Thearistocracy (fromGreekἀριστοκρατίαaristokratía, "rule of the best";Latin: aristocratia) is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling"social class.[1] In many states, the aristocracy included theupper class with hereditary rank and titles. They are usually below only themonarch of acountry ornation in its social hierarchy.[2]
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In some, such asancient Greece,ancient Rome, orIndia, aristocratic status came from belonging to a military class. It has also been common, notably in African and Oriental societies, for aristocrats to belong to priestly dynasties. Aristocratic status can involvefeudal or legal privileges.[3]
Plato’sSymposium offers a glimpse into theintellectual andcultural life of aristocracy inancient Athens. The dialogue takes place at abanquet attended by prominentAthenian aristocrats, illustrating how the elite not only wielded political and military power but also shapedphilosophical andartisticdiscourse. Their discussion onlove, centered aroundEros, reflects how aristocrats engaged in intellectual refinement andrhetoricaldebate, reinforcing their status as the cultural andmoral leaders of society.[4]
Theancient world had bequeathed toearly modern Europe (notably viaAristotle'sPolitics) apolitical and personal definition of aristocracy as therule of the best men.[5] According to his 1602 politicaltreatiseRepública Mista,Tomás Fernández de Medrano describes an aristocrat as someone who is distinguished byvirtue,morality, andwisdom, holdingauthority over the rest—whether broadly or in specific matters—governing solely for the benefit and welfare of the public.[6]
While family background and wealth could enhance one’s suitability for public office, they were not definitive. Prominent families could produce unworthy heirs, while talented newcomers might possess the qualities necessary for political leadership. This notion of social status clashed with themedieval system, which divided society intothree estates and defined aristocrats primarily aswarriors, gradually making aristocracy more rigidly tied tonoble birth.[5]
Across Europe, the aristocracy wielded immense economic, political, and social influence. InEngland, a small high aristocracy—about two hundred families—controlled roughly a quarter of the kingdom’s land, while in seventeenth-centuryBohemia, an even smaller noble class owned two-thirds of the land. This dominance extended beyond landownership, as aristocrats and gentry often monopolized high-ranking positions in the church, military, and administration. Before theFrench Revolution, aristocratic privilege was deeply embedded in Europe’s social order, shaping bothgovernance andideology.[5]
Thecentralization ofroyal courts in early modern Europe reshaped aristocratic power, shifting influence from regional noble domains to the monarchy’s court. This transition reflected a broader shift across European aristocracies, where status and influence became increasingly tied to proximity to the sovereign, court patronage, and administrative roles, rather than independent territorial rule.[7]
Despite their decline in the 19th and 20th centuries, aristocrats andgentry remained influential, adapting tomodernization asindustrialization anddemocracy eroded traditional claims to privilege. Their response to these changes played a crucial role in shaping the broader transformation of European society.[5]
In modern European societies, the aristocracy has often coincided with thenobility, a specific class that arose in theMiddle Ages, but the term "aristocracy" is sometimes also applied to otherelites, and is used as a more general term when describing earlier and non-European societies.[8] Aristocracy may be abolished within a country as the result of a revolution against them, such as theFrench Revolution. Revolutionary leaders, aiming to dismantle hierarchical structures, labeled even non-noble opponents as "aristocrats" in their push for a society without inherited privilege.[5]
The termaristocracy derives from theGreekἀριστοκρατία (aristokratia fromἄριστος (aristos) 'excellent' andκράτος (kratos) 'power').[9] In most cases, aristocratic titles were and are hereditary.
The termaristokratia was first used inAthens with reference to youngcitizens (the men of the ruling class) who led armies at the front line.Aristokratia roughly translates to "rule of the best born". Due tomartial bravery being highly regarded as avirtue inancient Greece, it was assumed that the armies were being led by "the best". This virtue was calledarete (ἀρετή). Etymologically, as the word developed, it also produced a more political term:aristoi (ἄριστοι). The term aristocracy is a compound word stemming from the singular ofaristoi,aristos (ἄριστος), and the Greek word for power,kratos (κράτος).
From the ancient Greeks, the term passed to the EuropeanMiddle Ages for a similarhereditary class of military leaders, often referred to asthe nobility. As in Greece, this was a class of privileged men and women whose familial connections to the regional armies allowed them to present themselves as the most "noble" or "best" of society.
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