Polybius Theory Of The Political Cycle Of Political Revolution

Polybius’ theory was that there was a political cycle and the ideal form of government was a combination of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. Polybius stated “Such is the cycle of political revolution, the course appointed by nature in which constitutions change, disappear, and finally return to the point from which the started” (Polybius, Histories, 6.9). Polybius believed that the political cycle occurred because certain catalysts triggered the three forms of government: kingship, aristocracy, and democracy, to fall into corrupt versions of themselves, tyranny, oligarchy, and mob-rule. The cycle shifted through different governments because once the government rose, the corrupt version drove it down again to a state of chaos. Then from

The cycle was inevitable because none of the constitutions were ideal, as they all led to corruption. Although none of the three individual governments were ideal, Polybius believed that the best form of government was a combination of the three constitutions, kingship, aristocracy, and democracy. Polybius stated “For it is evident that we must regard as the best constitution a combination of all these three” (Polybius, Histories, 6.3). He believed that a combination was be the best and most stable form of government because each constitution balanced each other out. These checks and balances prevented the downfall into corruption because when one part of the government started to fall another part picked it back up and saved it from falling into

and it is impossible, as I said above, that each of these should in course of time change into vicious form” (Polybius, Histories, 6.10). Interpretation: Polybius stated that it was inevitable for the corrupt versions of government to arise.

“When owing to floods, famines, failure of crops or other such causes there occurs such a destruction of the human race as tradition tells us has more than once happened, and as we must believe will often happen again.” (Polybius, Histories, 6.5).

Interpretation: Polybius stated that the human race destroyed itself once and from what Polybius knew, kept destroying