Polybius foresaw Rome's decadence. “All things are subject…
““Polybius foresaw Rome's decadence. “All things are subject to decay and change,” he wrote. “When a state, after having passed with safety through many and great dangers, arrives at the highest degree of power, and possesses an entire and undisputed sovereignty, it is manifest that the long continuance of prosperity must give birth to costly and luxurious manners, and that the minds of men will be heated with ambitious contests, and become too eager and aspiring in the pursuit of dignities. And as those evils are continually increased, the desire of power and rule, and the imagined ignominy of remaining in a subject state, will first begin to work the ruin of the republic; arrogance and luxury will afterwards advance it; and in the end the change will be completed by the people; when the avarice of some is found to injure and oppress them, and the ambition of others swells their vanity, and poisons them with flattering hopes.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Power leads to decay, luxury breeds corruption, and eventual downfall.
In simple terms: Wealth and power corrupt, causing collapse.
Key Takeaway
Guard against excess and complacency.
Themes
politics
history
corruption
power
decay
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
philosophical
warning
When to use this quote
- Government policy
- economic inequality
- public sentiment
Key Concepts
Political cycles
moral decay
social instability
Questions to Reflect On
- What signs of decay appear in modern states?
- How can societies prevent corruption?
A Different Perspective
Not all societies follow this pattern; reforms can mitigate decline.