Machiavelli, la Valdichiana e le conquiste e le alleanze di Roma nella penisola italica

In the Discourses on Livy, Niccolò Machiavelli examines the history of the territorial expansion of ancient Rome. This article shows in detail how Roman conceptions of conquests and alliances were transmitted and their Machiavellian interpretation and transformation. The analysis of Machiavelli’s ideas of war, peace and constructing alliances uncovers overlooked aspects of his writings and sources. Moreover, it reveals how his analysis of Rome’s conquests has its roots in a re-interpretation of ancient juridical and religious practices and of the city’s laws of war, in terms of political utility. In particular, this study focuses on the relationship between Machiavelli’s observations in the Discourses and early sixteenth-century Florentine politics and culture. The essay compares the relevant passages of Machiavelli’s commentary on Livy with the proposals of reform that he made in order to re-structure the way the city organized the territories under its rule. [k.w.: Machiavelli, International Law, Ius fetiale, Rome, War and peace, Florentine republic]