(Page 4 of 66) - Of Conquest: An Interpretation of Chapters 3-5 of Machiavelli's Prince authored by Anton, Michael.

Introduction

Machiavelli’s Prince purports to be an easy-to-understand “how to” book on politics—

jaundiced enough to be useful and short enough not to be intimidating. It is this, but it is

also much more.

As Leo Strauss was the first to demonstrate, the argument of The Prince proceeds on

a number of levels. This can be seen early in the book, through a close examination of

Chapters 3 through 5.

Ostensibly, these chapters teach the existing prince how to

Machiavelli indicates that these chapters form a distinct section or subsection in a number of ways.

First, he uses his chapter titles to indicate the transition between sections. Whenever he introduces a new
category of principate (according in part to the taxonomy he gives in Chapter 1), he begins the title with
“Of” (De). The title of 3 begins with “Of” but the titles of 4 and 5 do not. NM then returns to the use of
“Of” again in 6 and for the subsequent three chapters—each of which introduce a new type of principate.
He drops “Of” in favor of “In what mode” in 10, which teaches practical lessons necessary for ruling all
of the prior principates, and then uses “Of” again in 11, which introduces the final type of principate.
That Machiavelli elsewhere uses Chapter titles to denote the beginnings of sections can be seen from the
fact that the titles of Chs. 1 and 12 begin with the same phrase (Quot sint genera). Machiavelli also
indicates the kinship of these chapters through his word usage. For instance, the titles of Chs. 4 and 5
stand out in that they both contain the word “occupy,” the only titles in the book to do so: Machiavelli
here eschews the expected term “acquire.” The title of 4 is also the only title of the first eleven that does
not contain the word “principate,” and the only one which names a specific political unit, the “kingdom
of Darius.” Similarly, the title of 5 similarly is the only one which specifies two kinds of political units
(“cities or principates”) and the only one in which a political unit other than a monarchy is mentioned.
Another thread linking these three chapters is the example of the Roman conquest of Greece, which
appears in 3-5 only to disappear until 21. In this context, I note that the titles of 4 and 24 begin with the
same word (Cur); are the only two that promise and explanation of “why” something is or was; are the
only two that use the word “kingdom” (regnum); and are two of the only three chapter titles that contain
proper names. On the link between Chs. 4 and 24, see Strauss, p. 65, and de Alvarez commentary, pp. 19
& 119. On the link between Chs. 5 and 24, see de Alvarez commentary, pp. 23 and 24, n. 3. Beyond
this, the two most compelling accounts of the plan of The Prince—those of Strauss and de Alvarez—both
identify Chs. 3-5 as a clear subsection (see Strauss, p. 65, and de Alvarez commentary, p. 137.) Strauss’s
well-known account (p. 55) divides the book into four sections:

The various kinds of principalities

(1-11)

II.

The prince and his enemies

(12-14)

III.

The prince and his subjects or friends

(15-23)

IV.

Prudence and chance

(24-26)

Chs. 3-5 thus for Strauss form a series of chapters, or subsection, on mixed principates within the larger
section on principates generally. De Alvarez gives a provisional plan at the beginning of his book (pp. viii-
ix) which divides The Prince into four sections with a “framing chapter” at the beginning and end of the
book. But in his last word on the plan (pp. 137-140) he divides The Prince into five sections:

The Medici and the liberation of Italy

(Epistle Dedicatory)

Beginning of the hunt

(1-5)

II.

Ally and the enemy of the enterprise of Italy

(6-11)

III.

Arms and religion

(12-14)