ey formed the most venerable council of the government, and had
great authority in the senate. _Carthaginenses--Oratores ad pacem petendam
mittunt triginta seniorum principes. Id erat sanctius apud illos
concilium, maximaque ad ipsum senatum regendum vis._(543)

Establishments, though constituted with the greatest wisdom and the
justest harmony of parts, degenerate, however insensibly, into disorder
and the most destructive licentiousness. These judges, who by the lawful
execution of their power were a terror to transgressors, and the great
pillars of justice, abusing their almost unlimited authority, became so
many petty tyrants. (M98) We shall see this verified in the history of the
great Hannibal, who during his praetorship, after his return to Africa,
employed all his influence to reform so horrid an abuse; and made the
authority of these judges, which before was perpetual, only annual, about
two hundred years from the first founding the tribunal of the One Hundred.

_Defects in the Government of Carthage._--Aristotle, among other
reflections made by him on the government of Carthage, remarks two great
defects in it, both which, in his opinion, are repugnant to the views of a
wise lawgiver and the maxims of sound policy.

The first of these defects was, the investing the same person with
different employments, which was considered at Carthage as a proof of
uncommon merit. But Aristotle thinks this practice highly prejudicial to
the public welfare. For, says this author, a man possessed but of one
employment, is much more capable of acquitting himself well in the
execution of it; because affairs are then examined with greater care, and
sooner despatched. We never see, continues our author, either by sea or
land, the same officer commanding two different bodies, or the same pilot
steering two ships. Besides, the welfare of the state requires that places
and preferments should be divided, in order to excite an emulation among
men of merit: whereas the bestowing of them on one man, too often dazzles
him by so distinguishing a preference, and always fills others with
jealousy, discontent, and murmurs.

The second defect taken notice of by Aristotle in the government of
Carthage, was, that in order for a man to attain the first posts, a
certain income was required (besides merit and noble birth.) By which
means, poverty might exclude persons of the most exalted merit, which he
considers as a great evil in a government.