There are also two polities besides a democracy and an oligarchy, one of which is spoken of by all men, and is said to be one species of the four polities. But they say the four are, a monarchy, an oligarchy, a democracy, and the fourth is what is called an aristocracy. There is also a fifth which is called by a name that is common to all governments; for it is denominated a polity. Because, however, it seldom occurs, it has escaped the notice of those who have endeavoured to enumerate the species of polities, and therefore they make use of four only, as Plato does in his Republic. An aristocracy, therefore, which we have discussed in the first part of this treatise, is rightly called so. For the polity which consists simply of the best men according to virtue, and not of good men from a certain hypothesis, can alone justly be called an aristocracy; since in this polity alone, the same person is both a good man, and a good citizen. But good men in other polities, are good only with reference to those polities. Nevertheless, there are certain polities which differ from oligarchies, and from what is properly called a polity, and are denominated aristocracies; wherein not only the rich, but also the most virtuous, are elected magistrates. This polity, however, differs from both, and is called aristocratic. For in those polities in which virtue is not the object of general attention, there are at the same time certain persons who are celebrated for their merit, and who appear to be worthy men. Hence, where the polity looks to wealth, to virtue, and the people, as at Carthage, the government is aristocratic. And in those polities in which two alone of these are regarded, viz. virtue and the people, as at Lacedæmon, there is also a mixture of these two, a democracy and virtue. There are, therefore, these two species of an aristocracy, besides the first and the most excellent polity. There is likewise a third species, which is, when what is called a polity rather verges to an oligarchy.
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