ABSTRACT
In the classical texts that had profound influence on late medieval thinking about government, virtue figured prominently – in Aristotle's Politics, and in the memorable prose of Cicero, who put stress on the all-important roles of virtue and patriotism in sustaining a republic. The idea that the public good must in all cases prevail over private interests was a core principle, probably the core principle, of medieval and Renaissance communes, and for that public good to prevail required a selfless devotion to country. There is a problem, however. The case for the centrality of virtue is so self-evident that it has eclipsed (not always but often) the other important factor that went into building and sustaining republics: proper procedures.
