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    Ebook551 pages17 hours

    Discourses

    By Niccolò Machiavelli

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    • Leadership

    • Roman History

    • Military Strategy

    • Roman Republic

    • Corruption

    • Power Struggle

    • Historical Fiction

    • Chessmaster

    • Power Corrupts

    • Mentor

    • Fall From Grace

    • Strategist

    • Dangers of Ambition

    • Hero's Journey

    • Underdog

    • War & Conflict

    • Power

    • Tyranny

    • Decision Making

    • Politics

    About this ebook

    Political and philosophical commentaries on the republic of ancient Rome from the Renaissance author of The Prince.
     
    In Discourses, Italian statesman, philosopher, and writer Niccolò Machiavelli offers a wide-ranging analysis of the democratic underpinnings of the Roman Republic, based on the epic history written by Roman scholar Titus Livy.
     
    Focusing on “a republic as the best way to secure the long term stability of states . . . the various discourses contain observations about aspects of governance, political powers, state safety, corruption, and the expansion of powers. They analyze types of governments and how they change over time from both internal and external pressures. The observations provide significant insights into our world today” (OpEdNews.com).
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Media
    Release dateApr 21, 2020
    ISBN9781504062527
    Discourses
    Author

    Niccolò Machiavelli

    "Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.""It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain by the new ones."- Niccolò Machiavelli

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    • 4/5
      A fine translation with a good deal of backcround information. Mansfield is a first rate Machiavelli scholar.
    • 3/5
      The work is easy to read and a instructive about power and civics. He discusses the effect of the type of government, religion, and corruptness of the citizenry on the success of a nation, complete with many simple examples involving historical figures.
    • 4/5
      Titus Livius or Livy {59 BC- AD 17) was the author of A History of Republican Rome originally stretching to 142 books of which only 35 have survived. Machiavelli set out to write a commentary on these gems from antiquity; that were understood by men of the Italian Renaissance to be significant examples of the legacy of classical culture. The myth of classical culture was all pervasive in Florentine intellectual circles of which Machiavelli was an important figure. His aim was to prove that renaissance Florence particularly its republican element could do no better than learn from the lessons contained in Livy’s histories He was preaching to the converted as the humanist movement was based almost entirely on these precepts.Machiavelli suffered following the overthrow of the Florentine republic and the re-introduction of the Medici family to the positions of power. He was forcibly retired from politics and sought refuge down on his farm. Not being able to finds favour with the new ruling class he sat down to write about his beloved antiquity and said:“When evening comes, I return home, and I go into my study; and on the threshold, I take off my everyday clothes, which are covered with muck and mire, and I put on regal and curial robes; and dressed in a more appropriate manner I enter into the ancient courts of ancient men and am welcomed by them kindly, and there I taste the food that alone is mine, and for which I was born; and there I am not ashamed to speak to them, to ask them the reasons for their actions; and they, in their humanity, answer me; and for four hours I feel no boredom, I dismiss every affliction, I no longer fear poverty nor do I tremble at the thought of death; I become completely part of them.”What may have started out as a commentary on Livy’s histories, soon developed into a comparison between the events in classical republican Rome and more recent events in Florence and from this a treatise on the best way to govern a republican state. There are three books containing 142 fairly short chapters with each chapter heading serving as a discussion point for the following text. The chapter headings themselves give the modern reader an idea of some of the tortuous logic that Machiavelli can employ to make his points for example “Conquests made by republics which are not well organised, and which do not proceed according to Roman standards of excellence bring about their ruin rather than their glorification”“Whether the guardianship of liberty may be more securely lodged in the people or the upper classes; and who has more reason to create an uprising, he who wishes to acquire or he who wishes to maintain.”Many of the chapter headings are a lot less complicated but the above examples give an idea of the general direction of the Discourses. One thing remains constant; the examples of classical antiquity should serve as guidelines for all people that wish to be successful leaders in politics and in war.Familiar themes expounded in The Prince are explored here in more detail; Machiavelli’s deep mistrust of human nature, his ideas that Politics are conflict and conflict is beneficial to the body politic, the way that religion should be used to pacify and encourage the masses and how a ruler or leader in war should not hesitate to be ruthless when necessary. What emerges more particularly from the Discourses is Machiavelli’s belief that republicanism is the best form of government and as such is a tract for how it can work in practice. Machiavelli with his experience in public life became very knowledgeable and cynical about human nature, which is probably an essential requirement for a politician , he says“…..because men in general live as much by appearances as by realities; indeed, they are often moved more by things as they appear than by things as they really are…….”Machiavelli also writes about his contemporaries in Florence. He takes quite a sympathetic view towards Savonarola, but can be damming about his own boss Piero Soderini, whom he accuses of being too soft, too soft to deal with the envious men around him. Machiavelli’s dictum was always that if you can rule by love or by fear, it is safer to choose fear. In a book of this length there is much of interest and much to enjoy, but there is also some pretty turgid stuff. Machiavelli often repeats himself and the continuous use of the same examples from Livy’s histories can get a bit wearing. If you have previously read Machiavelli’s The Prince then the Discourses are on very similar lines and so unless you have an interest in the period, political history, or in Machiavelli then it is probably not necessary to slog through it. The Oxford World Classics edition translated by Julia and Peter Bondanella reads well and gives a flavour of Machiavelli’s syntax. There is a good introduction and some excellent explanatory notes
    • 5/5
      Considering the social and cultural landscape of the contemporary West, one cannot help but wonder whether we can pull out of our downward slide, and what are the odds of doing so.An interesting analysis of this issue is provided by Machiavelli, in his "Discourses" (1517). In this deeply insightful book, a commentary on the work of the Roman historian Titus Livius (Livy), Machiavelli examines the ebb and flow of the Roman republic, applying its lessons to the affairs of his own era, and to the life of nations in general. (Note that this is the republican period of Rome, c. 510 - 44 BC, before the advent of the great emperors.)Let's start with the bad news. Machiavelli is not particularly optimistic about a country's ability to adapt to new circumstances:"There are two reasons why we are unable to change when we need to: In the first place, we cannot help being what nature has made us; in the second, if one style of behavior has worked well for us in the past, we cannot be persuaded we would be better off acting differently. The consequence is that one's fortune changes, for the times change, and one's behavior does not. Another consequence is that cities are destroyed, for the institutions of a republic are never modified to suit changing circumstances...Change comes too late because it is too difficult to accomplish."If that weren't enough of an obstacle, we are also subject to the whims of fortune; i.e., to circumstances that are beyond our control:"If you will think sensibly about how people's lives are shaped, you will see that often events and accidents occur against which the heavens were determined we should have no protection. Seeing this sort of thing happened to the Romans, who were so skillful, pious, and well-organized, it is not surprising that it happens much more often to cities or regions who lack these advantages."Machiavelli goes on to relate Livy's account of Rome's near-demise following an invasion from southern France, which wasn't repelled until the barbarians were threatening the Capitol itself. The Romans, at that time still relatively vulnerable, could not pull together until their very heart was threatened:"Fortune, in order to make Rome all the greater and build her up to the power she eventually attained, judged it necessary to give her a nasty shock...but did not want, at this point, to destroy her completely...In order to bring [change] about, the whole society must feel endangered; it is not enough for just one individual to change his mind."It doesn't require much imagination to apply this wisdom to the contemporary West. Consider the mass immigration from the Third World, leading, in some European countries, to a now-foreseeable usurpation of the native population and culture. It is likely that only a shock of great magnitude would be capable of stalling this locomotive. One can only hope that, as was the case with the Roman republic, "fortune" does not intend to destroy us completely.There are, still, many things that can be done to stave off ruin, says Machiavelli. It is not inevitable. But the task is great, and can only be accomplished by the clarion call of first principles. This is the subject of the chapter entitled "On how, if you want a movement or state to survive for long, you must repeatedly bring it back to its founding principles." Here, we read that"there is nothing more essential in any form of communal life, whether of a movement, a kingdom, or a republic, than to restore it the reputation it had when it was first founded, and to strive to ensure there are either good institutions or good men who can bring this about, so that one is not dependent on having some external intervention before reform can occur...it is so dangerous there are no circumstances in which one should hope for it."Machiavelli also emphasizes that to be successful, our behavior must be adapted to the era in which we live. Bold, impetuous action may be perfect at one moment yet disastrous at another. When the Roman army was broken and demoralized, General Fabius avoided defeat against Hannibal by being cautious. Later, when a bold strike was needed, the daring Scipio was appointed to the task. The switch, a fortuitous adaptation, could be accomplished because"a republic can adapt itself more easily to changing circumstances because it can call on citizens of differing characters. Someone who is used to proceeding in a particular way will never change."We certainly possess "citizens of differing characters." But will the right ones be called upon at the right time?
    • 5/5
      There is far more depth in this book than in The Prince, and it should be considered by any individual interested in understanding how Republics do and do not function. Though there is some faulty reasoning (usually based on accepting premises that are inaccurate), most of the book is very logical and empirically-oriented, and the way Machiavelli makes use of the ancients is outstanding.
    • 3/5
      Duidelijk een herhaling, aanvulling en uitbreiding van Il Principe, maar rijper en meer gestoffeerd. Maar van de andere kant ook minder synthetisch, cfr zeker derde boek is secundair en fragmentair. Nog meer dan in vorige boek een stevig pleidooi voor republieken en de wijsheid van het volk.

    Book preview

    Discourses - Niccolò Machiavelli

    Discourses

    Niccolò Machiavelli

    Contents

    Book I.

    Preface

    Chapter

    I. Of the beginnings of Cities in General, and in particular of that of Rome

    II. Of the various kinds of Government; and to which of them the Roman Commonwealth belonged

    III. Of the accidents which led in Rome to the creation of Tribunes of the People, whereby the Republic was made more perfect

    IV. That the dissensions between the Senate and Commons of Rome made Rome free and powerful

    V. Whether they seek guardianship of public freedom is safer in the hands of the Commons or of the Nobles; and whether those who seek to acquire power, or they who seek to maintain it, are the greater cause of commotions

    VI. Whether it was possible in Rome to contrive such a Government as would have composed the differences between the Commons and the Senate

    VII. That to preserve liberty in a State, there must exist the right to accuse

    VIII. That calumny is as hurtful in a Commonwealth as the power to accuse is useful

    IX. That to give new institutions to a Commonwealth, or to reconstruct old institutions on an entirely new basis, must be the work of one Man

    X. That in proportion as the founder of a Kingdom or Commonwealth merits praise, he who founds a Tyranny deserves blame

    XI. Of the Religion of the Romans

    XII. That it is much of moment to make account of Religion; and that Italy, through the Roman Church, being wanting therein, has been ruined.

    XIII. Of the use the Romans made of Religion in giving institutions to their City; in carrying out their enterprises; and in quelling tumults

    XIV. That the Romans interpreted the auspices to meet the occasion; and made a prudent show of observing the rites of Religion even when forced to disregard them; and any who rashly slighted Religion they punished

    XV. How the Samnites, as a last resource in their broken fortunes, had recourse in Religion

    XVI. That a People accustomed to live under a Prince, if by any accident it become free, can hardly preserve that freedom

    XVII. The a corrupt People obtaining freedom can hardly preserve it

    XVIII. How a free Government existing in a corrupt City may be preserved, or not existing may be created

    XIX. After a strong Prince a weak Prince may maintain himself: but after one weak Prince no Kingdom can stand a second

    XX. That the consecutive reigns of two valiant Princes produce great results: and that well-ordered Commonwealths are assured of a succession of valiant Rulers by whom their power and growth are rapidly extended

    XXI. That it is a great reproach to a Prince or to a Commonwealth to be without a National Army

    XXII. What is to be noted in the combat of the three Roman Horatii and the three Alban Curiatii

    XXIII. That we should never hazard our whole fortunes, where we put not forth our entire strength; for which reason to guard a defile is often hurtful

    XXIV. That well-ordered States always provide rewards and punishments for their Citizens; and never set off deserts against misdeeds

    XXV. That he who would reform the institutions of a free State, must retain at least the semblance of old ways

    XXVI. That a new Prince in a city or province of which he has taken possession, ought to make everything new

    XXVII. That Men seldom know how to be wholly good or wholly bad

    XXVIII. Whence it came that the Romans were less ungrateful to their citizens than were the Athenians

    XXIX. Whether a People or a Prince is the more ungrateful

    XXX. How Princes and Commonwealths may avoid the vice of ingratitude; and how a Captain or Citizen may escape being undone by it

    XXXI. That the Roman Captains were never punished with extreme severity for misconduct; and where loss resulted to the Republic merely through their ignorance or want of judgment, were not punished at all

    XXXII. That a Prince or Commonwealth should not defer benefits until they are forced to yield them

    XXXIII. When a mischief has grown up in, or against a State, it is safer to temporize with it than to meet it with violence

    XXXIV. That the authority of the Dictator did good and not harm to the Roman Republic; and that it is, not those powers which are given by the free suffrages of the People, but those which ambitious Citizens usurp for themselves that are pernicious to a State

    XXXV. Why the creation of the Decemvirate in Rome, although brought about by the free and open suffrage of the Citizens, was hurtful to the liberties of that Republic

    XXXVI. That Citizens who have held the higher offices of a Commonwealth should not disdain the lower

    XXXVII. Of the mischief bred in Rome by the Agrarian Law: and how it is a great source of disorder in a Commonwealth to pass a law opposed to ancient usage with stringent retrospective effect

    XXXVIII. That weak Republics are irresolute and undecided; and that the course they may take depends more on Necessity than Choice

    XXXIX. That often the same accidents are seen to befall different Nations

    XL. Of the creation of the Decemvirate in Rome, and what therein is to be noted. Wherein among other matters it is shown how the same causes may lead to the safety or to the ruin of a Commonwealth

    XLI. That it is unwise to pass at a bound from leniency to severity, or to a haughty bearing from a humble

    XLII. How easily men become corrupted

    XLIII. That men fighting in their own cause make good and resolute Soldiers

    XLIV. That the Multitude is helpless without a head: and that we should not with the same breath threaten and ask leave

    XLV. That it is of evil example, especially in the maker of a law, not to observe the law when made: and that daily to renew acts of severity in a City is most hurtful to the Governor

    XLVI. That men climb from one step of ambition to another, seeking at first to escape injury, and then to injure others

    XLVII. That though men deceive themselves in generalities, in particulars they judge truly

    XLVIII. He who would not have an office bestowed on some worthless or wicked person, should contrive that it be solicited by one who is utterly worthless and wicked, or else by one who is in the highest degree noble and good

    XLIX. That if Cities which, like Rome, had their beginning in freedom, have had difficulty in framing such laws as would preserve their freedom, Cities which at the first have been in subjection will find this almost impossible

    L. That neither any Council nor any Magistrate should have power to bring the Government of a City to a stay

    LI. What a Prince or Republic does of necessity, should seem to be done by choice

    LII. That to check the arrogance of a Citizen who is growing too powerful in a State, there is no safer method, nor less open to objection, than to forestall him in those ways whereby he seeks to advance himself

    LIII. That the People, deceived by a false show of advantage, often desire what would be their ruin; and that large hopes and brave promises easily move them

    LIV. Of the boundless authority which a great man may use to restrain an excited Multitude

    LV. That the Government is easily carried on in a City wherein the body of the People is not corrupted: and that a Princedom is impossible where equality prevails, and a Republic where it does not

    LVI. That when great calamities are about to befall a City or Country, signs are seen to presage, and seers arise who foretell them

    LVII. That the People are strong collectively, but individually weak

    LVIII. That a People is wiser and more constant than a Prince

    LIX. To what Leagues or Alliances we may most trust, whether those we make with Commonwealths or those we make with Princes

    LX. That the Consulship and all the other Magistracies in Rome were given without respect to Age

    Book II.

    Preface

    I. Whether the Empire acquired by the Romans was more due to Valour or to Fortune

    II. With what Nations the Romans had to contend, and how stubborn these were in defending their Freedom

    III. That Rome became great by destroying the Cities which lay round about her, and by readily admitting Strangers to the rights of Citizenship

    IV. That Commonwealths have followed three methods for extending their power

    V. That changes in Sects and Tongues, and the happening of Floods and Pestilences, obliterate the memory of the past

    VI. Of the methods followed by the Romans in making War

    VII. Of the quantity of land assigned by the Romans to each colonist

    VIII. Why certain Nations leave their ancestral seats and overflow the Countries of others

    IX. Of the Causes which commonly give rise to wars between States

    X. That contrary to the vulgar opinion, Money is not the sinews of War

    XI. That it were unwise to ally yourself with a Prince who has reputation rather than strength

    XII. Whether when Invasion is imminent it is better to anticipate or to await it

    XIII. That Men rise from humble to high fortunes rather by Fraud than by Force

    XIV. That Men often err in thinking they can subdue Pride by Humility

    XV. That weak States are always dubious in their resolves; and that tardy resolves are always hurtful

    XVI. That the Soldiers of our days depart widely from the methods of ancient Warfare

    XVII. What importance the Armies of the present day should allow to Artillery; and whether the commonly received opinion concerning it be just

    XVIII. That the authority of the Romans and the example of ancient warfare should make us hold Foot Soldiers of more account than Horse

    XIX. That conquests made by ill governed States and such as follow not the valiant methods of the Romans, lend rather to their ruin than to their aggrandizement

    XX. Of the dangers incurred by Princes or Republics who resort to Auxiliary or Mercenary Arms

    XXI. That Capua was the first City to which the Romans sent a Prætor; nor there, until four hundred years after they began to make war

    XXII. That in matters of moment Men often judge amiss

    XXIII. That in chastising then Subjects when circumstances required it the Romans always avoided half measures

    XXIV. That, commonly, Fortresses do much more harm than good

    XXV. That he who attacks a City divided against itself, must not think to get possession of it through its divisions

    XXVI. That Taunts and Abuse breed hatred against him who uses them, without yielding him any advantage

    XXVII. That prudent Princes and Republics should be content to have obtained a victory; for, commonly, when they are not, their victory turns to defeat

    XXVIII. That to neglect the redress of Grievances, whether public or private, is dangerous for a Prince or Commonwealth

    XXIX. That Fortune obscures the minds of Men when she would not have them hinder her designs

    XXX. That really powerful Princes and Commonwealths do not buy Friendships with money, but with their valour and the fame of then prowess

    XXXI. Of the danger of trusting banished men

    XXXII. In how many ways the Romans gained possession of Towns

    XXXIII. That the Romans entrusted the Captains of their Armies with the fullest Powers

    Book III.

    I. For a Sect or Commonwealth to last long, it must often be brought back to its beginnings

    II. That on occasion it is wise to feign folly

    III. That to preserve a newly acquired freedom we must slay the Sons of Brutus

    IV. That an Usurper is never safe in his Princedom while those live whom he has deprived of it

    V. How an Hereditary King may come to lose his Kingdom

    VI. Of Conspiracies

    VII. Why it is that changes from Freedom to Servitude, and from Servitude to Freedom, are sometimes made without bloodshed, but at other times reek with blood

    VIII. That he who would effect changes in a Commonwealth, must give heed to its character and condition

    IX. That to enjoy constant good fortune we must change with the times

    X. That a Captain cannot escape battle when his Enemy forces it on him at all hazards

    XI. That one who has to contend with many, though he be weaker than they, will prevail if he can withstand their first onset

    XII. A prudent Captain will do what he can to make it necessary for his own Soldiers to fight, and to relieve his Enemy from that necessity

    XIII. Whether we may trust more to a valiant Captain with a weak Army, or to a valiant Army with a weak Captain

    XIV. Of the effect produced in Battle by strange and unexpected Sights or Sounds

    XV. That one and not many should head an Army; and why it is disadvantageous to have more leaders than one

    XVI. That in times of difficulty true Worth is sought after whereas in quiet times it is not the most deserving but those who are recommended by wealth or connection who are most in favour

    XVII. That we are not to offend a Man, and then send him to fill an important Office or Command

    XVIII. That it is the highest quality of a Captain to be able to forestall the designs of his adversary

    XIX. Whether indulgence or severity be more necessary for controlling a Multitude

    XX. How one humane act availed more with the men of Falerii than all the might of the Roman Arms

    XXI. How it happened that Hannibal pursuing a course contrary to that taken by Scipio, wrought the same results in Italy which the other achieved in Spain

    XXII. That the severity of Manlius Torquatus and the gentleness of Valerius Corvinus won for both the same Glory

    XXIII. Why Camillus was banished from Rome

    XXIV. That prolonged Commands brought Rome to Servitude

    XXV. Of the Poverty of Cincinnatus and of many other Roman Citizens

    XXVI. How women are a cause of the ruin of States

    XXVII. How a divided City may be reunited; and how it is a false opinion that to hold Cities in subjection they must be kept divided

    XXVIII. That a Republic must keep an eye on what its Citizens are about; since often the seeds of a Tyranny lie hidden under a semblance of generous deeds

    XXIX. That the faults of a People are due to its Prince

    XXX. That a Citizen who seeks by his personal influence to render signal service to his Country, must first stand clear of Envy. How a City should prepare for its defence on the approach of an Enemy

    XXXI That strong Republics and valiant Men preserve through every change the same spirit and bearing

    XXXII. Of the methods which some have used to make Peace impossible

    XXXIII. That to insure victory in battle, you must inspire your soldiers with confidence in one another and in you

    XXXIV. By what reports, rumours, or surmises the Citizens of a Republic are led to favour a fellow-citizen: and whether the Magistracies are bestowed with better judgment by a People or by a Prince

    XXXV. Of the danger incurred in being the first to recommend new measures; and that the more unusual the measures, the greater the danger

    XXXVI. Why it has been and still may be affirmed of the Gauls, that at the beginning of a fray they are more than Men, but afterwards less than Women

    XXXVII. Whether a general engagement should be preceded by skirmishes; and how, avoiding these, we may get knowledge of a new Enemy

    XXXVIII. Of the Qualities of a Captain in whom his Soldiers can confide

    XXXIX. That a Captain should have good knowledge of Places

    XL. That Fraud is fair in War

    XLI. That our Country is to be defended by Honour or by Dishonour, and in either way is well defended

    XLII. That Promises made on compulsion are not to be observed

    XLIII. That Men born in the same Province retain through all times nearly the same character

    XLIV. That where ordinary methods fail, Hardihood and Daring often succeed

    XLV. Whether in battle it is better to await and repel the enemy‘s attack, or to anticipate it by an impetuous onset

    XLVI. How the Characteristics of Families come to be perpetuated

    XLVII. That love of his Country should lead a good Citizen to forget private wrongs

    XLVIII. That on finding an Enemy make what seems a grave blunder we should suspect some fraud to lurk behind

    XLIX. That a Commonwealth to preserve its Freedom has constant need of new Ordinances. Of the services in respect of which Quintius Fabius received the surname of Maximus

    Niccolò Machiavelli
    To
    Zanobi Buondelmonti And Cosimo Rucellai
    Health

    I send you a gift, which if it answers ill the obligations I owe you, is at any rate the greatest which Niccolò Machiavelli has it in his power to offer. For in it I have expressed whatever I have learned, or have observed for myself during a long experience and constant study of human affairs. And since neither you nor any other can expect more at my hands, you cannot complain if I have not given you more.

    You may indeed lament the poverty of my wit, since what I have to say is but poorly said; and tax the weakness of my judgment, which on many points may have erred in its conclusions. But granting all this, I know not which of us is less beholden to the other: I to you, who have forced me to write what of myself I never should have written; or you to me, who have written what can give you no content.

    Take this, however, in the spirit in which all that comes from a friend should be taken, in respect whereof we always look more to the intention of the giver than to the quality of the gift. And, believe me, that in one thing only I find satisfaction, namely, in knowing that while in many matters I may have made mistakes, at least I have not been mistaken in choosing you before all others as the persons to whom I dedicate these Discourses; both because I seem to myself, in doing so, to have shown a little gratitude for kindness received, and at the same time to have departed from the hackneyed custom which leads many authors to inscribe their works to some Prince, and blinded by hopes of favour or reward, to praise him as possessed of every virtue; whereas with more reason they might reproach him as contaminated with every shameful vice.

    To avoid which error I have chosen, not those who are but those who from their infinite merits deserve to be Princes; not such persons as have it in their power to load me with honours, wealth, and preferment, but such as though they lack the power, have all the will to do so. For men, if they would judge justly, should esteem those who are, and not those whose means enable them to be generous; and in like manner those who know how to govern kingdoms, rather than those who possess the government without such knowledge. For Historians award higher praise to Hiero of Syracuse when in a private station than to Perseus the Macedonian when a King affirming that while the former lacked nothing that a Prince should have save the name, the latter had nothing of the King but the kingdom.

    Make the most, therefore, of this good or this evil, as you may esteem it, which you have brought upon yourselves; and should you persist in the mistake of thinking my opinions worthy your attention, I shall not fail to proceed with the rest of the History in the manner promised in my Preface. Farewell.

    Book I

    Preface

    Albeit the jealous temper of mankind, ever more disposed to censure than to praise the work of others, has constantly made the pursuit of new methods and systems no less perilous than the search after unknown lands and seas; nevertheless, prompted by that desire which nature has implanted in me, fearlessly to undertake whatsoever I think offers a common benefit to all, I enter on a path which, being hitherto untrodden by any, though it involve me in trouble and fatigue, may yet win me thanks from those who judge my efforts in a friendly spirit. And although my feeble discernment, my slender experience of current affairs, and imperfect knowledge of ancient events, render these efforts of mine defective and of no great utility, they may at least open the way to some other, who, with better parts and sounder reasoning and judgment, shall carry out my design; whereby, if I gain no credit, at all events I ought to incur no blame.

    When I see antiquity held in such reverence, that to omit other instances, the mere fragment of some ancient statue is often bought at a great price, in order that the purchaser may keep it by him to adorn his house, or to have it copied by those who take delight in this art; and how these, again, strive with all their skill to imitate it in their various works; and when, on the other hand, I find those noble labours which history shows to have been wrought on behalf of the monarchies and republics of old times, by kings, captains, citizens, lawgivers, and others who have toiled for the good of their country, rather admired than followed, nay, so absolutely renounced by every one that not a trace of that antique worth is now left among us, I cannot but at once marvel and grieve; at this inconsistency; and all the more because I perceive that, in civil disputes between citizens, and in the bodily disorders into which men fall, recourse is always had to the decisions and remedies, pronounced or prescribed by the ancients.

    For the civil law is no more than the opinions delivered by the ancient jurisconsults, which, being reduced to a system, teach the jurisconsults of our own times how to determine; while the healing art is simply the recorded experience of the old physicians, on which our modern physicians found their practice. And yet, in giving laws to a commonwealth, in maintaining States and governing kingdoms, in organizing armies and conducting wars, in dealing with subject nations, and in extending a State‘s dominions, we find no prince, no republic, no captain, and no citizen who resorts to the example of the ancients.

    This I persuade myself is due, not so much to the feebleness to which the present methods of education have brought the world, or to the injury which a pervading apathy has wrought in many provinces and cities of Christendom, as to the want of a right intelligence of History, which renders men incapable in reading it to extract its true meaning or to relish its flavour. Whence it happens that by far the greater number of those who read History, take pleasure in following the variety of incidents which it presents, without a thought to imitate them; judging such imitation to be not only difficult but impossible; as though the heavens, the sun, the elements, and man himself were no longer the same as they formerly were as regards motion, order, and power.

    Desiring to rescue men from this error, I have thought fit to note down with respect to all those books of Titus Livius which have escaped the malignity of Time, whatever seems to me essential to a right understanding of ancient and modern affairs; so that any who shall read these remarks of mine, may reap from them that profit for the sake of which a knowledge of History is to be sought. And although the task be arduous, still, with the help of those at whose instance I assumed the burthen, I hope to carry it forward so far, that another shall have no long way to go to bring it to its destination.

    Chapter I

    Of the Beginnings of Cities in General, and in Particular of that of Rome

    No one who reads how the city of Rome had its beginning, who were its founders, and what its ordinances and laws, will marvel that so much excellence was maintained in it through many ages, or that it grew afterwards to be so great an Empire.

    And, first, as touching its origin, I say, that all cities have been founded either by the people of the country in which they stand, or by strangers. Cities have their origins in the former of these two ways when the inhabitants of a country find that they cannot live securely if they live dispersed in many and small societies, each of them unable, whether from its situation or its slender numbers, to stand alone against the attacks of its enemies; on whose approach there is no time left to unite for defence without abandoning many strongholds, and thus becoming an easy prey to the invader. To escape which dangers, whether of their own motion or at the instance of some of greater authority among them, they restrict themselves to dwell together in certain places, which they think will be more convenient to live in and easier to defend.

    Among many cities taking their origin in this way were Athens and Venice; the former of which, for reasons like those just now mentioned, was built by a scattered population under the direction of Theseus. To escape the wars which, on the decay of the Roman Empire daily renewed in Italy by the arrival of fresh hordes of Barbarians, numerous refugees, sheltering in certain little islands in a corner of the Adriatic Sea, gave beginning to Venice; where, without any recognized leader to direct them, they agreed to live together under such laws as they thought best suited to maintain them. And by reason of the prolonged tranquility which their position secured, they being protected by the narrow sea and by the circumstance that the tribes who then harassed Italy had no ships wherewith to molest them, they were able from very small beginnings to attain to that greatness they now enjoy.

    In the second case, namely of a city being founded by strangers, the settlers are either wholly independent, or they are controlled by others, as where colonies are sent forth either by a prince or by a republic, to relieve their countries of an excessive population, or to defend newly acquired territories which it is sought to secure at small cost. Of this sort many cities were settled by the Romans, and in all parts of their dominions. It may also happen that such cities are founded by a prince merely to add to his renown, without any intention on his part to dwell there, as Alexandria was built by Alexander the Great. Cities like these, not having had their beginning in freedom, seldom make such progress as to rank among the chief towns of kingdoms.

    The city of Florence belongs to that class of towns which has not been independent from the first; for whether we ascribe its origin to the soldiers of Sylla, or, as some have conjectured, to the mountaineers of Fiesole (who, emboldened by the long peace which prevailed throughout the world during the reign of Octavianus, came down to occupy the plain on the banks of the Arno), in either case, it was founded under the auspices of Rome nor could, at first, make other progress than was permitted by the grace of the sovereign State.

    The origin of cities may be said to be independent when a people, either by themselves or under some prince, are constrained by famine, pestilence, or war to leave their native land and seek a new habitation. Settlers of this sort either establish themselves in cities which they find ready to their hand in the countries of which they take possession, as did Moses; or they build new ones, as did Æneas. It is in this last case that the merits of a founder and the good fortune of the city founded are best seen; and this good fortune will be more or less remarkable according to the greater or less capacity of him who gives the city its beginning.

    The capacity of a founder is known in two ways: by his choice of a site, or by the laws which he frames. And since men act either of necessity or from choice, and merit may seem greater where choice is more restricted, we have to consider whether it may not be well to choose a sterile district as the site of a new city, in order that the inhabitants, being constrained to industry, and less corrupted by ease, may live in closer union, finding less cause for division in the poverty of their land; as was the case in Ragusa, and in many other cities built in similar situations. Such a choice were certainly the wisest and the most advantageous, could men be content to enjoy what is their own without seeking to lord it over others. But since to be safe they must be strong, they are compelled avoid these barren districts, and to plant themselves in more fertile regions; where, the fruitfulness of the soil enabling them to increase and multiply, they may defend themselves against any who attack them, and overthrow any who would withstand their power.

    And as for that languor which the situation might breed, care must be had that hardships which the site does not enforce, shall be enforced by the laws; and that the example of those wise nations be imitated, who, inhabiting most fruitful and delightful countries, and such as were likely to rear a listless and effeminate race, unfit for all manly exercises, in order to obviate the mischief wrought by the amenity and relaxing influence of the soil and climate, subjected all who were to serve as soldiers to the severest training; whence it came that better soldiers were raised in these countries than in others by nature rugged and barren. Such, of old, was the kingdom of the Egyptians, which, though of all lands the most bountiful, yet, by the severe training which its laws enforced, produced most valiant soldiers, who, had their names not been lost in antiquity, might be thought to deserve more praise than Alexander the Great and many besides, whose memory is still fresh in men’s minds. And even in recent times, any one contemplating the kingdom of the Soldan, and the military order of the Mamelukes before they were destroyed by Selim the Grand Turk, must have seen how carefully they trained their soldiers in every kind of warlike exercise; showing thereby how much they dreaded that indolence to which their genial soil and climate might have disposed them, unless neutralized by strenuous laws. I say, then, that it is a prudent choice to found your city in a fertile region when the effects of that fertility are duly balanced by the restraint of the laws.

    When Alexander the Great thought to add to his renown by founding a city, Dinocrates the architect came and showed him how he might build it on Mount Athos, which not only offered a strong position, but could be handled that the city built there might present a semblance of the human form, which would be a thing strange and striking, and worthy of so great a monarch. But on Alexander asking how the inhabitants were to live, Dinocrates answered that he had not thought of that. Whereupon, Alexander laughed, and leaving Mount Athos as it stood, built Alexandria; where, the fruitfulness of the soil, and the vicinity of the Nile and the sea, might attract many to take up their abode.

    To him, therefore, who inquires into the origin of Rome, if he assign its beginning to Æneas, it will seem to be of those cities which were founded by strangers if to Romulus, then of those founded by the natives of the country. But in whichever class we place it, it will be seen to have had its beginning in freedom, and not in subjection to another State. It will be seen, too, as hereafter shall be noted, how strict was the discipline which the laws instituted by Romulus, Numa, and its other founders made compulsory upon it; so that neither its fertility, the proximity of the sea, the number of its victories, nor the extent of its dominion, could for many centuries corrupt it, but, on the contrary, maintained it replete with such virtues as were never matched in any other commonwealth.

    And because the things done by Rome, and which Titus Livius has celebrated, were effected at home or abroad by public or by private wisdom, I shall begin by treating, and noting the consequences of those things done at home in accordance with the public voice, which seem most to merit attention; and to this object the whole of this first Book or first Part of my Discourses, shall be directed.

    Chapter II

    Of the Various Kinds of Government; And to Which of Them the Roman Commonwealth Belonged

    I forego all discussion concerning those cities which at the outset have been dependent upon others, and shall speak only of those which from their earliest beginnings have stood entirely clear of all foreign control, being governed from the first as pleased themselves, whether as republics or as princedoms.

    These as they have had different origins, so likewise have had different laws and institutions. For to some at their very first commencement, or not long after, laws have been given by a single legislator, and all at one time; like those given by Lycurgus to the Spartans; while to others they have been given at different times, as need rose or accident determined; as in the case of Rome. That republic, indeed, may be called happy, whose lot has been to have a founder so prudent as to provide for it laws under which it can continue to live securely, without need to amend them; as we find Sparta preserving hers for eight hundred years, without deterioration and without any dangerous disturbance. On the other hand, some measure of unhappiness attaches to the State which, not having yielded itself once for all into the hands of a single wise legislator, is obliged to recast its institutions for itself; and of such States, by far the most unhappy is that which is furthest removed from a sound system of government, by which I mean that its institutions lie wholly outside the path which might lead it to a true and perfect end. For it is scarcely possible that a State in this position can ever, by any chance, set itself to rights, whereas another whose institutions are imperfect, if it have made a good beginning and such as admits of its amendment, may in the course of events arrive at perfection. It is certain, however, that such States can never be reformed without great risk; for, as a rule, men will accept no new law altering the institutions of their State, unless the necessity for such a change be demonstrated; and since this necessity cannot arise without danger, the State may easily be overthrown before the new order of things is established. In proof whereof we may instance the republic of Florence, which was reformed in the year 1502, in consequence of the affair of Arezzo, but was ruined in 1512, in consequence of the affair of Prato.

    Desiring, therefore, to discuss the nature of the government of Rome, and to ascertain the accidental circumstances which brought it to its perfection, I say, as has been said before by many who have written of Governments, that of these there are three forms, known by the names Monarchy, Aristocracy, and Democracy, and that those who give its institutions to a State have recourse to one or other of these three, according as it suits their purpose. Other, and, as many have thought, wiser teachers, will have it, that there are altogether six forms of government, three of them utterly bad, the other three good in themselves, but so readily corrupted that they too are apt to become hurtful. The good are the three above named; the bad, three others dependent upon these, and each so like that to which it is related, that it is easy to pass imperceptibly from the one to the other. For a Monarchy readily becomes a Tyranny, an Aristocracy an Oligarchy, while a Democracy tends to degenerate into Anarchy. So that if the founder of a State should establish any one of these three forms of Government, he establishes it for a short time only, since no precaution he may take can prevent it from sliding into its contrary, by reason of the close resemblance which, in this case, the virtue bears to the vice.

    These diversities in the form of Government spring up among men by chance. For in the beginning of the world, its inhabitants, being few in number, for a time lived scattered after the fashion of beasts; but afterwards, as they increased and multiplied, gathered themselves into societies, and, the better to protect themselves, began to seek who among them was the strongest and of the highest courage, to whom, making him their head, they tendered obedience. Next arose the knowledge of such things as are honourable and good, as opposed to those which are bad and shameful. For observing that when a man wronged his benefactor, hatred was universally felt for the one and sympathy for the other, and that the ungrateful were blamed, while those who showed gratitude were honoured, and reflecting that the wrongs they saw done to others might be done to themselves, to escape these they resorted to making laws and fixing punishments against any who should transgress them; and in this way grew the recognition of Justice. Whence it came that afterwards, in choosing their rulers, men no longer looked about for the strongest, but for him who was the most prudent and the most just.

    But, presently, when sovereignty grew to be hereditary and no longer elective, hereditary sovereigns began to degenerate from their ancestors, and, quitting worthy courses, took up the notion that princes had nothing to do but to surpass the rest of the world in sumptuous display and wantonness, and whatever else ministers to pleasure so that the prince coming to be hated, and therefore to feel fear, and passing from fear to infliction of injuries, a tyranny soon sprang up. Forthwith there began movements to overthrow the prince, and plots and conspiracies against him undertaken not by those who were weak, or afraid for themselves, but by such as being conspicuous for their birth, courage, wealth, and station, could not tolerate the shameful life of the tyrant. The multitude, following the lead of these powerful men, took up arms against the prince and, he being got rid of, obeyed these others as their liberators; who, on their part, holding in hatred the name of sole ruler, formed themselves into a government and at first, while the recollection of past tyranny was still fresh, observed the laws they themselves made, and postponing personal advantage to the common welfare, administered affairs both publicly and privately with the utmost diligence and zeal. But this government passing, afterwards, to their descendants who, never having been taught in the school of Adversity, knew nothing of the vicissitudes of Fortune, these not choosing to rest content with mere civil equality, but abandoning themselves to avarice, ambition, and lust, converted, without respect to civil rights what had been a government of the best into a government of the few; and so very soon met with the same fate as the tyrant.

    For the multitude loathing its rulers, lent itself to any who ventured, in whatever way, to attack them; when some one man speedily arose who with the aid of the people overthrew them. But the recollection of the tyrant and of the wrongs suffered at his hands being still fresh in the minds of the people, who therefore felt no desire to restore the monarchy, they had recourse to a popular government, which they established on such a footing that neither king nor nobles had any place in it. And because all governments inspire respect at the first, this government also lasted for a while, but not for long, and seldom after the generation which brought it into existence had died out. For, suddenly, liberty passed into license, wherein neither private worth nor public authority was respected, but, every one living as he liked, a thousand wrongs were done daily. Whereupon, whether driven by necessity, or on the suggestion of some wiser man among them and to escape anarchy, the people reverted to a monarchy, from which, step by step, in the manner and for the causes already assigned, they came round once more to license. For this is the circle revolving within which all States are and have been governed; although in the same State the same forms of Government rarely repeat themselves, because hardly any State can have such vitality as to pass through such a cycle more than once, and still together. For it may be expected that in some sea of disaster, when a State must always be wanting prudent counsels and in strength, it will become subject to some neighbouring and better-governed State; though assuming this not to happen, it might well pass for an indefinite period from one of these forms of government to another.

    I say, then,

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