Such, then, was his legislation concerning the magistracies. There are
three points in the constitution of Solon which appear to be its most
democratic features: first and most important, the prohibition of loans
on the security of the debtor's person; secondly, the right of every
person who so willed to claim redress on behalf of any one to whom
wrong was being done; thirdly, the institution of the appeal to the
jurycourts; and it is to this last, they say, that the masses have owed
their strength most of all, since, when the democracy is master of the
voting-power, it is master of the constitution. Moreover, since the
laws were not drawn up in simple and explicit terms (but like the one
concerning inheritances and wards of state), disputes inevitably
occurred, and the courts had to decide in every matter, whether public
or private. Some persons in fact believe that Solon deliberately made
the laws indefinite, in order that the final decision might be in the
hands of the people. This, however, is not probable, and the reason no
doubt was that it is impossible to attain ideal perfection when framing
a law in general terms; for we must judge of his intentions, not from
the actual results in the present day, but from the general tenor of
the rest of his legislation.