Why did Marsilius of Padua support elected legislators?

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The Code of Hammurabi diorite stela, with carved figures at the top showing Hammurabi seated with cuneiform inscriptions below. — Political philosophy Diorite stela inscribed with the Code of Hammurabi, 18th century bce.

In his influential treatise Defensor pacis, Marsilius of Padua argued that the source of all political power and law is the people. He supported the idea of elected legislators and rulers because he believed that the state's primary responsibility is to maintain law, order, and tranquility.1

By grounding political authority in the collective will of the citizenry, Marsilius sought to preserve the unity of the state and limit the interference of the church hierarchy in secular governance. His work, which applied Aristotelian principles to political theory, emphasized that the people possess the fundamental right to choose their own leaders, a concept that has led many scholars to view him as a significant precursor to modern democratic thought.1