240 ARl.cTOTLE 'S P0LZTZC.T.
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rrip TOT' +.
SO iv. 9. $ 7, dhoi ylp iyXcipoGuL hCyw hc 6qpoKpariag oi(Tr;E
[r+ hKf6aLpOU[oV xohtrrias] 6td +A GqpuKpartKci noXXh riv rdtrv ;x,,,,.
Mantinea is to be counted as a democracy ' after a fashion,' at a
certain period of her history, because the electors to offices, althou;Ji
themselves a small body only, were elected by all, and because the
whole people had the right of deliberating. Schneider thinks thn
the names of the magistrates mentioned in the treaty made between
Athens, Argos, Rlantinea and Elis, B.C. 420 (Thuc. v. 47) likewise
indicate a democratic form of government. But this is fanciful.
That Rlantinea was at that time a democracy may be more sdfely
inferred from the alliance which she formed with Athens and Argos.
Aristotle's cautious language would lead us to suppose that the
government of Rlantinea, though not strictly speaking a demo-
cracy, wore the appearance of one, and was a form of government
which he himself greatly admired, being in name a democracy but
in reality administered by its chief citizens.
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4.5. 6. The chief magistrates are to be a select class possessing a high
qualification, but they mill be controlled by the whole people.
Thus the democratical constitution is supposed to be happily
balanced. But it may be questioned whether a democracy which
has a supreme power in the assembly would be willing to elect its
magistrates from a privileged class. It may equally be doubted,
whether a great people like the Athenians would have submitted
to the checks and artifices by which democracy is bridled. Such
theories of government look \vel1 in books, but they are paper-
constitutions ' only. They may sometimes be realized in fact
when events have prepared the way for them; but cannot be
imposed as the behests of political philosophy on a reluctmi
people merely with a view to their good.
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816 refers to what has preceded. 'And because of the general
contentment which is thereby secured, it is advantageous to this
rural form of democracy to be allowed to elect officers and review'
and judge ': a thought which is illustrated in what follows, 6.