upon the bride, went away without marrying her; which her relations
resenting, contrived secretly to convey some sacred money into his
pocket while he was sacrificing, and then killed him as an impious
person. At Mitylene also, a dispute, which arose concerning a right
of heritage, was the beginning of great evils, and a war with the
Athenians, in which Paches took their city, for Timophanes, a man
of fortune, leaving two daughters, Doxander, who was circumvented in
procuring them in marriage for his two sons, began a sedition, and
excited the Athenians to attack them, being the host of that state.
There was also a dispute at Phocea, concerning a right of inheritance,
between Mnasis, the father of Mnasis, and Euthucrates, the father of
Onomarchus, which brought on the Phoceans the sacred war. The government
too of Epidamnus was changed from a quarrel that arose from an intended
marriage; for a certain man having contracted his daughter in marriage,
the father of the young person to whom she was contracted, being archon,
punishes him, upon which account he, resenting the affront, associated
himself with those who were excluded from any share in the government,
and brought about a revolution. A government may be changed either into
an oligarchy, democracy, or a free state; when the magistrates, or any
part of the city acquire great credit, or are increased in power, as the
court of Areopagus at Athens, having procured great credit during the
Median war, added firmness to their administration; and, on the other
hand, the maritime force, composed of the commonalty, having gained the
victory at Salamis, by their power at sea, got the lead in the state,
and strengthened the popular party: and at Argos, the nobles,
having gained great credit by the battle of Mantinea against the
Lacedaemonians, endeavoured to dissolve the democracy. And at Syracuse,
the victory in their war with the Athenians being owing to the common
people, they changed their free state into a democracy: and at Chalcis,
the people having taken off the tyrant Phocis, together with the nobles,
immediately seized the government: and at Ambracia also the people,
having expelled the tyrant Periander, with his party, placed the
supreme power in themselves. And this in general ought to be known,
that whosoever has been the occasion of a state being powerful, whether
private persons, or magistrates, a certain tribe, or any particular part
of the citizens, or the multitude, be they who they will, will be the
cause of disputes in the state. For either some persons, who envy them
the honours they have acquired, will begin to be seditious, or they,
on account of the dignity they have acquired, will not be content with
their former equality. A state is also liable to commotions when those
parts of it which seem to be opposite to each other approach to an
[1304b] equality, as the rich and the common people; so that the part
which is between them both is either nothing at all, or too little to be