History and Law : Solon and Democracy : Hereditary Aristocracy vs. a Meritocracy of Wealth

N.S. Gill at the Ancient History pages of About.com posts in Democracy Then and Now - Rise of Democracy - Solon's Constitution on Solon's contributions to democracy and law.

A revolutionary step toward the modern world was the fact that, as Gill observes:

"Solon replaced the hereditary aristocracy with one based on wealth."

The meshing of law, politics and economics by Solon was a major change in the "political way of doing business" and had a major impact on the development of Western civilization.

See Solon's Reforms and the Rise of Democracy in Athens