What would be the essence of these castes when they haven't suffered corruption?
I propose:
The Spartan caste hierarchy is topped by the healthiest individual.
The Genovesi hierarchy is topped by the friendliest individual.
The Athenian hierarchy is topped by the wisest individual.
I have the most trouble formalizing the Genovesi - if the theory is somehow wrong, it's because I've misunderstood that part. Right now, I'm thinking of them as keeping score with money, rather than being about riches per se. The best Genovesi makes the most deals and wins concessions in negotiation. They're socially skilled, which cashes out to being able to befriend widely and easily. I invite you to try to change my mind on that, however.
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2 comments:
One more springs to mind:
The Byzantine caste hierarchy is topped by the holiest individual.
Jerusalem may be a better city to associate with religion, but Byzantium has a better adjective and a better empire associated with it, which was rather religious according to the accounts, even after discounting for obvious hyperbole.
"The whole city is full of it, the squares, the market places, the cross-roads, the alleyways; old-clothes men, money changers, food sellers: they are all busy arguing. If you ask someone to give you change, he philosophizes about the Begotten and the Unbegotten; if you inquire about the price of a loaf, you are told by way of reply that the Father is greater and the Son inferior; if you ask 'Is my bath ready?' the attendant answers that the Son was made out of nothing.'"
I'm a lumper on this issue. It looks like religion-themed scholarship to me.
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