A revolution at
Heraclea, and another at Thebes, both arose out of decisions of
law-courts upon a charge of adultery; in both cases the punishment was
just, but executed in the spirit of party, at Heraclea upon
Eurytion, and at Thebes upon Archias; for their enemies were jealous
of them and so had them pilloried in the agora. Many oligarchies
have been destroyed by some members of the ruling class taking offense
at their excessive despotism; for example, the oligarchy at Cnidus and
at Chios.
Changes of constitutional governments, and also of oligarchies which
limit the office of counselor, judge, or other magistrate to persons
having a certain money qualification, often occur by accident. The
qualification may have been originally fixed according to the
circumstances of the time, in such a manner as to include in an
oligarchy a few only, or in a constitutional government the middle
class. But after a time of prosperity, whether arising from peace or
some other good fortune, the same property becomes many times as
valuable, and then everybody participates in every office; this
happens sometimes gradually and insensibly, and sometimes quickly.
These are the causes of changes and revolutions in oligarchies.
We must remark generally both of democracies and oligarchies, that
they sometimes change, not into the opposite forms of government,
but only into another variety of the same class; I mean to say, from
those forms of democracy and oligarchy which are regulated by law into
those which are arbitrary, and conversely.
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