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Constitution of Carthage
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Text excerpted from a 1900 translation Aristotles Politics of 340 BC provided by the Ancient History Sourcebook.
Back to Ancient History SourceBookAncient History Sourcebook: Aristotle: On the Constitution of Carthage, c. 340 BCE The Carthaginians are also considered to have an excellent formof government, which differs from that of any other state in severalrespects, though it is in some very like the Spartan. Indeed,all three states---the Spartan, the Cretan, and the Carthaginian---nearlyresemble one another, and are very different from any others.Many of the Carthaginian institutions are excellent. The superiorityof their constitution is proved by the fact that the common peopleremain loyal to the constitution. The Carthaginians have neverhad any rebellion worth speaking of, and have never been underthe rule of a tyrant. Among the points in which the Carthaginianconstitution resembles the Spartan are the following: The commontables of the clubs answer to the Spartan phiditia, andtheir magistracy of the Hundred-Four to the Ephors; but, whereasthe Ephors are any chance persons, the magistrates of the Carthaginiansare elected according to merit---this is an improvement. Theyhave also their kings and their Gerousia, or council ofelders, who correspond to the kings and elders of Sparta. Theirkings, unlike the Spartan, are not always of the same family,nor that an ordinary one, but if there is some distinguished familythey are selected out of it and not appointed by seniority---thisis far better. Such officers have great power, and therefore,if they are persons of little worth, do a great deal of harm,and they have already done harm at Sparta. Most of the defects or deviations from the perfect state, forwhich the Carthaginian constitution would be censured, apply equallyto all the forms of government which we have mentioned. But ofthe deflections from aristocracy and constitutional government,some incline more to democracy and some to oligarchy. The kingsand elders, if unanimous, may determine whether they will or willnot bring a matter before the people, but when they are not unanimous,the people decide on such matters as well. And whatever the kingsand elders bring before the people is not only heard but alsodetermined by them, and any one who likes may oppose it; now thisis not permitted in Sparta and Crete. That the magistrates offive who have under them many important matters should be co-opted,that they should choose the supreme council of One Hundred, andshould hold office longer than other magistrates (for they arevirtually rulers both before and after they hold office)---theseare oligarchical features; their being without salary and notelected by lot, and any similar points, such as the practice ofhaving all suits tried by the magistrates, and not some by oneclass of judges or jurors and some by another, as at Sparta, arecharacteristic of aristocracy. The Carthaginian constitution deviates from aristocracy and inclinesto oligarchy, chiefly on a point where popular opinion is on theirside. For men in general think that magistrates should be chosennot o
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