Δράκων (Drakōn or Draco) was a Greek legislator who was notorious for his severe
laws. He lived in the 7th century BCE. He wrote laws that replaced both oral law and blood
feud. As the first constitution of Athens, it could also only be enforced by a
court. For the lawyers among you, the code also made a difference between
murder and involuntary manslaughter. To make sure that all citizens were
informed about the new laws, they were published on wooden tablets and on
steles. The laws were particularly harsh. For example, any debtor whose status was lower than that of his creditor was forced into slavery. The punishment was more lenient for those owing debt to a member of a lower class. The death penalty was the punishment for even minor offences.
The liberal use of the death penalty under Draconic code made Plutarch comment: "It is said that Draco himself, when asked why he had fixed the punishment of death for most offences, answered that he considered these lesser crimes to deserve it, and he had no greater punishment for more important ones."
Solon repealed Draconian law in the early 6th century BCE. The only exception was homicide law. Draconian law was the first legislation making a distinction between homicide and involuntarilyhomicide.
Currently, people refer to Draconian when a certain law or regulation is especially harsh, such as the recentone in Russia.
