In Greek history, as well as in Plato's conception of it, this 'progression by antagonism' involves reaction: the aristocracy expands into democracy and returns again to tyranny.
The constitution of the Laws may be said to consist, besides the magistrates, mainly of three elements,--an administrative Council, the judiciary, and the Nocturnal Council, which is an intellectual aristocracy, composed of priests and the ten eldest guardians of the law and some younger co-opted members.

To this latter chiefly are assigned the functions of legislation, but to be exercised with a sparing hand.
The powers of the ordinary council are administrative rather than legislative.

The whole number of 360, as in the Athenian constitution, is distributed among the months of the year according to the number of the tribes.

Not more than one-twelfth is to be in office at once, so that the government would be made up of twelve administrations succeeding one another in the course of the year.

They are to exercise a general superintendence, and, like the Athenian counsellors, are to preside in monthly divisions over all assemblies.