In aristocracies, above all, they are of a
gradual and imperceptible nature. The citizens begin by giving up some
part of the constitution, and so with greater ease the government
change something else which is a little more important, until they
have undermined the whole fabric of the state. At Thurii there was a
law that generals should only be re-elected after an interval of
five years, and some young men who were popular with the soldiers of
the guard for their military prowess, despising the magistrates and
thinking that they would easily gain their purpose, wanted to
abolish this law and allow their generals to hold perpetual
commands; for they well knew that the people would be glad enough to
elect them. Whereupon the magistrates who had charge of these matters,
and who are called councillors, at first determined to resist, but
they afterwards consented, thinking that, if only this one law was
changed, no further inroad would be made on the constitution. But
other changes soon followed which they in vain attempted to oppose;
and the state passed into the hands of the revolutionists, who
established a dynastic oligarchy.
All constitutions are overthrown either from within or from without;
the latter, when there is some government close at hand having an
opposite interest, or at a distance, but powerful.
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