Nomophylakes e nomophylakia nella Politica di Aristotele

This paper considers three passages of Aristotle’s Politics which mention nomophylakia and nomophylakes. Although we cannot clear up the historical and institutional context (surely not only Athenian) which inspires Aristotle’s remarks, the nomophylakia seems to be an “aristocratic” institution, a sort of constitutional corrective which intends, on the one hand, to defend nomos and politeia from abuses by individuals and masses/groups, and, on the other hand, to ensure respect of nomos by magistrates and citizens. Furthermore, Aristotle’s treatment of nomophylakia and nomophylakes leads to challenge the hypothesis that the Athenian nomophylakes were established by Ephialtes, as Jacoby thought and as it has been recently reproposed by O’Sullivan.