenian lawmaker named Solon. This happened in the early 6th century BC. The only law that Solon kept was the one about homicide (killing).

Homicide Law

The law about killing was very important. In 409 BC, the Athenians decided to update it. This law stated that if someone was killed, the victim's family had the right to take the killer to court.

If a killing was accidental, the punishment was usually exile. This meant the person had to leave Athens. It's not fully clear what Draco's original law said about intentional killing. But by 409 BC, killing someone on purpose was punished by death.

Council of Four Hundred

Draco also helped create a new group called the Council of Four Hundred. Members of this council were chosen by lottery. This council was different from the older Areopagus court. Over time, the Council of Four Hundred became very important in the Athenian democracy.

Draco allowed all free men who could afford their own military gear to vote. These men could also elect members to the Council of Four Hundred. Important leaders, like the nine archons (chief magistrates) and treasurers, had to own a certain amount of property. Generals (called strategoi) and cavalry commanders (called hipparchoi) needed even more property. They also had to have children who were at least ten years old. This was to make sure their property would go to a proper heir if they died.

The Council of Areopagus was like a guardian of the laws. It watched over the leaders to make sure they followed the rules. If someone felt they were treated unfairly, they could report it to the Council of Areopagus.

See also

• Ancient Greek law
• Hammurabi, another ancient lawmaker known for his code of laws
• Cruel and unusual punishment
• Retributive justice
• List of Ancient Greeks
• List of eponymous laws