POLITICS OF ARISTOTLE

I ,;lS ARIA.TOTLE'S POLITICS.

&re pi $ o'ytru vrrh-qu Zrr. Stahr translates wrongly : ' Hercules

would not row with his comrades, because he was SO far superior

to them in strength.'

13. I 6. riv nrpiddpov epfloupo;x, crup,BouXlau K.T.X.
    Cp. Herod. v. 92, who reverses the characters, the advice being
    given not by Periander to Thrasybulus, but by Thrasybulus 10
    Periander ; and Livy i. 54 : also Shakes. Rich. 11. act iii. sc. 4 :--
    I Go thou, and, like an executioner,
    Cut off the tieads of too fast-growing sprays
    That look too lofty in our commonwealth.'


14. 
    
    
    
    16. 6th KU~ TOLE $c'youras T;/Y rvpavuisn KI~; TI)U rIcpri;u8pou Bpoui&<Xo
        oupaovXl'au OLX ci~X& oi+~ +Birr i~rr~pi~.
    
    
    
    

tion, and at times extreme measures must be alloived.

Because all governments rest on the principle of self-preserva-

13. 18.^6 ~-~CIK~U~IL~ rjv ahju 2,p Giuapru ,. ri KOXO&LV.
    In this passage there is a doubt about the reading, and also
    about the construction. Several XSS. read rb KWX6fIY=i haye the
    same effect in respect of putting dom the chief citizens.'
    If we retain the reading of Bekker's text. it is doubtful n-hetlier
    36, KOXO~W I) is to be taken after T~U &+U (Bernays), or z)* is the
    dative of the instrument. To the first way of explaining the
    words it may be objected that r+ KOXO6tlV must then be referred IO
    the particular instance of the counsel of Periander, whereas ostra-
    cism has been just asserted to be general, and to represent the
    policy of oligarchy and democracy as well as of tyranny. It has
    the same effect with the " lopping off" the chief citizens.'

13.18-23. It can hardly be supposed that the legislator xho instituted
ostracism had any definite idea of banishing the one 'best man'
who was too much for the state. The practice seems to hue
arisen out of the necessities of party \varfare, and may be regarded
as an attempt to give stability to the ever-changing politics Of
a Greek state. It certainly existed as early as the time of Cleis-
thenes, and is said to have been employed against the adherents Of
I'eisistratus. Every year on a fised day the people were asked if