VIII.4 A particular cause of corruption of the people

, par Stewart

Great achievements, especially ones to which the people contribute greatly, make them so proud that it is no longer possible to lead them. Jealous of the magistrates, they become jealous of the magistracy ; enemy of those who govern, they are soon the enemy of the constitution. That is how the victory of Salamis over the Persians corrupted the republic of Athens [1] ; that is how the defeat of the Athenians doomed the republic of Syracuse. [2]

The republic of Marseille never experienced these great swings from humiliation to greatness ; it it also true that it always governed itself wisely, and always preserved its principles.