There is reason to recall Macchiavelli's words: "In times of difficulty men of merit are sought after, but in easy times it is not men of merit, but such as have riches and powerful relations, that are most in favor." And let me to quote the Greek historian Polybius' observations[0002] about the cyclic evolution of the Greek city states: ".

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What then are the beginnings I speak of and what is the first origin of political societies?
When owing to floods, famines, failure of crops or other such causes there occurs such a destruction of the human race as tradition tells us has more than once happened, and as we must believe will often happen again, all arts and crafts perishing at the same time, when in the course of time, when springing from the survivors as from seeds men have again increased in numbers and just like other animals form herds--it being a matter of course that they too should herd together with those of their kind owing to their natural weakness--it is a necessary consequence that the man who excels in bodily strength and in courage will lead and rule over the rest.

We observe and should regard as a most genuine work of nature this very phenomenon in the case of the other animals which act purely by instinct and among who the strongest are always indisputable the masters--I speak of bulls, boars, cocks, and the like.