Draconian Measures

This is a term that I enjoy. I like the sound of it. It sounds like what it means.

At least in my tiny brain.

Draconian measures are harsh measures. The origin of the term is a guy named Draco who was the first legislator of Athens in ancient Greece. He was responsible for implementing a written legal code, which he established in 622 or 621 B.C. The laws he created were the first written constitution of Athens. Prior to Draco the system was one of oral law and blood feuds.

His laws were recorded on three sided wooden tablets which could be pivoted along the tablets' axis to read any side. These were preserved for almost two centuries. This was considered a major innovation because now all laws were written and available to all literate citizens.

Another innovation was that Draco's laws differentiated between murder and involuntary homicide.

However, Draco's laws were known to be especially harsh. 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.

This doesn't sound much different than the system we have in this country.

The death penalty was the punishment for even minor offenses, hence the word Draconian has come to mean something that is unusually harsh.

All of Draco's laws were repealed by Solon in the early 6th century B.C., except the homicide law.

In 409 B.C. even the homicide law was revised. Especially the part that said it was up to the victim's relatives to prosecute a killer.

Anyway, Draconian measures is a good term and one for which we can find many good uses in today's world.

Like the Draconian measures your employer imposes on his employees just because he can, given today's job market. 

Throw that in your boss's face and see where that gets you.

Ten to one he won't even know what the hell you are talking about.