have looked towards this book for help in constructing the constitution since it was acclaimed and recent. Therefore it might appear that modern Enlightenment philosophy had a more direct influence on the framers of the constitution than classical philosophers. This may be true to some degree but it is important to note that the main principles of Montesquieu which the framers drew influence from can be traced back to the classical era. The theory of the Separation of Powers is based on classical philosophy. Although this concept is not sourced from one particular author, Polybius does a good job of enveloping ideas put forward by classical philosophy as a whole. In a fragment of Polybius’ sixth book of the ‘Roman Antiquities of Dionysius Halicarnassus’ he says, ‘ It is customary with those who professedly treat this subject, to establish three sorts of government, kingly government, aristocracy and democracy ’. Here we clearly see how Polybius’ summed up the thoughts of many ancient experts on the subject of government. This paved the way for Montesquieu to re-establish the theories of the Separation of Government centuries later, which gave the framers of the American constitution the foundations upon which they would build the United States of America. Even though the framers were fully aware of the works of Montesquieu, a study of the ‘Records’ and the ‘Federalist’ - records of the debates regarding the constitution - shows they would more frequently go back to the ancient sources from which Montesquieu had derived his influence. This would suggest that the framers did have an appreciation for modern philosophers like Montesquieu, but in some regards valued the original ancient sources more highly. Yet Polybius is not the only classical author to exert influence over the thought of the framers, Cicero’s ‘De Re Publica’ was useful to America’s constitution-makers as it set out in detail the specific requirements of a republican government. John Adams quoted fragments of ‘De Re Publica’ in his ‘Defence of the American Constitutions’, saying that ‘ as all the ages of the world have not produced a greater statesman and philosopher united in the same character [than Cicero], his authority should have great weight ’. Cicero was an interesting source of information to the framers as he differed from Tacitus, Livy and Sallust, in that he died at the hands of Octavian’s soldiers in 43BC before Rome’s last hope for republican government had disappeared. Rome’s other republican authors were writing under a well-established despotism which imposed constraints on what they wrote. Cicero could write about and condemn tyrants, and he died denouncing Mark Antony as a public enemy. Cicero’s republicanism was practical and would have thrived in a Mediterranean empire. Sallust and Tacitus, on the other hand, emphasized the extreme difficulty of republican government, even its unfeasability, given the moral state of the Roman people. The stark contrast between Cicero’s republicanism and that of Sallust and Tacitus foreshadows the rival republicanisms of Federalists and Antifederalists after the American Revolution. Cicero’s republicanism was not just an attitude, it was a political programme which made him appealing to the framers in the eighteenth century. The framers of the American constitution were no means solely reliant on their knowledge of Classics and modern philosophy. They were all extremely intelligent individuals with their own ideas and values. However, one cannot fail to realize how these men drew influence from Classics to give inspiration and, in some cases, justification. Carl Richard notes, ‘ The presence of classical exemplars of resistance to tyranny provided the moral justification and sense of righteous purpose ’. The framers could use their knowledge of the ancient world to learn from the mistakes of the past in order to give their own United States of America stronger foundations.
Bibliography
Ames R A and Montgomery H C, The Classical Journal, 1934; 30 19-27 Bederman D J, The Classical Foundations of the American Constitution, Cambridge University Press 2008 Sellers M N S, American Republicanism: Roman Ideology in the United States Constitution, Macmillan Press 1994
89
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker