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CONSTITUTIONS OF THE GRECIAN STATES. 109come finallyinto the 'hands of a few families. 1 In an agewhen there were much fewer mechanic professions, andwhen those few were carried on chiefly by slaves, the consequences of this inequality were much more oppressive ;and it was therefore one of the chief objectsof the lawgivers,either to prevent this evil, or, where it already existed, toremedy it; as otherwise a revolution of the state wouldsooner or later have inevitably followed. In this mannerwe may understand why a new and equal divisionland among the citizens was made; 2 why the acquisitionof theof lands by purchase or gift was forbidden, and only permitted in the way of inheritance and of 3marriage ; why alimit was fixed to the amount of land, which a singlecitizencould possess.4But with all these and other similar precautions, it was not possible to hinder entirely the evil,against which they were intended to guard; and hence wereprepared the causes of those numerous and violent commotions, to which all the Grecian states were more or lessexposed.In the constitutions of cities, however they may be formed, the right of citizenship is the first and most importantHe who does not possess it, may perhaps live in the cityunder certain conditions, and enjoy the protectionof itsa member of thelaws; 5 but he is not, properly speaking,state ;and can enjoy neither the same rights, nor the samerespect,as the citizen. The regulations, therefore, respectingsharing in the right of citizenship, were necessarily strict ;but they were very different in the several Grecian cities.In some, the full privileges of citizenship were secured, ifboth the parents had been citizens ; 6 in others, it was necessary to trace such a descent through two or three generations 7 ;whilst in others, no respect was had, except to thedescent from the mother. 8 There were some cities whichvery rarely and with difficulty could be induced to confer1This was the case in Thurii, Aristot. Polit. v. 7-2 As in Sparta, by the laws of Lycurgus.3As in Sparta, and also among the Locrians, Aristot Polit. ii. 7"*4 Aristot. 1. c.5 These JKHTW/COI, inquilini, were formed in almost all the Grecian cities. Itwas common for them to pay for protection, and to bear other civil burdens*6As, for example, at Athens.7As in Larissa, Aristot. Polit, iii. 2. So too in Massilia.8 Aristot. Polit iii 5.