Solon often pops up in headlines as a label for legislators. It is actually an eponym, referring to Solon, an esteemed lawgiver from ancient Athens who lay much of the groundwork for the original democracy. Nowadays, however, the term solon is commonly used ironically, since our legislators don’t display the noble disinterest that Solon did a few millennia ago. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Solon”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, this is Ruth from Lake Bluff, Illinois.
Lake where?
Lake Bluff.
Lake Bluff, Illinois. Where about is that?
It’s about 30 miles north of Chicago.
Oh, great. Welcome to the program.
Thank you.
How can we help you?
Well, I have this problem, but it’s not keeping me up at night. It’s just something that’s kind of niggling in the back of my head. I always wondered why they use the word solon, S-O-L-O-N, often in headlines. And it’s probably a short form of legislator that seems to be from the background, from the meaning of the headline. But I wondered where it came from.
Okay, good question. You’re seeing this in newspaper headlines, you say.
Yeah, once in a while I’ll find it in the body of a story or an article or something. So can you give us an idea of what those headlines look like, what it might say?
It would say something about the government. Must be a legislator, a Solon from the state of something-something.
-huh. And I know there’s a Solon Springs in northwest Wisconsin. I’m a transplanted Wisconsinite.
-huh. But I don’t think that has anything to do with it. I don’t think that’s, maybe it’s the name of a founder.
Well. But I was trying to figure from the beginning of it, would it be Sol for sun or solo or?
We can help you with that.
I bet you could. Yeah, the word solon, S-O-L-O-N, is an eponym. It comes directly from the name of an actual person. He was a lawgiver in ancient Athens around 600 B.C., and he instituted a lot of reforms that actually laid the groundwork for Athenian democracy, and he was known as a really noble statesman-like person. In fact, after he instituted all these reforms, he voluntarily went into exile for 10 years, just so people wouldn’t accuse him of interfering with them or benefiting with them in any way.
So it’s interesting. I don’t know if this was your experience, but a lot of times you see the word Solon used almost in an ironic kind of way.
Yes, and I think this is the opposite. You’re someone with great respect, and sometimes we don’t treat our legislators that way.
Right, or we don’t see legislators acting that way, you know, without self-interest. I mean, before Solon came along, for example, there was this huge gap between the rich and the poor. And in fact, if you were in debt, you could be sold into slavery.
Whoa. So he put a stop to that and a lot of other draconian laws like that. We have a lot to thank him for.
I’m glad it’s a positive meaning.
Yes, it is, except when it’s used ironically, as I said, because, I don’t know, Solons are sometimes few and far between, don’t you think?
I don’t use it in conversation very often. And it’s shorter than saying senator or house of representatives person.
Yes, indeed. Yes, indeed. But he was a real guy.
I’m glad to hear it.
Okay, well, great talking with you.
Thanks for calling, Ruth.
Thanks for talking to you. Bye-bye.
Bye.
