ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 is about the origins and ambiguities of the word “democracy” in ancient Greece. It argues that “the rule of the people” had been a misnomer from the start, and through a series of semantic shifts it ended up meaning “the oppressive rule of the majority of a minority,” of which philosophers like Plato were the most prominent critics. The rest of the argument, however, relies less on Plato’s critique of democracy in Book VIII of the Republic, and more on the subtle corrective measures offered by the Laws: some primordial elements of representation, a highly complicated system of mixed government (mikte politeia), and the rule of law. Since Plato’s political works did not have a direct influence on the Middle Ages, it is also shown how Aristotle or Polybius conveyed their content to later authors.
