- Source
- Aristotle. Aristotelis Politica. Ross, William David, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1957 (printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg035.humanitext-grc2:4.1292b
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-29
Aristotle defines the remaining forms of oligarchy (including dynasty) and notes that a formal constitution can differ from its actual practice. He then explains how different forms of democracy arise based on which parts of the populace participate in the constitution.
ἄλλο δέ, ὅταν ἀπὸ τιμημάτων μακρῶν ὦσιν αἱ ἀρχαὶ καὶ αἱρῶνται αὐτοὶ τοὺς ἐλλείποντας1 (ἂν μὲν οὖν ἐκ πάντων τούτων τοῦτο ποιῶσι, δοκεῖ τοῦτʼ εἶναι μᾶλλον ἀριστοκρατικόν, ἐὰν δὲ ἐκ τινῶν ἀφωρισμένων, ὀλιγαρχικόν)· ἕτερον δʼ εἶδος ὀλιγαρχίας, ὅταν παῖς ἀντὶ πατρὸς εἰσίῃ, τέταρτον δʼ, ὅταν ὑπάρχῃ τε τὸ νῦν λεχθὲν καὶ ἄρχῃ μὴ ὁ νόμος ἀλλʼ οἱ ἄρχοντες. καὶ ἔστιν ἀντίστροφος αὕτη ἐν ταῖς ὀλιγαρχίαις ὥσπερ ἡ τυραννὶς ἐν ταῖς μοναρχίαις, καὶ περὶ ἧς τελευταίας εἴπαμεν δημοκρατίας ἐν ταῖς δημοκρατίαις· καὶ καλοῦσι δὴ τὴν τοιαύτην ὀλιγαρχίαν δυναστείαν. ὀλιγαρχίας μὲν οὖν εἴδη τοσαῦτα καὶ δημοκρατίας· οὐ δεῖ δὲ λανθάνειν ὅτι πολλαχοῦ συμβέβηκεν ὥστε τὴν μὲν πολιτείαν τὴν κατὰ τοὺς νόμους μὴ δημοτικὴν εἶναι,2 διὰ δὲ τὸ ἔθος καὶ τὴν ἀγωγὴν πολιτεύεσθαι δημοτικῶς, ὁμοίως δὲ πάλιν παρʼ ἄλλοις τὴν μὲν κατὰ τοὺς νόμους εἶναι πολιτείαν δημοτικωτέραν, τῇ δʼ ἀγωγῇ καὶ τοῖς ἔθεσιν ὀλιγαρχεῖσθαι μᾶλλον. συμβαίνει δὲ τοῦτο μάλιστα μετὰ τὰς μεταβολὰς τῶν πολιτειῶν· οὐ γὰρ εὐθὺς μεταβαίνουσιν, ἀλλὰ ἀγαπῶσι τὰ πρῶτα μικρὰ πλεονεκτοῦντες παρʼ ἀλλήλων, ὥσθʼ οἱ μὲν νόμοι διαμένουσιν οἱ προϋπάρχοντες, κρατοῦσι δʼ οἱ μεταβαλόντες τὴν πολιτείαν. ὅτι δʼ ἔστι τοσαῦτα εἴδη δημοκρατίας καὶ ὀλιγαρχίας, ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν εἰρημένων φανερόν ἐστιν. ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἢ πάντα τὰ εἰρημένα μέρη τοῦ δήμου κοινωνεῖν τῆς πολιτείας, ἢ τὰ μὲν τὰ δὲ μή. ὅταν μὲν οὖν τὸ γεωργικὸν καὶ τὸ κεκτημένον μετρίαν οὐσίαν κύριον ᾖ τῆς πολιτείας, πολιτεύονται κατὰ νόμους (ἔχουσι γὰρ ἐργαζόμενοι ζῆν,3 οὐ δύνανται δὲ σχολάζειν, ὥστε τὸν νόμον ἐπιστήσαντες ἐκκλησιάζουσι τὰς ἀναγκαίας ἐκκλησίας), τοῖς δὲ ἄλλοις μετέχειν ἔξεστιν ὅταν κτήσωνται τὸ τίμημα τὸ διωρισμένον ὑπὸ τῶν νόμων· διὸ πᾶσι τοῖς κτησαμένοις ἔξεστι μετέχειν· ὅλως μὲν γὰρ τὸ μὲν μὴ ἐξεῖναι πᾶσιν ὀλιγαρχικόν, τὸ δὲ δὴ ἐξεῖναι σχολάζειν ἀδύνατον μὴ προσόδων οὐσῶν. τοῦτο μὲν οὖν εἶδος ἓν δημοκρατίας διὰ ταύτας τὰς αἰτίας· ἕτερον δὲ εἶδος διὰ τὴν ἐχομένην διαίρεσιν· ἔστι γὰρ καὶ πᾶσιν ἐξεῖναι τοῖς ἀνυπευθύνοις κατὰ τὸ γένος, μετέχειν μέντοι δυναμένους σχολάζειν· διόπερ ἐν τῇ τοιαύτῃ δημοκρατίᾳ οἱ νόμοι ἄρχουσι, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι πρόσοδον. τρίτον δʼ εἶδος τὸ πᾶσιν ἐξεῖναι, ὅσοι ἂν ἐλεύθεροι ὦσι, μετέχειν τῆς πολιτείας, μὴ μέντοι μετέχειν διὰ τὴν προειρημένην αἰτίαν,4 ὥστʼ ἀναγκαῖον καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ ἄρχειν τὸν νόμον.
Another form is when the offices are from high property qualifications and they themselves elect those to fill the vacancies (now if they do this from all of these, this would seem to be rather aristocratic, but if from certain defined individuals, oligarchic); and another form of oligarchy is when the son enters in place of the father; and a fourth is when the situation just mentioned exists, and not the law but the rulers rule. And this is the counterpart among oligarchies, just as tyranny is among monarchies, and as is the democracy we spoke of last among democracies; and they call such an oligarchy a dynasty. The forms of oligarchy, then, and of democracy are so many. But it must not escape notice that in many places it has happened that, although the constitution according to the laws is not democratic, yet through custom and upbringing it is administered in a democratic way, and likewise, conversely, among other peoples the constitution according to the laws is more democratic, but by upbringing and customs it is ruled rather oligarchically. And this happens especially after the changes of constitutions; for they do not change immediately, but are content at first to gain small advantages over one another, so that the pre-existing laws remain in force, but those who changed the constitution hold power. That there are so many forms of democracy and oligarchy is clear from what has been said. For it is necessary that either all the mentioned parts of the populace share in the constitution, or some do and others do not. When, therefore, the agricultural class and those possessing moderate property are sovereign over the constitution, they govern according to laws (for they have to live by working and cannot afford leisure, so that having set up the law as master they hold only the necessary assemblies), but it is open to the others to share when they have acquired the property qualification defined by the laws; hence all who have acquired it are allowed to share; for on the whole, for it not to be open to all is oligarchic, whereas for them to be able to afford leisure is impossible without public revenues. This, then, is one form of democracy for these reasons; and another form is due to the next distinction: for it is possible for all who are unchallenged as to birth to be allowed to share, but for only those who are able to afford leisure actually to participate; therefore in such a democracy the laws rule, because there is no public revenue. And a third form is for all to be allowed to share in the constitution, as many as are free, but they do not actually participate because of the aforementioned reason, so that in this one too it is necessary for the law to rule.
- 1292b1καὶ αἱρῶνται αὐτοὶ τοὺς ἐλλείποντας
The nominative pronoun αὐτοί ("they themselves") refers to the ruling class currently holding office. The substantivized participle τοὺς ἐλλείποντας ("those who are lacking/failing") refers to those who are to fill the vacancies in the offices. Thus, this phrase describes a co-optation system where the current rulers select their own successors.
- 1292b10οὐ δεῖ δὲ λανθάνειν ὅτι πολλαχοῦ συμβέβηκεν ὥστε τὴν μὲν πολιτείαν τὴν κατὰ τοὺς νόμους μὴ δημοτικὴν εἶναι
The impersonal verb συμβέβηκεν ("it has happened") takes a ὥστε clause with accusative and infinitive (τὴν μὲν πολιτείαν... μὴ δημοτικὴν εἶναι, ... πολιτεύεσθαι), expressing the result or actual state of discrepancy between the formal constitution and the actual political practice.
- 1292b25ἔχουσι γὰρ ἐργαζόμενοι ζῆν
The verb ἔχουσιν with the following infinitive ζῆν means "they are able to live" (equivalent to δύνανται ζῆν). The participle ἐργαζόμενοι ("working") expresses manner or attendant circumstance.
- 1292b35μὴ μέντοι μετέχειν διὰ τὴν προειρημένην αἰτίαν
The infinitive μετέχειν with the negative μή is governed by the preceding ἔξεστιν ("it is allowed"), but it presents a contrast to the earlier share in eligibility. It expresses the reality: "though allowed to participate, they do not actually do so because of the aforementioned reason."