폴리비오스의 발전관과 혼합정체 국가들 -이탈리아 동맹의 관점에서 다시 읽기-

Abstract

Polybius explained that the mixed constitution was the framework for the Roman success. But I noticed his attempt to show the final and decisive success of Rome among the states with mixed constitution. Polybius saw that simple polity was destined to the constitutional circulation but the mixed state to the organic vicissitude of birth, growth and death. His meditation on the historical process does not depend on the luck simply but on the peculiarity of the system of each state. In his explanation he analyzed the related states with positive evidence and tried to find out the merit of Rome. He did not treat the final stage of Roman destiny clearly but prophesied it. In this point his idea deserves proper estimation of the originality and historicity. He did not follow Aristotle and showed his own logic and historical approach in relation to the Roman experience. I came to conclude that the theme of constitutional circulation was treated by him as related only to the inner problem of a state and his main concern was outer problem, that is, the unification of the states. This concern was joined with the view of organic development and became a new paradigm of analyzing the systems of state. This perspective might have been in basic invented by Roman and applied by him to the description of the growth of Rome. Here the systema, that is, unification became the keyword by which he tried to show the Roman structure including the Italian allies. I recommend reading the 3rd book and the 6th book of Histories together in order to comprehend the intention of Polybius.