Florentine Histories

Machiavelli's commissioned history of Florence — from the city's founding through Lorenzo de' Medici's death in 1492 — applying his political analysis to Florentine history and demonstrating through historical narrative how factional conflict and the failure of civic virtue destroyed republican Florence.

Provides the historical demonstration of Machiavelli's political theory — Florence's decline was caused by the failure of civic virtue, the dominance of mercenaries, and the corruption of the nobility — showing political theory working through historical evidence.