A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Evolution of Government loi
have the supreme power, and those who possess arms are
the citizens.
Of the above-mentioned forms, the perversions are as Three perfollows:—of
royalty, tyranny; of aristocracy, oHgarchy; forms.
of constitutional government, democracy. For tyranny
is a kind of monarchy which has in view the interest of the
monarch only; oligarchy has in view the interest of the
wealthy; democracy of the needy; none of them the common
good of all.
The hrst governments were kingships; probably for Evolution of
this reason, because of old, when cities were small, men of
eminent virtue were few. They were m.ade kings because Aristotle,
they were benefactors, and benefits can only be bestowed jji. 15.
by good men. But when many persons equal in merit
arose, no longer enduring the pre-eminence of one, they
desired to have a commonwealth, and set up a constitution.
The ruhng class soon deteriorated and enriched
themselves out of the public treasury; riches became the
path to honor, and so oligarchies naturally grew up.
These
passed into tyrannies and tyrannies into democracies;
for love of gain in the ruling classes was always tending to
diminish their number, and so to strengthen the masses,
who in the end set upon their masters and established
democracies.
Since cities have increased in size, no other
form of government appears to be any longer possible.
STUDIES
1. What is a family, and what is a village? What form of government
had the village and why? How did the state arise?
2. What are the four essentials in the situation of a city? How
may they be secured? What were the two modes of arranging the
houses in streets, and their relative merits?
3. What limit should there be to the extent and population of a
city-state? What would Aristotle think of our state?
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