On the Causes of the Greatness and Supreme Status of Cities

Author: Giovanni Botero
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Although "On Cities" is not long, at first glance, it gives one a dizzying impression. This is mainly due to the author's rich and varied rhetorical techniques and the extensive use of examples. Botero was a typical humanist of his time, with a deep classical education, which can be seen from the classical authors he casually quotes or uses anonymously, as well as the Latin phrases he includes. The historical knowledge about ancient cities in particular is astonishing. Additionally, he reveals his erudition in the text, with his vast knowledge of rivers, plants, geography, and ethnic groups, which is enough to earn him the title of "naturalist." If he had only possessed knowledge without the ability to skillfully express his thoughts through language, his work might have been a dry and tedious "academic paper." Botero had been a rhetoric teacher at a very young age, which allowed him to filter his profound and diverse knowledge through his thoughts and express it in vivid, elegant, concise, and eloquent language. This is particularly evident in the two longest chapters of "On Cities," namely Chapter 10 of the first volume and Chapter 11 of the second volume. Their content is enlightening, and their language is captivating, as if we are guided by him on a wonderful journey. Yes, the word "journey" accurately expresses the feeling of reading this work. Botero himself says at the end of Chapter 11 of the second volume that he is "journeying through the world," and we follow him from one era to another, from one kingdom to another. This book is part of the "Atlas of Maritime Nations" series. It is Giovanni Botero's masterpiece and a classic work in the study of world political thought. Its publication helped to advance the study of classical political science. Although Botero is known in Western classical political thought for opposing Machiavelli, he shares certain ideas with Machiavelli in some aspects. For example, like Machiavelli, he also recognized the importance of religion in the state and society. This book records his original thoughts: the importance of economic factors in the political sphere. He believed that a city's greatness depends on its economic prosperity and development, and its ruling foundation lies in wealth, which in turn depends on labor. At the same time, he also attempts to answer a classic question in the book: Why do cities often stagnate once they become great? He argued that the growth of a city's population will inevitably be constrained by a series of resource shortages to a certain extent, thus slowing down its development. On this issue, Botero foreshadowed the later emergence of Malthus and other schools of economics and political thought.