Draco was an Athenian law-giver in the Seventh Century BCE, who revised the laws of Athens with admirable impartiality. The law code he developed, however, was rarely enforced and eventually replaced. Why was this?
Answer: Despite Draco’s impartiality, the law code was incredibly severe, promoting the death penalty for virtually every offense. Unsurprisingly, it proved unpopular with the great majority of those in Athens. The laws have brought about the word Draconian.
Source: The Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia by David Crystal
