''This article is about Draco, the Greek lawgiver from Athens. For other uses of Draco see Draco (disambiguation).

Draco (IPA pronunciation: ; from Δράκων, IPA ) was the first law scribe of ancient Athens, Greece, seventh century B.C. The laws, transcribed in 621 BC when he was archon eponymous, were particularly harsh: the death penalty was the punishment for even minor offences. Any debtor whose status was lower than that of his creditor was forced into slavery. The punishment was more lenient for those who owed their debt to a member of a lower class. The stringency of these laws gave rise to expressions such as "draconian punishment", "draconian laws", and more generally, the far-reaching "draconian measures." Nonetheless, his laws strengthened Athens greatly. Draco's code was later largely revised by Solon, in the early 6th century BC, with the exception of his homicide laws.Ath. Pol. 7: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Aristot.+Ath.+Pol.+7.1

Draco may have been the first to codify Athenian law or at least comprehensively record the laws; contrary to popular belief, however, he was not the creator of those laws.

Notes

Ancient Athenians | Legislators

Drakon | Δράκων | Dracón | Dracon | דרקון (מנהיג אתונה) | Draco (wetgever) | Drakon | Drácon de Atenas | Drakon | 德拉古