These, then, are the four kinds of royalty. First the monarchy of
the heroic ages; this was exercised over voluntary subjects, but
limited to certain functions; the king was a general and a judge,
and had the control of religion The second is that of the
barbarians, which is a hereditary despotic government in accordance
with law. A third is the power of the so-called Aesynmete or Dictator;
this is an elective tyranny. The fourth is the Lacedaemonian, which is
in fact a generalship, hereditary and perpetual. These four forms
differ from one another in the manner which I have described.
(5) There is a fifth form of kingly rule in which one has the
disposal of all, just as each nation or each state has the disposal of
public matters; this form corresponds to the control of a household.
For as household management is the kingly rule of a house, so kingly
rule is the household management of a city, or of a nation, or of many
nations.
XV
Of these forms we need only consider two, the Lacedaemonian and
the absolute royalty; for most of the others he in a region between
them, having less power than the last, and more than the first. Thus
the inquiry is reduced to two points: first, is it advantageous to the
state that there should be a perpetual general, and if so, should
the office be confined to one family, or open to the citizens in turn?
Secondly, is it well that a single man should have the supreme power
in all things? The first question falls under the head of laws
rather than of constitutions; for perpetual generalship might
equally exist under any form of government, so that this matter may be
dismissed for the present.
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