Solon's Reforms in Athens

Around 594 BCE, Athenian statesman Solon was appointed to reform the city's laws. He cancelled all debts, freed Athenians who'd been enslaved for debt, and created a new legal code that gave more power to common citizens. These reforms planted the seeds that would eventually grow into Athenian democracy. While Judah was sliding toward destruction under bad kings, Athens was lowkey building the political system that would shape the entire Western world.