They had small blocks of land, the soil was mostly poor and socapable of producing smaller crops of lesser grains, they had noway of getting more grain for a poor season, and had to eat theirseed grain, and so they were open to exploitation by largelandowner.Indeed, the reason for Solon's appointment as dictator for ayear was to resolve this problem, and buy back all the smalllandowners who had been sold into slavery for their debts.