Page:The City-State of the Greeks and Romans.djvu/270

246 this critical period of their existence, they emerged from it stronger and healthier, as from a fever which has purged away all unwholesome tendencies; for they gained vigour by gaining union — by an almost complete fusion of all conflicting elements. In each case the few were reasonable enough to refrain from violence in the contest, and to acknowledge in course of time that their commanding position had been wrested from them; and in each case, too, the many were rational enough to make a moderate use of their victory. It was a struggle, both at Rome and Athens, of reasonableness against ancient prejudice; and in each case the victory of good sense was followed by a long period of unity and prosperity. Athens, pursuing a course natural to the quick intelligence of her citizens, developed the most complete democracy that the world has ever yet seen; and at Rome there grew up an oligarchy, founded on the reverence of the Romans for tried practical wisdom, whose extraordinary aptitude for government changed the whole face of the civilised world.

But many, and perhaps most, other States could hardly have been equally fortunate. Tyranny, as we have seen, was mild at Athens and almost absent at Rome, and in both States it helped rather than hindered the ultimate fusion of interests. But in some States, at least, tyranny must have left the jarring elements of society unharmonised and out of tune. After the earlier tyrannies had passed away, about the beginning of the fifth century B.C., we begin to hear constantly of discord within the