Chapter 5 — That it belongs to the office of a king to found the city

We must begin by explaining the duties of a king with regard to the founding of a city or kingdom. For, as Vegetius declares, The mightiest nations and most commended kings thought it their greatest glory either to found new cities or have their names made part of, and in some way added to, the names of cities already founded by others. (De Re Militari IV, prol.) This, indeed, is in accord with Sacred Scripture, for the wise man says in Sirach: The building of a city establishes a man’s name (Sir 40:19). The name of Romulus, for instance, would be unknown today had he not founded the city of Rome.

Now in founding a city or kingdom, the first step is the choice of its location, if plenty are available. A temperate region should be chosen, for the inhabitants derive many advantages from a temperate climate. In the first place, it ensures them health of body and length of life; for, since good health consists in the right temperature of the vital fluids, it follows that health will be best preserved in a temperate clime, because like is preserved by like. Should, however, heat or cold be excessive, the condition of the body will necessarily be affected by the condition of the atmosphere. Thus some animals instinctively migrate in cold weather to warmer regions, and in warm weather return to the colder places, in order to obtain, through the contrary dispositions of both locality and weather, the due temperature of their humors.

Again, since it is warmth and moisture that preserve animal life, if the heat is intense the natural moisture of the body is dried up and life fails, just as a lantern is extinguished if the liquid poured into it be quickly consumed by too great a flame. Thus it is said that in certain very torrid parts of Ethiopia a man cannot live longer than thirty years. On the other hand, in extremely cold regions the natural moisture is easily frozen and the natural heat soon lost. Then, too, a temperate climate is most conducive to fitness for war, by which human society is kept in security. As Vegetius tells us, All peoples that live near the sun and are dried up by the excessive heat have keener wits but less blood, so that they possess no constancy or self-reliance in hand-to-hand fighting; for, knowing they have but little blood, they have great fear of wounds. On the other hand, Northern tribes, far removed from the burning rays of the sun, are more dull-witted indeed, but because they have an ample flow of blood, they are ever ready for war. Those who dwell in temperate climes have, on the one hand, an abundance of blood and thus make light of wounds or death, and, on the other hand, no lack of prudence, which puts a proper restraint on them in camp and is of great advantage in war and peace as well. (De Re Militari 1, 2.)

Finally, a temperate climate is of no little value for political life. As Aristotle says in his Politics: Peoples that dwell in cold countries are full of spirit but have little intelligence and little skill. Consequently, they maintain their liberty better but have no political life and (through lack of prudence) show no capacity for governing others. Those who live in hot regions are keen-witted and skillful in the things of the mind but possess little spirit, and so are in continuous subjection and servitude. But those who live between these extremes of climate are both spirited and intelligent; hence they are continuously free, their political life is very much developed, and they are capable of ruling others. (Politics, VII, 7: 1327b 23–32.)

Therefore, a temperate region should be chosen for the foundation of a city or a kingdom.