At Rhodes the demagogues not only provided pay for the multitude,
but prevented them from making good to the trierarchs the sums which
had been expended by them; and they, in consequence of the suits which
were brought against them, were compelled to combine and put down
the democracy. The democracy at Heraclea was overthrown shortly
after the foundation of the colony by the injustice of the demagogues,
which drove out the notables, who came back in a body and put an end
to the democracy. Much in the same manner the democracy at Megara
was overturned; there the demagogues drove out many of the notables in
order that they might be able to confiscate their property. At
length the exiles, becoming numerous, returned, and, engaging and
defeating the people, established the oligarchy. The same thing
happened with the democracy of Cyme, which was overthrown by
Thrasymachus. And we may observe that in most states the changes
have been of this character. For sometimes the demagogues, in order to
curry favor with the people, wrong the notables and so force them to
combine; either they make a division of their property, or diminish
their incomes by the imposition of public services, and sometimes they
bring accusations against the rich that they may have their wealth
to confiscate.
Of old, the demagogue was also a general, and then democracies
changed into tyrannies.
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