The Judges
The judges were very interesting in ancient Athens. by this, I mean that they were of absolutely no importance. The juries held all of the power; the position of judge was purely symbolic. And what's more, they weren't even referred to as judges. They were called magistrates, and there was one for each class. (rich, moderate, poor, and peasants) They were the richest members of their class, so the position changed once one man acquired more money than the current magistrate. This system was very effective in making the rich feel like they held power while they actually didn't, and making the people hold all of the power when they didn't know it.
However, these magistrates were not supposed to be purely symbolic. On paper, they were supposed to make most of the decisions, and have only some cases get referred to the juries. This worked out at first, but as time went on, more and more cases arose, leading to more and more cases getting referred. Eventually, so many cases got referred that cases went straight to the juries without the magistrates ever hearing about them. The magistracy was actually an ingenious idea. It satisfied the rich by making them have "power" and it also kept them off the poor peoples' backs. This shows that Solon's new constitution was revolutionary; it didn't favor one side more than another. Making the poor happy had a side affect that made the rich unhappy, so Solon compensated by adding a position that was completely based on wealth. Well done, Solon. Well done.
However, these magistrates were not supposed to be purely symbolic. On paper, they were supposed to make most of the decisions, and have only some cases get referred to the juries. This worked out at first, but as time went on, more and more cases arose, leading to more and more cases getting referred. Eventually, so many cases got referred that cases went straight to the juries without the magistrates ever hearing about them. The magistracy was actually an ingenious idea. It satisfied the rich by making them have "power" and it also kept them off the poor peoples' backs. This shows that Solon's new constitution was revolutionary; it didn't favor one side more than another. Making the poor happy had a side affect that made the rich unhappy, so Solon compensated by adding a position that was completely based on wealth. Well done, Solon. Well done.