DRACONIAN: often capitalized 1: of, relating to, or characteristic of Draco or the severe code of laws associated with him 2: cruel; also: severe
"Draconian" comes from Draco, the name of a seventh-century B.C. Athenian legislator who created a written code of law. Draco's code was intended to clarify preexistent unwritten laws, but their severity has long been associated with the Athenian's name. In Draco's code, even minor offenses were punishable by death, and failure to pay one's debts could result in slavery. "Draconian," as a result, became associated with things cruel or harsh, but not necessarily as dire as Draco's laws. Today the word is used in a wide variety of ways and often refers to measures (steep parking fines, for example) that are relatively minor when compared with death and slavery.
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