politics

Chapter 17 Volume (B) II (9)
The "re-election" by means of "casting lots" and "collecting voices" may be the "naive" procedure in Sparta's "election system" that Aristotle said.However, Isocrates’s “Panathenaicus” (Panathenaicus) 154; Park Lubo’s “Historical Records” vi 10 said that the election procedures in Sparta were different from this (refer to Note 333 of the second edition of “Su School”) .And everyone who wishes to become an elder must run around to convince the electors.We believe that every 10 public offices should select a talented person, whether he wants to hold such a post or not.Legislators should have designed the electoral system to encourage people to display their ambitions and cultivate a sense of pride in public service. Without encouragement, no talented person would be willing to devote himself to public affairs.But at the same time it breeds an ambitious (good name) and greedy (lust-loving) disposition, 15 which unexpectedly leads people to various evils.

We shall comment elsewhere on the general question of monarchy and the interests of the crown in relation to the city-states in Book III, Chapters XIV-XVII. .However, if each city-state has established a monarchy, it is inappropriate for the throne to adopt the current hereditary method of Sparta. Every new king should be elected by the people according to his character before he can inherit the throne. The two kings came from the two main branches of the Heraclea family, and both were inherited by the eldest son.According to Plutarch's "Biography of Lusander" 30, and "Apophthegmata Lac" (Apophthegmata Lac) 229E, the naval commander Lusander in the fifth and fourth centuries BC proposed to abolish the hereditary system of the throne and replace it with talent. German election system.Aristotle's section is consistent with this discussion. .Judging from the current system, the legislators at the time also knew clearly that every king could not be guaranteed to be upright and upright. Therefore, in the supervision system established, the scope of supervision also includes the royal family.Moreover, when the Spartans went on missions (visiting) to other states,20 they would also include those who disagreed with the monarch into the mission. The Citizens' Assembly or the Council of Elders is appointed to be responsible for visiting foreign countries, fighting for land and concluding alliances, and the general censor travels with him.According to Herman's "Greek Stories" Volume 25 250, when the two kings led the army as generals, they should be accompanied by two supervisors according to regulations.The Ombudsman is what is called "a person who disagrees with the sovereign". .Most people also believe that the system of two kings is the legislator's intention to use the confrontation between the two to ensure the balance of the Spartan regime.

The original arrangement of the banquet system called "Phythia" (φδιια) is also questionable.For the cost of this assembly, see 1272a13-21 according to Crete's regulations. ,30 should be paid by public funds; but in Lageny, whether the citizens there are poor or not, whether they can afford the meal expenses, still stipulates the amount that everyone should pay plus.The result produced in this way is contrary to the original intention of the dinner.The banquet was originally a civilian way, but when it was carried out according to the regulations there, the result was just the opposite, and the poor could not enter the cafeteria.However, according to Spartan tradition,35 people who did not enter the mess hall had no constitutional rights.

People have pointed the finger at the Admiral's problems, too, and their criticisms are justified.Therefore, internal strife is often caused.Originally, the two kings of Sparta were also lifelong army commanders, and there was even a naval commander who confronted them. During the Peloponnesian War, when Lysande was the commander of the Spartan navy, there was a situation of confrontation with the royal family (see volume 1301 19b1306, 33b40). .In this way, we can say that there is another royal family besides the two royal families. [-]
The original intention of Sparta's legislation creation is questionable, 1271b Plato's "Laws" Plato's "Laws" Volume 625 630E, 1334.criticized it.The purpose of the whole system is to develop a virtue - the fighting (soldier's) virtue, which guarantees victory in war and establishes hegemony.Therefore, as long as there are continuous wars, the authority of Sparta will still have the upper hand, but when they have already won the victory and are about to expand their territory and plan a new territory, they suddenly decline. Refer to Volume VII 6a1270.This section proposes that the reason for the decline of the Spartans is the lack of civilized and political talents for peaceful management, which is deeper than the reason for the population decline proposed above (33a[-]).

It is consistent with Evro's "History of the World" 67 (Muller's "Fragments of Greek History" Volume 254 5) on the reasons for Thebes' rapid rise and fall. .They are confined to the life and temperament of peacetime, and do not know how to use their spare time to seek long-term peace and peace for all;They have another serious error.They know very well that the "goods (things)" that life hopes for are a healthy body, a beautiful soul, and wealth and prestige outside the body such as enough life and enjoyment.See volume 1323 21a38-1168, "Nilon" volume 16 10b[-] and below. , should be pursued with virtue, not plundered with evil deeds.This understanding of pursuing "all goodness" (things)[-] with "goodness" is legitimate, but they also think that these goodnesses (things) are more important than goodness, which is wrong.

Sparta also did not have good public finances, as the state was always busy with wars, leaving its coffers empty and unable to collect sufficient taxes.Because most of the fields are controlled by Spartan citizens, Plutarch's "Lyccagus Biography" 8, in the Spartan land division carried out by Lycagus, Spartan citizens own 8 shares, "Berry There are 15 copies of "Russia Quarter" ("Frontier Residents").Later, due to the annexation of rich houses, most of the land was occupied by Spartan citizens.Citizens occupy land and receive less tax than serfs, and the treasury (warehouse) is becoming increasingly empty.When Agis was in power, the land was re-divided, and [-] shares were given to Spartan citizens, and [-] shares were given to Belioti who had served in the army ("Agis Biography" [-]). , [-] But none of them actively lost the national endowment.The consequences of the Spartan law were often unexpected by the legislators: the city-state became impoverished and private individuals became greedy.

Such is the general outline of the Lacedaemonian government, and I have explained its important defects.

Chapter Ten 20
The government of Crete is similar to that of Lacedaemon, but generally speaking, it is not as detailed as that of Lacedaemon, and only one or two points can be compared with it.Historical biography has indeed recorded that the law of Ragenni (Sparta) may come from the law of Crete.In any system, the former ones are generally rough, and the later ones are relatively more thoughtful.It is said that after resigning from the post of guardian of King Kalilao, Lycagus traveled abroad and stayed in Crete for many years.There is a city called Lyctor on the island,25 which was originally a Spartan colony.Therefore, the Spartans often visited Crete, and Lycurgus also visited here. The Duli tribe in Greece is the main city of Crete. special government" (1271b20).

"Herodotus" i 65 said that the legal system of Spartalikagus came from Crete.In Plato's "Utopia" 544C and 574A, the regimes of Crete and Sparta are collectively referred to as "timocracy".In "Historical Records" vi45, Park Lubo quoted the old biographies of Xenophon, Afro, Callisthenes and others, and also believed that the legal systems of the two were very similar. "Strebo" x417 (page 481) quoted Afolo's "History of the World", saying that Knossos (Kνoo), the former capital of King Minos, was destroyed after the war. Two cities were built in its place.Between the 11th and 10th centuries B.C., Althaemenes, the leader of the Duli tribe, adopted various legacy systems from the old state on Crete to colonize the city of Lyctor, and established a rather quaint law. .In the 9th century BC, Lycagus, who had a family relationship with Lyctor's colonization, traveled south to Crete and learned deeply about the ordinances of Gortin and Lyctor.After returning to China, he founded the Spartan law based on the Cretan political system. .At first, when immigrants arrived in Lyctor, they adopted the political system of the local population.It is said that the local legal system was handed down from the ancient times of King Minos.Until now,30 the Spartans there still use all the old laws to manage the berioti (serfs) on the island.

Now that Minos is mentioned, let me explain by the way that this island has an excellent geographical location, and its natural terrain has an excellent structure. Crete is 250 kilometers long and 12 to 60 kilometers wide, with rugged coasts and many harbors. .It is located between Europe, Asia and Africa, and is convenient for shipping to the islands in the Eastern Mediterranean and coastal cities in Asia.Cultivated land, mining and smelting and pastures are scattered among the mountains on the island, and the people live a prosperous life.Compared with the Greek peninsula, the residents here began to civilize and dominate earlier.In this section, the geography of Crete mentioned by Aristotle is probably derived from Evro's "History of the World" (written in the middle of the 4th century BC) (cf. ] and Müller, Fragments of Greek History, Vol. 47, 476).

King Minos, see ancient Greek mythology. "Thucydides" Volume 4, 15, said that he was the first person to establish the Greek navy. He eradicated pirates and established a hegemony on the Clades Islands.According to the research of modern archaeologists, such as Arthur Evans, the [-]th century BC was the heyday of the Minoan Dynasty and the Cretan civilization. It was a slavery serf kingdom. Among the countries, In addition to agricultural and pastoral products such as beans, wheat, oil, wine, cattle, and sheep, there are also linen and wool clothes, painted pottery, gold and silver utensils, four-wheeled ox carts, and sea cargo ships.The national currency is gold, silver and copper bars.Linear characters are popular characters, which are often inscribed on clay tablets and fired into pottery slips.The people worship the bull.The Minoan royal family served as judges, generals and priests.

, all of this looks like it was deliberately arranged by God, and it should become the hegemony in the Greek world.Crete dominates the sea "Full Sea" (πση... θαλσση), also translated as "sea", which actually refers to the Eastern Mediterranean, namely the Aegean Sea, which was also called "Greek Sea" by the ancient Greeks. , the coastal area of ​​the island is densely covered with cities established by Greek immigrants.Not far to the west of the island is the Peloponnese, and the east of the 35 islands is close to Cape Trio and Rhodes on the (southwest) corner of Asia (near Cnidu).These superior geographical locations are the basis for King Minos to successfully establish his maritime kingdom.He conquered many of the neighboring islands, sent large numbers of people to colonize others, and made an expedition to Sicily, where he died near Garmico in Sicily. 40
The general system of Crete is comparable to the Ragenian system.The "frontier dwellers" (Beliot) on Crete in 1272ɑ are equivalent to Helutai who plowed the fields for the Ragenni.These two city-states have rules for banquets. Sparta called the banquet "Andrea" (νδρεα) in ancient times, which is different from the current name "Phidisia" (φδιια). Today's Cretans However, the banquet is still called "Andrea", so it can be seen that the banquet of Rageni is actually imitated from Crete.In addition, the two states also have similar political organizations: Sparta’s Eivor (οοροι) Volume 1313 25a[-] states that the Eivor (inspection) system was established by Seopangpo.According to the meaning of this section, we can know that this should be the old Cretan system adopted by the Lycagus.

However, it is stated below that "Cosmo" commanded the army, and its functions and powers were actually different from those of Sparta's Eivor (see Triebel's "Research on the History of Sparta's Political System" [Trieher, Forschungen zurspartanischen verfassungsgeschiebte] Note on page 90). 5 is similar to the so-called "Cosmos" (κóσμοιs) in Crete, the only difference is that there are 5 people in Eivor and 10 people in Cosmos.The so-called "Buli" (ο βουλν, councilor) in Crete is similar to the ruling staff like the elders of Sparta - "Grosh" (ο γρονεs, elder).Crete in ancient times had a royal family like the Ragennis,10 but it was deposed and the army was put under the command of Cosmos.Citizens of Crete also need to attend the Citizens' Assembly in full, but their rights are limited to passing cases that have been agreed between Gosmer and the ruling personnel.

(End of this chapter)