Aristotle's Carthage Constitution in 340 BC

Carthage is also considered to have an excellent * * *. Although it is similar to Sparta in some aspects, it is different from any other country in some aspects. In fact, these three countries-Sparta, Crete and Carthage-are almost similar to each other and very different from any other country. Many institutions in Carthage are excellent. The superiority of its constitution is reflected in the people's loyalty to the constitution. The Carthaginians never had any rebellion worth mentioning, nor were they ruled by tyrants. The similarities between the Constitution of Carthage and the Spartans are as follows: the public table of the club is in charge of the Spartans' phiditia, while their 104 local governors are in charge of Ephors. However, Evers is an accidental person, and the local governors of Carthage are elected according to their merits, which is an improvement. They also have their own meeting of kings and elders, which is equivalent to the king and old Sparta. Unlike Spartans, their kings are not always from the same family, nor are they ordinary families, but if there are some prominent families, they are selected from these families, not appointed according to their qualifications-this is much better. Such officers have great power, so if they are insignificant people, they will do great harm, and they have done harm in Sparta.

The Carthaginian constitution will condemn or deviate from most of the defects of the perfect country, which also applies to all the forms we mentioned. But in the bias of nobility and * * *, some are more inclined to democracy, while others are more inclined to oligarchy. The king and the elders agree that they can decide whether to submit things to the people, but if they don't agree, the people can also decide these things. What the king and elders put in front of the people should not only be heard, but also decided by them, and those who like it can object; This is not allowed in Sparta and Crete. Five county magistrates should be elected to take charge of many important affairs. They should choose the highest meeting of 100 people, and serve longer than other county magistrates (because they are actually rulers before and after their appointment))-these are the characteristics of oligarchy; They are not paid, they are not elected by lot, and any similar practice, for example, all lawsuits are tried by justices of the peace, not by one kind of judge or jury like Sparta, and some are tried by another kind of judge or jury. Noble.

Carthage's constitution deviated from aristocratic politics and tended to oligarchy, mainly where public opinion stood on their side. Because it is generally believed that local officials are chosen not only because of their merits, but also because of their wealth: they say that a poor man cannot govern the country well-he has no leisure time. Then, if the election of the chief executive according to wealth is the characteristic of oligarchy, and the election is based on the merits of nobles, then the Carthaginian constitution will adopt the third form. Be understood; Because the Carthaginians chose their local officials, especially the highest officials-their kings and generals-considering both merit and wealth. But we must admit that it is a mistake for legislators to deviate from the nobility so much. Nothing is more absolutely necessary than stipulating that the upper class should have leisure not only during the term of office, but also outside the term of office, and not lose face in any way; He should pay attention to this first. Even if you have to consider wealth to ensure leisure, it is definitely a bad thing to buy the most important positions such as king and general. Laws that allow this abuse make wealth more important than virtue, and the whole country becomes greedy.

Because when the head of state thinks what is glorious, other citizens will certainly follow suit. Moreover, where there is no virtue, their aristocratic status cannot be firmly established. People who buy houses at cost will have the habit of repaying loans; It is absurd to assume that a poor and honest person wants to make money, while a bottom-level person who has paid a huge price does not want to make money. Therefore, they should rule the most ruling people. Even if the legislator doesn't care about protecting good people from poverty, he should ensure that they have leisure time when they are in office. It seems a bad principle that the same person holds multiple positions, which is the Carthaginians' favorite practice, because it is better for one person to do one thing.

The Carthaginians were oligarchs, but they successfully got rid of the evil of oligarchy and got rich by sending some people to their colonies. This is their panacea and their means to stabilize the country. Accidents are good for them, but legislators should be able to oppose the revolution without believing in accidents. In fact, if any misfortune happens, most subjects rebel and peace cannot be restored by legal means.