Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius

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About this book

Rome's institutions provide Niccolò Machiavelli with a testing ground for arguments about freedom, power and public order. These political discourses examine different forms of government, conflict between the Senate and the commons, the place of religion in civic life, and the laws through which a republic tries to preserve its liberty. Questions about rulers, citizens and armies are arranged as separate chapters, drawing political lessons from ancient history.

The discussion repeatedly turns from an example to a claim about how states behave. When examining the growth of Roman power through alliances, Machiavelli argues that apparent partners can become subjects. He also weighs force against deceit as means of rising from modest beginnings. Readers interested in political philosophy can follow both his defence of republican freedom and his severe account of the methods by which governments gain strength.

About the author

Niccolò Machiavelli

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was a Florentine diplomat, historian, and political thinker whose unsentimental analysis of power helped found modern political science. Best known for The Prince, he also wrote the republican Discourses on Livy, histories, and comedies, and served the Florentine Republic until its fall.