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Draco was the first lawgiver of ancient Athens, Greece. His laws, written in 621 BC when he was archon eponymous, were particularly harsh, as the death penalty was the punishment for even minor offenses. Hence expressions such as "draconian punishment" or "draconian laws", and more generally, "draconian measures" (far-reaching).
Draco's code of laws was superseded by that of Solon in the early 6th century BC.