I.
Free cities (republics AND principalities)
a.
Laws given by one alone and at a stroke
(Lycurgus and Sparta)
i. Happy
b.
By chance at different times (Rome)
i. Unhappy
and disordered—BUT
1.
If way off the road, probably no hope
2.
If beginnings were good and capable of
improvement, accidents can lead to perfection; this requires danger because men
won’t see the necessity without danger: Florence ruined by such danger
II.
Rome’s type through Polybius/cycle interlude
a.
What the writers say
i. Three
states
1.
Principality
2.
Aristocrats
3.
Popular
ii. Six
states (those who say this are wiser by the opinion of many)
1.
Three good (written above)
2.
Three bad (depend on the other three)
a.
Principally => tyrannical
b.
Aristocrats => few
c.
Popular => licentious
3.
Leap from one to the other; good ordered only for
a short time
b.
Polybius’ cycle with NM’s changes
i. Variations
of government arose by nature v. chance
ii. Men
lived together like beasts v. dispersed like beasts
iii. Look
to one who exceeds in bodily strength and daring of soul v. more robust and of
greater heart
iv. First
government derived from natural weakness and fear v. calculated for
self-defense
v. Origin
of justice in recognition of ingratitude but NM omits natural disgust at seeing
ingratitude of children to parents and omits recognition of the noble in seeing
some men defend others from wild beasts
vi. NM
omits statement about distinctiveness of human reason
vii. P
speaks of “first notion” of justice, implying higher understanding; NM stops at
the first notion as if that is all there is
viii. P:
success of the prince makes his successors act badly; NM says degeneration
begins as soon as succession becomes hereditary, ignores P’s discussion of
corrupting influence of wealth
ix. NM
adds “feared” to “hated” to the consequences of princes acting badly
x. NM
adds “wealth” to the traits that enable the few rebel against the prince
xi. NM
says the prince is “destroyed”
xii. Aristocrats
hate the “name” (NM) rather than the “form” (P) of king
xiii. NM
changes “violating women” to “usurping women” and omits “raping boys”
xiv. Leader
of the democrats has the daring to oppose oligarchs (P) v. designs to harm them
(NM)
xv. NM
again omits mention of corrupting influence of wealth and notes absence of fear
in making men bad
c.
Can’t revolve forever because of foreign
conquest
III.
“I say” that all six modes are bad
a.
Good because of brevity of life
b.
Bad because of inherent malignancy
IV.
Sparta v. Athens
a.
Lycurgus ordered Sparta with a role for people, the
few and the kings
b.
Solon ordered only the popular state in Athens:
was tyranny within his lifetime, then again 100 years after restoration; Athens
then tried to mix elements but did so unsuccessfully
V.
Return to Rome
a.
Lacked “first fortune”: virtuous founder
b.
But had second fortune: chance
c.
Because beginning was good, could be perfected
d.
Romulus’ orders conformed to a free way of life
i. Senate
already ordered by him
ii. Kings
expelled, introduced consuls
iii. Then
tribunes
e.
Thus all three parts had their place
f.
This “perfection” arose from the disunity of the
senate and plebs which is the topic of next two chapters (3 & 4)
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