Discourses on Livy

Recommended Translation: Discourses on Livy, trans. Harvey C. Mansfield, Jr. and Nathan Tarcov. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. Originally published in 1531.

The translation of Discourses on Livy by Harvey C. Mansfield Jr. and Nathan Tarcov (1996) is widely praised for its scholarly rigor and ability to faithfully convey the complexity of Machiavelli’s ideas. Mansfield and Tarcov’s deep expertise in political philosophy ensures a translation that captures the nuances and subtleties of Machiavelli’s original Italian, preserving the work’s intricate arguments and historical insights. Their version is both accessible to modern readers and true to the rhetorical style of the original, reflecting Machiavelli’s sharp analysis of republican government and civic virtue. The translators also provide an insightful introduction and extensive annotations that contextualize Discourses on Livy within Machiavelli’s broader intellectual project and the political dynamics of Renaissance Italy. These additions not only guide readers through the text but also illuminate its relevance to contemporary political thought. The combination of linguistic precision, philosophical depth, and contextual clarity makes this translation an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and anyone seeking to understand Machiavelli’s vision of politics and republicanism.

Book I, Chapter 11: Of the Religion of the Romans

Book I, Chapter 12: Of How Much Importance It Is to Take Account of Religion, and How Italy, for Lacking It by Means of the Roman Church, Has Been Ruined

Book I, Chapter 13: How the Romans Made Religion Serve to Reorder the City and to Carry Out Their Enterprises and to Stop Tumults

Book I, Chapter 14: The Romans interpreted the Auspices according to Necessity

Book I, Chapter 15: The Samnites, as an Extreme Remedy for the Things Afflicting Them, Had Recourse to Religion

Book I, Chapter 16: A People Used to Living Under a Prince Maintains Its Freedom with Difficulty, If by Some Accident It Becomes Free

Book I, Chapter 17: Having Come to Freedom, a Corrupt People Can with the Greatest Difficulty Maintain Itself Free

Book I, Chapter 18: In What Mode a Free State, If There Is One, Can Be Maintained in Corrupt Cities; or, If There Is Not, in What Mode to Order It

Book I, Chapter 19: After an Excellent Prince a Weak Prince Can Maintain Himself, but After a Weak One No Kingdom Can Be Maintained by Another Weak One

Book I, Chapter 20: Two Virtuous Princes in Succession Produce Great Effects; and That Well-Ordered Republics Have of Necessity Virtuous Successions

Online:
University of Chicago Press
Amazon.com (Recommended Translation, 1998 ed.)