Politeia

"Politeia" (πολιτεία) is an Ancient Greek word with no single English translation. Derived from the word "polis" ("city-state"), it is an important term in Ancient Greek political thought, especially that of Plato and Aristotle.

English translations of the Ancient Greek word

According to Liddell and Scott's "Greek-English Lexicon" a meaning of politeia is "the conditions and rights of the citizen, or "citizenship", analogous to the Latin "civitas". [ [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2384506 "Politeia" entry in "A Greek-English Lexicon" by Liddell, Scott and Jones at the Perseus website] ]

In the works of Ancient Greek philosophers, the principal meaning of "politeia" appears to be: "how a "polis" is run; constitution". A "politeia" differs from modern written constitutions in two respects: first, not all Greek states put their laws in writing; more importantly, the Greeks did not normally distinguish between ordinary and constitutional legislation. If a certain body had the power to change the laws, it had the power to change the laws controlling its own power and membership - even to abolish itself and set up a new governing body.

The phrases "system of government", "state organisation", "form of government", and, more recently, "régime" have also been used to translate "politeia". "Régime" has drawbacks: it is ambiguous where "politeia" is not, since a change of "régime" can mean a change of governors under the same form of government. It has a negative tone in English, which "politeia" does not in Greek. It is also a loan-word; and in that regard, has no advantage over simply adopting "politeia" itself.

Some translators thus use a different term for this second meaning of "politeia". Most common is the vague term polity. Specific translations of this second meaning as "constitutional democracy" or "republic" are at least anachronistic, and in most instances contentious and/or inaccurate. Some translators feel it is incorrect to translate the same word in different ways, arguing that the ambiguity must have been deliberate and that it is impossible to always know which way the word should be rendered. [* [http://members.tripod.com/~batesca/polity.htm The Problem with Politeia as Polity in Aristotle's "Politics"] by Clifford Angell Bates]

Politeia in the work of the authors of Antiquity

Plato and Cicero

"Politeia" is the original title of the book by Plato now commonly known in English as "The Republic". Cicero translated "politeia" as "res publica" (see also: "De re publica"), from which the modern word republic comes. Note that the meanings the ancient Romans attached to "res publica" were also multiple and only partially overlapping with the Greek "politeia", and further that few of the multiple meanings of "politeia" or "res publica" are much of an equivalent to "republic" as it is understood in modern political science.

Aristotle

In the "Constitution of the Athenians", Aristotle uses "politeia" for eleven states of the Athenian government up to his own time, from the absolute monarchy of Ion and the tyranny of the Thirty to the democratic Assembly and selection by lot of Pericles's time and his own. He may have added that the absolute monarchy of Ion was "less political" [According to the Loeb translation] than that of Theseus or the later constitutions, but the text is doubtful.

In his "Politics", Aristotle clearly uses "politeia" both as above and also in a more restricted sense. Exactly what this sense is, and whether Aristotle is using it in a consistent manner, have both been long debated. By careful choice of quotation, all of the following can be defended:
*A specific form of government. Aristotle classified constitutions on two grounds: how many citizens had a voice in making the laws; and whether they did so considering the good of all citizens, or only their own. Along with monarchy and aristocracy "politeia" is one of the three virtuous forms of government. While monarchy is the rule by one, and aristocracy by the few, politeia is rule by the many.
*A constitution that does not fit into this six-fold classification, because it has features of more than one of them: the constitutions of Carthage, Sparta, and "Crete" (which of the several Cretan cities he is thinking of is also debatable).
*A constitution which mixes oligarchy and democracy (terms which, as used by Aristotle, refer to vicious kinds of constitutions).
*A constitution in which the hoplites governed. This is more restrictive than the Athens of Aristotle's time. Athens was a naval power, and many citizens were allowed to vote, and served the state well in war, who could not afford massive metal armor. Why Aristotle uses the same term to refer to at least two distinct ideas has confused readers for millennia. For instance, later Aristotle refers to the ideal politeia as one using a mixed government. But it is uncertain whether he is referring to governments in general or to a specific form.

Notes

References

* "A Greek-English Lexicon", Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones, with the assistance of Roderick McKenzie, Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK, 1940, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057 Online version at Perseus website] . 9th edition, with a revised supplement, edited by P.G.W. Glare, with the assistance of A.A. Thompson: 1996, ISBN 0-19-864226-1.

External links

* [http://www.stoa.org/projects/demos/article_aristotle_democracy?page=3&greekEncoding=UnicodeC Democracy in the "Politics" of Aristotle - Glossary] by Thomas R. Martin, with Neel Smith & Jennifer F. Stuart. July 26, 2003.