“Nevertheless, in around 395 he broke off friendly relations with Rome’s leaders and had himself elected king of a Gothic coalition now known as the Visigoths. ” – Powers and Thrones (Dan Jones) https://bookshop.org/ebooks/quotes/5d6416f2-7760-481c-a6f8-85cd6b842b1d

Elected. I don’t care how corrupt or limited the election was, this was a pirate captain getting voted into power by his peers.

800 years before the Magna Carta* we’re so proud of. The ancient Greek democracy turns out to have been pretty widespread, I guess, not some pure, heroic ideal in a shining city on a hill.

*Another pirate captain getting restricted by his peers. Actually, I guess I’ll be reading about it in this book.