Mak'ed ge-Hoi
Mak'ed ge-Hoi [maˈkʰeʔ ɡeˈhɔːj] was an important political philosopher from Oigop'oibauxeu in the early 5th century YP.
In an age dominated by the two massive empires of Athalē and Huyfárah, with his city uneasily squeezed in between the two, he envisioned a new kind of political structure that combined the ancient republican customs of the Dāiadak with the ethical philosophy of Etúgə. Although he was not a pacifist (as the quote given below might suggest when taken out of context), Mak'ed was firmly opposed to imperialism, centralization, and a monarchy whose power was to a large extent based on military force. In his imagined realm, power derives from the wealth of cities instead - the ideal being a patchwork of strong, individualistic city-states. It is a world of serenity, prosperity, and great religious devotion.
Mak'ed was known for his restrained style of speech, which fits well with his calm and modest personality. Many of his thoughts are recorded in the form of minimalistic aphorisms that invite the reader to draw the obvious conclusions by himself. Here's a good example in the original Ndok Aisô:
- Agoi
- agoi
- battle
- mot
- mot
- COP[HAB.SG]
- nolôxa
- nolô=a
- road=POSS
- o-pop.
- o-pop
- PL-man
- Wagoikseu
- wagoikseu
- peace
- mot
- mot
- COP[HAB.SG]
- nolôxa
- nolô=a
- road=POSS
- o-pop
- o-pop
- PL-man
- ndeupis.
- ndeupeu-s
- wise-ACC.PL
His ideas of republicanism as the ideal government played a major role in the events of the 5th and 6th century YP, providing the intellectual basis for a worldview shared by many of those who disapproved of the emperors' policies. In his home country of Northern Lasomo, Mak'ed was treated as a kind of national saint during the decades after his death, and the state was reorganized as a league of city republics according to his principles. The traditionally republican merchant city of Buruya was also a fertile ground for Mak'edian thought. Most significantly, however, the teachings of Mak'ed were enthusiastically welcomed in the cities of Southern Huyfárah, inspiring the Zgeiru ("atheist") movement that bundled opposition against the emperor, and thus eventually leading to a civil war that culminated in the secession of several important city-states from the empire.