Discourses on Livy

Almost 500 years after his death, Machiavelli's work continues to be the subject of literary criticism and reflection. This enigmatic Renaissance thinker produced two markedly dissimilar works of political philosophy at almost the same time: "The Prince", with its apparent advocacy of despotism, remained Machiavelli's most famous work, whilst "Discourses on Livy" argued for an uncorrupted political culture and republican governance. This translation seeks to remain faithful to the original Italian text and attentive to Machiavelli's idiom and subtlety of thought, and the translators' introduction offers an appreciation of the author and his work. Explanatory notes, a glossary of key words with occurrences and alternate translations, and an annotated biographical and geographical index are also provided.