A famous early Athenian poet and author of its constitution, Solon is credited with
the maxim, "Count no man happy until he is dead." His life appears in Plutarch.
Romulus and Theseus are also the subject of comparative treatment but, unlike the
first three figures mentioned by the Creature, one that is essentially negative. Romulus
murdered his brother, Theseus his father, and both were likewise violent toward women.
The Creature thus testifies to his essentially pacific nature and his admiration for
gentle and socially conscious figures.