Who classified governments as republics?

The classification of governments as republics can be traced back to ancient philosophers, notably Aristotle, who distinguished between different forms of governance in his work "Politics." He categorized governments based on who holds power and for what purpose, leading to the identification of republics as systems where the public's interest is prioritized and leaders are accountable to the populace. Additionally, later thinkers like Niccolò Machiavelli and Montesquieu contributed to the understanding and definition of republics in the context of modern political theory.