HIS 4470 MACHIAVELLI AND THE MEDICI
The course will examine Niccolo Machiavelli’s three most famous works, The Prince , Discourses on Livy, and The Art of War, in relation to Florentine politics in general and the Medici family in particular. The course will begin with an examination of the history of the rise in wealth, influence, and power of the Medici family from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century. The course will then analyze Machiavelli’s writings in relation to his efforts to regain both public office and the favor of the Medici.