draconian

draconian
\ \ [18] Draconian ‘excessively harsh’ is a monument to the severe code of laws drawn up in 621 BC by the Athenian statesman Draco.
\ \ Its purpose was to banish inequities in the system which were leading at the time to rumblings and threats of rebellion among the common people, and to an extent it succeeded, but all it is now remembered for is its almost pathological harshness: the most trivial infraction was punished with death. When taxed with his laws’ severity, Draco is said to have replied ‘Small crimes deserve death, and for great crimes I know of no penalty severer’.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Draconian — Основная информация Жа …   Википедия

  • Draconian — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Draconian Información personal Origen Säffle, Suecia …   Wikipedia Español

  • Draconian — is an adjective meaning great severity, that derives from Draco, an Athenian law scribe under whom small offences had heavy punishments (Draconian laws). Draconian may also refer to: Draconian (band), a Death/doom metal band from Sweden Draconian …   Wikipedia

  • Draconian — Dra*co ni*an, a. Pertaining to Draco, a famous lawgiver of Athens, 621 b. c. Used especially in the phrase {Draconian punishment}. [1913 Webster +PJC] {Draconian code}, or {Draconian laws}, a code of laws made by Draco. Their measures were so… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Draconian — est un groupe de doom/gothic metal originaire de Suède formé en 1994 qui écrit des chansons dans une veine atmosphérique, sombre et nostalgique. Sommaire 1 Caractéristiques 2 Biographie 3 Membres du groupe …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Draconian — Allgemeine Informationen Genre(s) Gothic Metal, Doom Metal Gründung 1994 Website www.draconian.se …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • draconian — I adjective austere, exacting, extreme, fanatical, formalistic, harsh, inflexible, insensitive, intolerant, precise, punctilious, puritanical, relentless, rigid, rigorous, ruthless, severe, Spartan, stiff, strict, stringent, unbending,… …   Law dictionary

  • draconian — DRACONIÁN adj. v. draconic. Trimis de siveco, 13.09.2007. Sursa: Sinonime …   Dicționar Român

  • draconian — 1876 (earlier Draconic, implied from 1640s), from Draco, Greek statesman who laid down a code of laws for Athens 621 B.C.E. that mandated death as punishment for minor crimes. His name seems to mean lit. sharp sighted (see DRAGON (Cf. dragon)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • draconian — [adj] harsh brutal, cruel, drastic, exorbitant, extreme, heavy handed, oppressive, rough, severe, strict, very severe; concept 401 …   New thesaurus

  • draconian — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ (of laws) excessively harsh. ORIGIN named after the Athenian legislator Draco (7th century BC) …   English terms dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”