there is any other like an aristocracy, well established; and also
which of these is best adapted to most cities, and which of them is
preferable for particular persons: for, probably, some may suit better
with an oligarchy than a democracy, and others better with a democracy
than an oligarchy; and afterwards in what manner any one ought to
proceed who desires to establish either of these states, I mean every
species of democracy, and also of oligarchy. And to conclude, when we
shall have briefly gone through everything that is necessary, we will
endeavour to point out the sources of corruption, and stability, in
government, as well those which are common to all as those which are
peculiar to each state, and from what causes they chiefly arise.

CHAPTER III

The reason for there being many different sorts of governments is this,
that each state consists of a great number of parts; for, in the first
place, we see that all cities are made up of families: and again, of
the multitude of these some must be rich, some poor, and others in the
middle station; and that, both of the rich and poor, some will be used
to arms, others not. We see also, that some of the common people are
husbandmen, others attend the market, and others are artificers. There
is also a difference between the nobles in their wealth, and the dignity
in which they live: for instance, in the number of horses they breed;
for this cannot be supported without a large fortune: for which reason,
in former times, those cities whose strength consisted in horse became
by that means oligarchies; and they used horse in their expeditions
against the neighbouring cities; as the Eretrians the Chalcidians, the
Magnetians, who lived near the river Meander, and many others in Asia.
Moreover, besides the difference of fortune, there is that which arises
from family and merit; or, if there are any other distinctions [1290a]
which make part of the city, they have been already mentioned in
treating of an aristocracy, for there we considered how many parts each
city must necessarily be composed of; and sometimes each of these have a
share in the government, sometimes a few, sometimes more.

It is evident then, that there must be many forms of government,
differing from each other in their particular constitution: for the
parts of which they are composed each differ from the other. For
government is the ordering of the magistracies of the state; and these
the communit