Page:The City-State of the Greeks and Romans.djvu/22

xviii THE CITY-STATE CHAPTER VIII

The Perfection of Oligarchy: Rome

Influence of war on Roman constitutional history, 213. Rome tending towards democracy after equalisation of the orders, 214-216. Aristotle's moderate democracy compared with the Roman constitution of this period, 216.

Authorities for the period which followed, 218. Constitution democratic in form, really oligarchical, 219. Proofs of this: executive in the hands of a few families, 221. Novi homines the exception; examples, 223. Magistrates in subordination to the Senate, 224. How the Senate was filled up, 225; fed by the hereditary nobility, 227. Procedure in Senate favours the hereditary principle, 228.

Explanation of this oligarchical tendency: 1. Moral force of an assembly of ex-magistrates, 230 foll. 2. Character of senatorial business growing with the growing State, 232 foll. 3. Character of the Roman people, 236 foll.

Development of Roman law by the oligarchy, 239. The jus civile insufficient for the new Roman dominion, 240. Edict of prætor peregrinus based on the imperium, 241. Jus gentium, 242. Influence of Roman conservative spirit on the new system of law, 243.

CHAPTER IX

Decay of the City-State — Internal Causes

Spirit of moderation at Athens and Rome during the development of their institutions, 245. Absence of this spirit in many States, 246. Hostility of the Few and the Many in Greece during the fifth century B.C., 247. Examples: Naxos in 507 B.C., 248; Corcyra in 432 B.C., 249; Athens in