in one story we get a sequence of individual men, worse sons born to better fathers (546a–e); in another story worse political arrangements arise from better ones (547a–c). For instance, the best arrangement after the ideal city is a so-called timocracy, in which the city is dedicated to honor and victory (548c). This is basically the ideal city shorn of its true rulers, and guided solely by soldiers who long to distinguish themselves on the battlefield (547d–549a). From this arises an oligarchy, a city of the rich (550c–551c); then democracy, the city ruled by the common people
