s, when a person may
properly call the same state a democracy and an oligarchy. It is evident
that those who speak of it in this manner are induced to it because both
these governments are there well blended together: and indeed this
is common to all mediums, that the extremes of each side should be
discerned therein, as at Lacedaemon; for many affirm that it is a
democracy from the many particulars in which it follows that form of
government; as for instance, in the first place, in the bringing up of
their children, for the rich and poor are brought up in the same manner;
and their education is such that the children of the poor may partake of
it; and the same rules are observed when they are youths and men, there
is no distinction between a rich person and a poor one; and in their
public tables the same provision is served to all. The rich also wear
only such clothes as the poorest man is able to purchase. Moreover, with
respect to two magistracies of the highest rank, one they have a right
to elect to, the other to fill; namely, the senate and the ephori.
Others consider it as an oligarchy, the principles of which it follows
in many things, as in choosing all their officers by vote, and not by
lot; in there being but a few who have a right to sit in judgment on
capital causes and the like. Indeed, a state which is well composed of
two others ought to resemble them both, and neither, Such a state ought
to have its means of preservation in itself, and not without; and when I
say in itself, I do not mean that it should owe this to the forbearance
of their neighbours, for this may happen to a bad government, but to
every member of the community's not being willing that there should be
the least alteration in their constitution. Such is the method in which
a free state or aristocracy ought to be established.

CHAPTER X

It now remains to treat of a tyranny; not that there is [1295a] much
to be said on that subject, but as it makes part of our plan, since
we enumerated it amongst our different sorts of governments. In the
beginning of this work we inquired into the nature of kingly government,
and entered into a particular examination of what was most properly
called so, and whether it was advantageous to a state or not, and what
it should be, and how established; and we divided a tyranny into two
pieces when we were upon this subject, because there is something
analogous between this and a kingly government, for