The Prince

Question 1

What Machiavelli values most

Answer 1

• public and private morality had to be understood as two different things in order to rule well
• Better to be widely feared than to be greatly loved

Question 2

how he acquired his knowledge

Answer 2

• A lot of experience in contemporary affairs

- a continual study of history

Question 3

factors to consider in new acquisitions (4)

Answer 3

Crime
Alliance with the people
Military force
God

Question 4

Rules to ensure retention of conquests made in a different province (5)

Answer 4

1. Eliminate anyone who was in the previous/ancient bloodline
2. Do not alter any of their laws or taxes
3. Live there yourself
4. Establish colonies
5. Defend weak neighboring states by preventing powerful foreigners from invading

Question 5

two kinds of principality

Answer 5

new and hereditary

Question 6

Maxim regarding conquest of people used to living free

Answer 6

When you conquer a new area allow those people to keep their own practices and religions.

Question 7

Models for altogether new principalities (4)

Answer 7

1. Ruin them
2. Live there yourself
3. Let them live by their laws, but establish an oligarchy with allies
4. Mean of its own citizens

Question 8

What fortune provided each of these princes

Answer 8

New princes who relied upon their own arms had nothing from fortune “but the opportunity”

Question 9

Critique of Agathocles

Answer 9

Wicked, but through great energy became military commander in Syracuse
To become ruler, he massacred the Senate and leading citizens
His skills made him a prince, but his behavior was not virtuous

Question 10

how civic principalities are acquired

Answer 10

by the people or by the great

Question 11

two humors found in every city

Answer 11

1. Rising from the people’s desire not to be ordered and commanded by the nobles
2. Rising from the desire of the nobles to command and oppress the people

Question 12

Great powers in the province of Italy in 16th century

Answer 12

Florence, Milan, Naples, Venice, Papal States (aka Rome)

Question 13

relation of arms and laws

Answer 13

There cannot be good laws where there are not good arms, and where there are good arms there must be good law

Question 14

kinds of arms (3)

Answer 14

1. A prince’s own troop
2. Mercenaries
3. Auxiliaries

Question 15

Dilemma associated with mercenary arms

Answer 15

Disunited, undisciplined, ambitious, faithless
Their only motivation is monetary
Not effective in battle
Low morale

Question 16

Kinds of arms of one’s own (3)

Answer 16

Citizens (in Kingship)
Subjects (in a republic)
Creatures (in a tyranny)

Question 17

Things for which princes are praised and blamed (11 pairs)

Answer 17

Someone considered the giver, someone rapacious 
Someone cruel, someone merciful 
 Breaker of faith, the other faithful 
The one effeminate and pusillanimous, the other fierce and spirited
The one humane, the other proud 
The lascivious, the other chaste
The one honest, the other astute
The one hard, the other agreeable 
The one grave, the other light
The one religious, the other unbelieving

Question 18

Rule for princes as regards good and bad

Answer 18

It would be great to have a prince that has all of the good virtues above (the praised and blamed pairs), but that is impossible, so he should avoid the bad ones

Question 19

Why princes should be mean rather than liberal

Answer 19

A prince should not concern himself with living virtuously, but rather with acting so as to achieve the most practical benefit

Question 20

Beasts prince should imitate (2)

Answer 20

laws

force

Question 21

Things a prince must avoid at all costs (2)

Answer 21

1. Being hated and despised

2. Behaving effeminately

Question 22

Two of the ten Roman Emperors who had a good end and why in each case

Answer 22

Marcus: had hereditary right to throne, kept order and was never hated, so princes who have a right to a state should look up to him
Severus: moved his army against rome and was elected emperor, wanted to rule in asia and in the west, so he attacked one person and deceived the other and it worked, so new princes should look to him

Question 23

For what kinds of princes fortresses are good

Answer 23

Princes who are afraid of their people

Question 24

Kinds of brains (3)

Answer 24

1. One that understands things without help (excellent)
2. One that understands things when shown by others (also excellent)
3. One that doesn’t understand things on its own or with help from others (useless)

Question 25

How to avoid flattery

Answer 25

Discourage unsolicited advice
Instead, ask advice from people you trust
Listen patiently to advice when you ask for it

Question 26

Why princes of Italy have lost their states (2)

Answer 26

1. military faults

2. too content during prosperous times

Question 27

Francesco Sforza

Answer 27

A mercenary caption, that acquired Milan by betraying and overthrowing Ambrosia Relublicnkf Milan.

Question 28

Cesare Borgia

Answer 28

Related to a tyrant (son of Pope Alexander). Acquired his state through the fortune of his father and lost it through the same way his father did.

Question 29

Julius II

Answer 29

Elected pope from October-December 1503

Question 30

Orsini

Answer 30

Was one of the two principal noble families of Rome which had long fought for control of Rome and the papacy.

Question 31

Alexander VI

Answer 31

Did not see a path to being able to make him lord of any state that was not the state of the Church. He knew the duke of Milan and the Venetians would not consent bc Faenza & Rimini had been under the protection of the venetians. Decided to use his own arms and not trust others. He took over Romagna. Put Messer Remirro to oversee it and then ended up killing him.

Question 32

Xenophon

Answer 32

Wrote the “Life of Cyrus”.

Question 33

Hiero

Answer 33

Was appointed as prince of Syracuse by Syracusans. Chose him as their captain. Hiero eliminated the old military and built a new one; left old friendships, made new ones; could build any building on top of such foundation. He took a great deal to acquire but little to maintain.

Question 34

Chiron

Answer 34

in Greek mythology, one of the Centaurs, the son of the Titan Cronus and Philyra, an Oceanid or sea nymph. Known for knowledge