The Federalist Papers · Chapter
XVIII: The Same Subject Continued (The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union) explained
Madison examines ancient Greek confederacies—the Amphictyonic council and the Achaean league—to illustrate the fatal weaknesses of loose unions.
What happens
Madison examines ancient Greek confederacies—the Amphictyonic council and the Achaean league—to illustrate the fatal weaknesses of loose unions. He shows how internal discord, ambition of powerful members, and foreign manipulation led to the ruin of these confederacies, arguing that the American Confederation suffers from similar defects and requires a stronger national government.
Themes in this chapter
Federalism and the Necessity of Union
Madison uses Greek examples to argue that a loose confederation leads to anarchy and foreign domination, underscoring the need for a stronger federal union.
Control of Faction and Majority Tyranny
The internal dissensions and power struggles among Greek city-states illustrate the dangers of faction within a weak confederacy.
National Security and Foreign Relations
Foreign powers like Macedon and Rome exploited the divisions within Greek confederacies, showing the security risks of a weak central government.
Characters to notice
- Publius
Author of the essay, presenting historical analysis to argue for a stronger union.
- James Madison
Primary author of this Federalist paper, drawing lessons from ancient Greece.
- The Amphictyons
Ancient Greek confederacy whose weaknesses mirror those of the American Confederation.
- The Achaeans
Another Greek league that ultimately collapsed due to internal divisions and foreign interference.
- Philip of Macedon
Exploited the Amphictyonic confederacy's weaknesses to conquer Greece.
- Cleomenes
King of Sparta whose ambition led to conflict with the Achaean league.
Key passages
“Among the confederacies of antiquity, the most considerable was that of the Grecian republics, associated under the Amphictyonic council.”
The most notable ancient confederation was the Greek league known as the Amphictyonic council.
Madison introduces the first historical example to draw parallels with the American Confederation.
“Had Greece, says a judicious observer on her fate, been united by a stricter confederation, and persevered in her union, she would never have worn the chains of Macedon; and might have proved a barrier to the vast projects of Rome.”
A wise commentator noted that if Greece had formed a tighter union and maintained it, she would have avoided conquest by Macedon and could have resisted Rome.
Madison emphasizes the lesson that a stronger union prevents foreign subjugation.
“The Achaeans were cut to pieces, and Achaia loaded with chains, under which it is groaning at this hour.”
The Achaean league was destroyed, and Greece remains enslaved under Roman rule.
Madison concludes the historical account with a stark warning about the fate of disunited states.