For this ergon, I decided to make a zine! I am in the zine club at Bryn Mawr, and during the meeting I was struck with inspiration to draw a (very) pared down version of our first Herodotus reading. I found this reading really funny, so I wanted to write from the perspective of Solon and really encapsulate his unconcerned attitude towards Croesus’s feelings. I also included some historical fun facts, such as Solon funding publicly run brothels and writing his own poetry.
The zine starts with a drawing of Solon (as copied from a bust from the Farnese collection, which currently resides in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples), after a two page title screen, I list the two reasons that Solon is considered a good authority of the subject of happiness (according to his host, King Croesus), these are accompanied by drawings of an Athenian trireme and a brain. The next pages show the three happiest people who ever lived. First, Tellus of Athens, who is seen impaled on a sword with two grieving sons. Next Cleobus and Biton who tie for second place and are also lying dead on the ground. The last page shows a set of scales and a statement comparing the dead men to King Croesus and deciding that the dead are happier.
