A citizen, however, is usually defined to be one who derives his origin from citizens on both sides, and not from one only, as from his father, or his mother, alone. But others carry their investigation still farther, as for instance, to two or three, or more grandfathers, so as to require grandfathers upon grandfathers. These things, therefore, being thus defined politically and hastily, some persons have doubted how the third or fourth in this lineage can be a citizen. Gorgias, the Leontine, indeed, partly perhaps being dubious, and partly ironical, said, that as a mortar is made by a mortar-maker, so a Larissæan is made by a Larissæan maker; for there were certain makers of Larissæans. This is, indeed, a very simple account of the matter; for they would be citizens if they were partakers of the polity in the above-mentioned manner. For it is not possible to adopt this definition to the first founders or first inhabitants of states, who are not entitled to be citizens in right either of their father or mother. Perhaps, however, their title to the appellation of citizens is still more dubious, when they are admitted to their freedom, after a change in the polity. Thus, for instance, Clisthenes rendered this dubious among the Athenians, after the expulsion of the tyrants. For he had enrolled many foreigners and slaves among the tribes. But the doubt with respect to these is, not who is a citizen, but whether he is unjustly or justly a citizen. Though this also may be further doubted, whether a man can be a citizen, if he is not justly so; as if the unjust and the false possessed the same power. Since, however, we see some persons govern unjustly, whom nevertheless we admit to govern, though not justly; but a citizen is defined by the exercise of a certain authority; for as we have said, he who is a partaker of the magistracy is a citizen; this being the case, it is evident that these men ought also to be called citizens.
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