SOLON, THE LAW-GIVER OF ATHENS. 69

Of these wise men the following story is told.
Some fishermen of Cos cast their net into the sea,
and brought up in its meshes a golden tripod, which
the renowned Helen had thrown into the sea during
her return from Troy. A dispute arose as to whom
the tripod should belong. Several cities were ready
to go to war about it. To prevent bloodshed the
oracle of Apollo was applied to, and answered that
it should be sent to the wisest man that could be
found.

It was at first sent to Thales of Miletus, a man
famous for wisdom. But he- decided that Bias of
Priene was wiser than he, and sent it to him. And
thus it went the round of the seven wise men,—
Solon among them, so wé are told,—and finally
came back to Thales. He refused to keep it, and
placed it in the temple of Apollo at Thebes.

An evidence alike of Solon’s wisdom, shrewdness,
and political skill arose in the war for the island of
Salamis, which adjoined the two states of Megara
and Attica, and for whose possession they were at
war. After the Athenians had been at great loss of
men and money in this conflict, Megara gained the
island, and the people of Athens became so dis-
gusted with the whole affair that a law was passed
declaring that any man who spoke or wrote again
about the subject should be put to death.

This Solon held to be a stain on the honor of
Athens. He did not care to lose his life by break-
ing the law, but was not content that his country
should rest under the stigma of defeat, and should
yield so valuable a prize, He accordingly had it