The aristocracy is synonymous with nobility. The member of the aristocracy is called an aristocrat, and the member of the nobility is called a noble, so they can be described as distinguished or illustrious.
In ancient Greece, Plato considered that the aristocracy was the government of the best; and Aristotle considered it a system of government in which power was held by a small number of people who were considered to be the most qualified both to govern and to elect rulers, and who exercised power for the benefit of the whole. Either directly or behind the scenes.
Within the aristocracy, the same thinker and philosopher identified timocracy, a system in which the only ones who participate in the government are those who own certain capital or a certain type of property; plutocracy, a system in which the government is held by those who own the sources of wealth; and democracy, that system in which the government is exercised by the honorable.
In old Rome, the aristocrats, including Marco Tulio Cicero, were called patricians and were made up of the descendants of the first Roman senators. Therefore, formed the privileged social class.
