The Art of War
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text
- Extent:
- ~100,000 words · 484 passages
Cite this work
- APAMachiavelli. (n.d.). The Art of War. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/machiavelli/the-art-of-war
- MLAMachiavelli. "The Art of War." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/machiavelli/the-art-of-war.
- ChicagoMachiavelli. The Art of War. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/machiavelli/the-art-of-war.
What it is about
The Art of War (1521): the only major work Machiavelli published in his lifetime.
Context and history
A dialogue defending citizen militia against mercenary companies — the same political thesis as all his work: whoever has no army of their own has no state of their own. This is an English translation; the Italian original is not in the catalogue.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
Hoiv the Seigneur Fabritio Colonna, lehg refrejhhg htmfelf one evening with fome other Gentlemen in a heautiful Garden^ took occajion to enter upon this difcourfe of War. SEEIiiff 1 an of Opinion, that afret a man is dead, it is lawful for any body to corn mend him without danger of reproof, fbecaufe there can be no occafion noi" fufpicion of fl-itrery) I (ball make no difficulty to fpeak fomething in praife of out renowned and true friend Cofimo RiiceUia^ whofe name I cannot remember without tears in my eyes, having known in him all the good qualities, which one good Friend or good Citizet^ would deiire in another; for I know not any thing fo dear tO him, that he woi;ld net have facrih'c'd for his friend; nor any thing fo dread* ful, that he would not have Undertaken for his Country : and I confefs freely among all with whom I hate had any acquaintance and converfation, I do not know any man whofe heart was more difpofcd to great and magnificent things. At his death nothing troubled him fo much, (as he complained often to his friends) as that he fhould die young, and in his own hoilfe, without honour, or the fatisfaftion of having been ferviceable to any man a> he defir'd, for he was fenfibie that no more could be faid of him than that he died a good friend. However it follows not but we, who were ac* quainted with him, may bear teftimony of his virtues and good qualities, feeing there
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