- 01Machiavelli’s reputation and literary character
- 02The Prince and its enduring political truths
- 03Translation principles for The Prince
- 04Works of Machiavelli
- 01Dedication to Lorenzo de' Medici
The Prince
Power, statecraft, and political realism.
30Chapters
54Lessons
141Topics
Certificate of completion included
This course was produced by Cavua from a public-domain text.
Skills this course leaves you with.
- Explain Machiavelli's main arguments about power and political rule
- Differentiate hereditary, mixed, civil, and ecclesiastical principalities
- Analyze how military force, alliances, and fortune affect political stability
- Assess the role of cruelty, mercy, fear, and love in maintaining authority
- Interpret Machiavelli's advice on keeping faith, avoiding hatred, and gaining renown
- Apply political realism concepts to historical examples discussed in the text
Curriculum
The full table of contents.
Every chapter, every lesson, every topic — laid out before you enroll. Click any chapter to expand it.
- Chapters
- 30
- Lessons
- 54
- Topics
- 141
- 01The Prince
- 01Kinds of principalities and modes of acquisition
- 01Hereditary states and their stability
- 01Difficulties of new principalities
- 02Holding acquired dominions of the same country and language
- 01Holding newly acquired states with different customs and laws
- 02Colonies versus garrisons
- 03Balancing local powers and foreign threats
- 01Roman policy in annexed countries
- 02France and Louis as a counterexample
- 01Louis XII’s entry into Italy through Venetian ambition
- 02Louis’s strategic mistakes in Italy
- 01Louis XII's mistakes in Italy
- 02The rule against empowering rivals
- 01Two kinds of principalities
- 02The Turk and the King of France
- 03Holding conquered states after victory
- 01Three ways to hold annexed free cities
- 02Why free cities must be ruined
- 03Holding cities accustomed to princes
- 01Ability and fortune in new principalities
- 02Examples of founders who rose by their own arms
- 03Difficulties of introducing a new order
- 04Armed prophets versus unarmed prophets
- 05Hiero the Syracusan as a lesser example
- 01Princes raised by good fortune
- 02Francesco Sforza and Cesare Borgia
- 01Cesare Borgia's solid foundations
- 02Weakening the Orsini and Colonna factions
- 01Ramiro d'Orco's harsh rule in Romagna
- 02The duke's political consolidation and future precautions
- 01Cesare Borgia's consolidation of power
- 02Alexander VI's death and the duke's ruin
- 03Borgia as a model for new princes
- 01Election of Julius the Second
- 01Agathocles of Syracuse and the use of wickedness
- 02Proper and improper use of severities
- 03How a usurper should inflict injuries and benefits
- 01How civil principalities arise
- 02Winning and keeping the people
- 03Dangers of passing to absolute rule
- 01Measuring princely strength by self-reliance
- 02Fortified cities and German examples
- 03Holding citizens steadfast during siege
- 01Nature of ecclesiastical principalities
- 02How the papacy gained temporal power in Italy
- 03Alexander VI and Julius II strengthen the Church
- 01Good laws and good arms
- 02Mercenary arms and their dangers
- 03Italian mercenary captains and the decline of infantry
- 01Auxiliary forces and their dangers
- 02Cesare Borgia, Hiero, and David as examples of rejecting foreign arms
- 03France, Rome, and the case for one’s own forces
- 01War as the prince's chief study
- 02Military exercise through action and local knowledge
- 03Historical examples and imitation of great captains
- 01Rules of conduct for princes
- 02Virtue, vice, and preserving the state
- 01Liberality, taxation, and the danger of becoming hated
- 02When liberality is useful to princes and commanders
- 03Why meanness is the safer reputation
- 01Clemency, cruelty, and the new prince
- 02Why it is safer to be feared than loved
- 03Avoiding hatred while inspiring fear
- 01Keeping faith and using force
- 02Appearing virtuous while acting as needed
- 03Public reputation and the example of Ferdinand of Aragon
- 01Avoiding hatred and contempt
- 02Conspiracies and popular goodwill
- 03France’s institutions and royal security
- 01Roman emperors as examples of princely danger
- 02Marcus, Pertinax, and Alexander
- 01Alexander's goodness and despised rule
- 02Commodus, Severus, Antoninus Caracalla, and Maximinus
- 03Severus's fox-and-lion strategy
- 04Antoninus's military virtues
- 01Antoninus, Commodus, and Maximinus as examples of hatred and contempt
- 02Princes, soldiers, and the exception of the Turk and the Soldan
- 01Hatred and contempt among emperors
- 02Different models for new and established princes
- 01Disarming subjects and arming new subjects
- 02Factions in tributary cities
- 03Fostering enmity and winning over the distrusted
- 04Fortresses as security and liability
- 01Great enterprises and remarkable deeds
- 02Choosing sides in conflicts
- 03Patronage, public entertainments, and civic courtesy
- 01Choosing capable and faithful servants
- 02Testing and rewarding secretaries
- 01Avoiding flatterers through selective counsel
- 02A prince's own wisdom and control of advisers
- 01Causes of the Italian princes' losses
- 02Philip of Macedon as a counterexample
- 03Princes' sloth and self-reliance
- 01Fortune’s share in human affairs
- 02Adapting conduct to the times
- 03Pope Julius II as an impetuous ruler
- 04Why audacity masters fortune
- 01Italy’s need for a liberator
- 02Italian arms and the case for a new infantry
- 03Appeal to the Medici and Petrarch’s prophecy
- 01The Duke Valentino's campaign against Bologna
- 02The meeting at Magione and anti-ducal alliance
- 03The seizure of San Leo and Urbino's revolt
- 01Florentine support and the first reconciliation
- 02Peace terms with the Vitelli and Orsini
- 03Move to Cesena and the Sinigalia proposal
- 01The duke’s invitation and preparations
- 02The geography and approach to Sinigalia
- 03The rebel leaders’ dispositions in the city
- 01Seizure of Sinigalia and capture of the captains
- 02Disarming the Orsini and Vitelli troops
- 03Strangling Vitellozzo, Oliverotto, and the Orsini
- 01Castruccio's foundling origins and upbringing
- 02Training under Messer Francesco Guinigi
- 03Alliance with Uguccione and the fall of Giorgio degli Opizi
- 01Florentine advance into Lucca
- 02Castruccio's battle formation and victory
- 03Uguccione's jealousy after the victory
- 01Release from prison and expulsion of Uguccione
- 02Military recovery of rebel towns in Lunigiana
- 03Castruccio made lord of Lucca
- 04Alliance with Frederick of Bavaria
- 01Lucca rebellion and Stefano di Poggio's intervention
- 02Peace with Florence and the fortress in Lucca
- 03Castruccio's seizure of Pistoia
- 01Castruccio’s return to Pistoia and the choice of Serravalle
- 02The surprise attack and Florentine rout at Serravalle
- 01Castruccio’s preparations at Fucecchio
- 02The battle across the Arno
- 01Castruccio’s fatal fever after victory
- 02Final counsel to Pagolo Guinigi
- 03Death, burial, and Pagolo’s losses
- 04Castruccio’s character and sayings
- 01Witty and weighty sayings
- 01Public domain cover art note
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