<head lang="la">VII. Rei Publicae Romanae cum Aliis Collatio</head><w lemma="%2Asxedo%5Cn">Σχεδὸν</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntes">πάντες</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="suggrafei%3Ds">συγγραφεῖς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="h%28mi%3Dn">ἡμῖν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="politeuma%2Ftwn">πολιτευμάτων</w> <w lemma="paradedw%2Fkasi">παραδεδώκασι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29p%27">ἐπ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29reth%3D%7C">ἀρετῇ</w> <w lemma="fh%2Fmhn">φήμην</w>, <w lemma="peri%2F">περί</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Alakedaimoni%2Fwn">Λακεδαιμονίων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Akrhtw%3Dn">Κρητῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Amantine%2Fwn">Μαντινέων</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fwn:">Καρχηδονίων·</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fnioi">ἔνιοι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aqhnai%2Fwn">Ἀθηναίων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Aqhbai%2Fwn">Θηβαίων</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fas">πολιτείας</w> <w lemma="pepoi%2Fhntai">πεποίηνται</w> <w lemma="mnh%2Fmhn">μνήμην</w>.
<w lemma="e%29gw%5C">ἐγὼ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Ftas">ταύτας</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29w%3D">ἐῶ</w>, <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aqhnai%2Fwn">Ἀθηναίων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Aqhbai%2Fwn">Θηβαίων</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnu">πάνυ</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="pollou%3D">πολλοῦ</w> <w lemma="prosdei%3Dsqai">προσδεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="pe%2Fpeismai">πέπεισμαι</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgou">λόγου</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="au%29ch%2Fseis">αὐξήσεις</w> <w lemma="e%29sxhke%2Fnai">ἐσχηκέναι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29kma%5Cs">ἀκμὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29pimo%2Fnous">ἐπιμόνους</w>, <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="metabola%5Cs">μεταβολὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29nhllaxe%2Fnai">ἐνηλλαχέναι</w> <w lemma="metri%2Fws">μετρίως</w>,
<w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fsper">ὥσπερ</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="prospai%2Fou">προσπαίου</w> <w lemma="tino%5Cs">τινὸς</w> <w lemma="tu%2Fxhs">τύχης</w> <w lemma="su%5Cn">σὺν</w> <w lemma="kairw%3D%7C">καιρῷ</w> <w lemma="la%2Fmyantas">λάμψαντας</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="lego%2Fmenon">λεγόμενον</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="dokou%3Dntas">δοκοῦντας</w> <w lemma="a%29kmh%5Cn">ἀκμὴν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllontas">μέλλοντας</w> <w lemma="eu%29tuxei%3Dn">εὐτυχεῖν</w>, <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29nanti%2Fas">ἐναντίας</w> <w lemma="pei%3Dran">πεῖραν</w> <w lemma="ei%29lhfe%2Fnai">εἰληφέναι</w> <w lemma="metabolh%3Ds">μεταβολῆς</w>.
<w lemma="%2Aqhbai%3Doi">Θηβαῖοι</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="%2Alakedaimoni%2Fwn">Λακεδαιμονίων</w> <w lemma="a%29gnoi%2Fa%7C">ἀγνοίᾳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="summa%2Fxwn">συμμάχων</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="mi%2Fsei">μίσει</w> <w lemma="sunepiqe%2Fmenoi">συνεπιθέμενοι</w>, <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%28no%5Cs">ἑνὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29ndro%5Cs">ἀνδρὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29reth%5Cn">ἀρετὴν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="deute%2Frou">δευτέρου</w>, <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fna">προειρημένα</w> <w lemma="sunido%2Fntwn">συνιδόντων</w>, <w lemma="periepoih%2Fsanto">περιεποιήσαντο</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhsi">Ἕλλησι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29p%27">ἐπ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29reth%3D%7C">ἀρετῇ</w> <w lemma="fh%2Fmhn">φήμην</w>.
<w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fas">πολιτείας</w> <w lemma="su%2Fstasis">σύστασις</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fa">αἰτία</w> <w lemma="to%2Ft%27">τότ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29ge%2Fneto">ἐγένετο</w> <w lemma="%2Aqhbai%2Fois">Θηβαίοις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="eu%29tuxhma%2Ftwn">εὐτυχημάτων</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proestw%2Ftwn">προεστώτων</w> <w lemma="a%29ndrw%3Dn">ἀνδρῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29reth%2F">ἀρετή</w>, <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="po%2Fdas">πόδας</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="tu%2Fxh">τύχη</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsin">πᾶσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29poi%2Fhse">ἐποίησε</w> <w lemma="dh%3Dlon:">δῆλον·</w>
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="sunhuch%2Fqh">συνηυξήθη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sunh%2Fkmase">συνήκμασε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sugkatelu%2Fqh">συγκατελύθη</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="%2Aqhbai%2Fwn">Θηβαίων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Frga">ἔργα</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="t%27">τ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29epaminw%2Fndou">Ἐπαμινώνδου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Apelopi%2Fdou">Πελοπίδου</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fw%7C">βίῳ</w> <w lemma="profanw%3Ds">προφανῶς</w>.
<w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fan">πολιτείαν</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndras">ἄνδρας</w> <w lemma="h%28ghte%2Fon">ἡγητέον</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w>
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<head>The Roman Republic Compared with Others</head>Nearly all historians have recorded as constitutions<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note61">The Theban constitution may be put aside.</note>of eminent excellence those of Lacedaemonia, <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Crete&groupId=505&placeId=949">Crete</a>, <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Mantinea&groupId=731&placeId=1339">Mantinea</a>, and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a>. Some have also mentioned those of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Athens&groupId=379&placeId=715">Athens</a> and Thebes. The former I may allow to pass; but I am convinced that little need be said of the Athenian and Theban constitutions: their growth was abnormal, the period of their zenith brief, and the changes they experienced unusually violent. Their glory was a sudden and fortuitous flash, so to<pb n="495" />speak; and while they still thought themselves prosperous, and likely to remain so, they found themselves involved in circumstances completely the reverse. The Thebans got their reputation for valour among the Greeks, by taking advantage of the senseless policy of the Lacedaemonians, and the hatred of the allies towards them, owing to the valour of one, or at most two, men who were wise enough to appreciate the situation. Since fortune quickly made it evident that it was not the peculiarity of their constitution, but the valour of their leaders, which gave the Thebans their success. For the great power of Thebes notoriously took its rise, attained its zenith, and fell to the ground with the lives of Epaminondas and Pelopidas. We must therefore conclude that it was not its constitution, but its men, that caused the high fortune which it then enjoyed.
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