Origin of the Name "Achaean"
It will be useful to ascertain, to begin with, how it
note
came to pass that the name of the Achaeans
became the universal one for all the inhabitants of the Peloponnese. For the original
bearers of this ancestral name have no
superiority over others, either in the size of their territory
and cities, or in wealth, or in the prowess of their men. For
they are a long way off being superior to the Arcadians
and Lacedaemonians in number of inhabitants and extent
of territory; nor can these latter nations be said to yield
the first place in warlike courage to any Greek people
whatever. Whence then comes it that these nations, with
the rest of the inhabitants of the Peloponnese, have been
content to adopt the constitution and the name of the
Achaeans? To speak of chance in such a matter would not
be to offer any adequate solution of the question, and would
be a mere idle evasion. A cause must be sought; for without
a cause nothing, expected or unexpected, can be accomplished. The cause then, in my opinion, was this. Nowhere
could be found a more unalloyed and deliberately established
system of equality and absolute freedom, and, in a word, of
democracy, than among the Achaeans. This constitution
found many of the Peloponnesians ready enough to adopt
it of their own accord: many were brought to share in it by
persuasion and argument: some, though acting under compulsion at first, were quickly brought to acquiesce in its benefits;
for none of the original members had any special privilege
reserved for them, but equal rights were given to all comers:
the object aimed at was therefore quickly attained by the two
most unfailing expedients of equality and fraternity. This
then must be looked upon as the source and original cause
of Peloponnesian unity and consequent prosperity.
That this was the original principle on which the Achaeans
acted in forming their constitution might be demonstrated by
many proofs; but for the present purpose it will be sufficient
to allege one or two in confirmation of my assertion.
