History of Florence and of the Affairs of Italy

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About this book

Niccolò Machiavelli's history covers Florence and the affairs of Italy from the earliest times to the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent. The contents list an introduction and eight books, each divided into chapters.

One passage looks at the popes and the emperors and kings of Italy, naming Theodoric, king of the Goths, who set the seat of his empire at Ravenna, and the Lombards who came after. Another concerns Florentine citizens, among them Rinaldo, and Ridolfo Peruzzi, who talk about the return of Cosmo; Ridolfo says he wants only to prevent it. In a third, one citizen tells Lorenzo de' Medici that the city is exhausted and must think of peace, and Lorenzo gathers the friends he trusts most to consider a new alliance.

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.