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In:Crises We Live By: A transdisciplinary study of crisis and its metaphors in their cultural context
Edited by Irene Leonardis
[Cognitive Linguistic Studies in Cultural Contexts 20] 2026
► pp. 20–39

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Metaphors for crisis in Polybius’ cycle of constitutions and mixed constitution

 | University of Western Australia
Published online: 5 February 2026
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https://doi.org/10.1075/clscc.20.01zan
Abstract
In this paper, I discuss the conceptual metaphors used by Polybius to articulate notions of political crisis in Book 6 of his Histories. I begin by outlining Polybius’ theory of the cycle of constitutions and the mixed constitution. I then proceed to Polybius’ metaphors for constitutional crisis; these depend on domains involving structures, locations, seafaring, and biology. I further consider personification and the metaphor of balance that characterizes the mixed constitution. However, Polybius never uses the term ‘crisis’ (krisis) in discussing either the movement of a state through the cycle of constitutions or the collapse of the mixed constitution. Ancient historical texts, which precede the canonization our terminology, can therefore augment Koselleck’s thesis concerning the historicity and development of our vocabulary for crisis.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Constitutions as physical structures
  • 3.Constitutional change as movement
  • 4.The ship metaphor
  • 5.The biological metaphor
  • 6.Integration of metaphors
  • 7.The metaphors of the mixed constitution
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (24)
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