Page:History of Greece Vol III.djvu/33

 EARLY OLIGARCHIES IN GREECE 17 SucK oligarchical governments, varying in their details but analogous in general features, were common throughout the cities of Greece proper as well as of the colonies, throughout the seventh century u. c. Though they had little immediate tendency to benefit the mass of the freemen, yet when we compare them with the antecedent heroic government, they indicate an important ad- vance. the first adoption of a deliberate and preconceived sys- tem in the management of public affairs. 1 They exhibit the first evidences of new and important political ideas in the Greek mind, the separation of legislative and executive powers ; the former vested in a collective body, not merely deliberating but also final- ly deciding, while the latter is confided to temporary individual magistrates, responsible to that body at the end of their period of office. We are first introduced to a community of citi/ens, according to the definition of Aristotle, men qualified, and think- ing themselves qualified, to take turns in command and obedience : the collective sovereign, called The City, is thus constituted. It is true that this first community of citizens comprised only a small proportion of the men personally free, but the ideas upon which it was founded began gradually to dawn upon the minds of all. Political power had lost its heaven-appointed character, and had become an attribute legally communicable as well as determined to certain definite ends ; and the ground was thus laid for those thousand questions which agitated so many of the Grecian cities during the ensuing three centuries, partly respecting its apportion- ment, partly respecting its employment, questions sometimes raised among the members of the privileged oligarchy itself, sometimes between that order as a whole and the non-privileged Many. The seeds of those popular movements, which called forth so much profound emotion, so much bitter antipathy, so much energy and talent, throughout the Grecian world, with different modifications in each particular city, may thus be traced 1 Aristot. Polit. iii, 10, 7. 'Errel 6e (i. e. after the early kings had had their day) trwel3f internal self-government. VOL. HI. 2OC.