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. Note: This article contains special characters. ... A polis (πόλις, pronunciation pol-is) plural: poleis (πόλεις) is a city, a city-state and also citizenship and body of citizens. ... PLATO was one of the first generalized Computer assisted instruction systems, originally built by the University of Illinois (U of I) and later taken over by Control Data Corporation (CDC), who provided the machines it ran on. ... Aristotle (Greek: AristotélÄ“s) (384 BC – 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ...

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.^[1] A Greek-English Lexicon is the standard lexicographical work of the ancient Greek language, begun in the nineteenth century and now in its ninth (revised) edition. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... In the history of the Roman empire, civitas (pl. ...

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. A polis (πόλις, pronunciation pol-is) plural: poleis (πόλεις) is a city, a city-state and also citizenship and body of citizens. ...

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. GOVERNEMENT IS NOT A VIRGIN! Its F***ed Up We Pray To god that he give virginity back Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A form of government is a term that refers to the set of political institutions by which a state... The word regime (occasionally spelled régime, particularly in older texts) refers to any system of control, or more specifically a system of government. ... A loanword (or a borrowing) is a word taken in by one language from another. ...

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.^{[citation needed]} For other uses, see Polity (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that constitutional republic and republican democracy be merged into this article or section. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up Anachronism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

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. The Republic (Greek: ) is an influential work of philosophy and political theory by the Greek philosopher Plato, written in approximately 360 BC. It is written in the format of a Socratic dialogue. ... For other uses, see Cicero (disambiguation). ... Res publica is a Latin phrase, made of res + publica, literally meaning public thing or public matter. It is the origin of the word Republic. // The word publica is the feminine singular of the 1st- and 2nd-declension adjective publicus, publica, publicum, which is itself derived from an earlier form... De re publica is a work by Cicero, written in six books 54-51 BC, in the format of a Socratic dialogue, that is to say: Scipio Africanus Minor (who had died a few decades before Cicero was born) takes the role of wise old man, that is an obligatory... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

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"^[2] than that of Theseus or the later constitutions, but the text is doubtful. The Constitution of the Athenians or of Athens (or Athenaion Politeia, or The Athenians) is the name of either of two texts from Classical antiquity, one probably by Aristotle, the other attributed to Xenophon, but not by him. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the electrically charged particle. ... This page is about the religious concept of Tyranny. ... The Thirty Tyrants were a pro-Spartan oligarchy installed in Athens after Athens defeat in the Peloponnesian War in April 404 BC. Its two leading members were Tharamenes and Critias, a former acolyte of Socrates. ... A deliberative assembly is an organization, comprised of members, that uses a parliamentary procedure for making decisions. ... Pericles or Perikles (ca. ...

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: Aristotles Politics (Greek Πολιτικά) is a work of political philosophy. ...

• 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 the one, and aristocracy by the few, politeia is the 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. For the comic series, see Monarchy (comics). ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      The term aristocracy refers to a form of government where power is held by a small number of individuals from an elite or from noble families. ... Roman Carthage with former military harbor Carthage (Greek: , Latin: , from the Phoenician meaning new town; Arabic: ) refers both to an ancient city in Tunisia and to the civilization that developed within the citys sphere of influence. ... Sparta (Doric: Spártā, Attic: SpártÄ“) is a city in southern Greece. ... For other uses, see Crete (disambiguation). ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Oligarchy (Greek , Oligarkhía) is a form of government where political power effectively rests with a small, elite segment of society (whether distinguished by wealth, family or military powers). ... The hoplite was a heavy infantryman that was the central focus of warfare in Ancient Greece. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Classical republic. ...

Notes

1. ^ "Politeia" entry in A Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell, Scott and Jones at the Perseus website
2. ^ According to the Loeb translation

// Onomastics about the words, place- & human-names that forms Löb-, Loeb-, etc: Etymology See Onomastics in Judaism, List of Jewish surnames. ...

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, 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.

A Greek-English Lexicon is the standard lexicographical work of the ancient Greek language, begun in the nineteenth century and now in its ninth (revised) edition. ... Henry George Liddell (1811‑1898)was a British historian and academic, editor at Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford, of which in 1855 he became Dean. ... Robert Scott (January 26, 1811 - December 2, 1877) was a 19th-century British academic philologist and a Fellow (later Master) of Balliol College, Oxford University. ... Sir Henry Stuart Jones (May 15, 1867 - June 29, 1939) was a British academic and Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford University, where he held an appointment from 1920 to 1927 as Camden Professor of Ancient History. ...

External links

• The Problem with Politeia as Polity in Aristotle's Politics by Clifford Angell Bates
• Democracy in the Politics of Aristotle - Glossary by Thomas R. Martin, with Neel Smith & Jennifer F. Stuart. July 26, 2003.