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Of Conquest: An Interpretation of Chapters 3-5 of Machiavelli's Prince
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This is Machiavelli’s ultimate answer to the classical opposition to conquest on the
grounds that the best men have better things to do, i.e., philosophizing.
77
But Machiavelli’s’ critique does not stop there. If we look again at Chapter 4, we see
that not only is the state of the Turk like the papacy, Machiavelli slyly indicates that it is
also identical to the rule of God himself. The state of the Turk is like the kingdom of
Darius, an absolute monarchy—that is, a despotism or tyranny. The kingdom of Darius
claimed to rule all mankind.
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In “modern” times, only the kingdom of God, through his
viceroy the pope, claims to rule all mankind. Thus Machiavelli likens the rule of God
over man to the rule of Darius and to that of the Turk: God is a tyrant.
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Machiavelli
further indicates the kinship between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Darius
through his unusual repetition of the word “kingdom” in this chapter, as opposed to his
usually preferred term “principate,” and also by his unusual repetition of the word “lord”
instead of his otherwise preferred term “prince.”
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It is worth asking ourselves at this point why Machiavelli remarks in Chapter 3 that
he wants “the province of Greece alone to serve as an example” of the conquest of
disparate provinces.
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We should also look more carefully at Machiavelli’s persistent use
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Cf. Mansfield, Virtue, p. 36.
78
Cf. de Alvarez commentary, 20-21 & 21, n. 6.
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See, of course, D I 26 and Strauss, pp. 48-49.
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The word “kingdom” appears nine times in this chapter (once in the title, eight times in the text)—by far
its highest density of usage in The Prince. Moreover, it occurs in only two chapter titles: this one and 24. (“Principate,” on the other hand, occurs in ten titles. In all, terms signifying a political unit—principate, kingdom or city—occur 13 times in chapter titles.) Machiavelli uses nine separate terms in this chapter to refer to a thing that is governed or acquired (i.e., more or less, a “state). Those nine terms occur a total of 33 times; “kingdom” is both the first and the central usage. The word “lord” appears seven times in all. Depending on certain ambiguities in the use of “lord” in Chapter 7, this is either highest number of uses of any chapter or tied with chapter 7. We noted above (note 66) that NM uses four terms to identify rulers in this chapter. Those four terms appear a total of 19 times, of which “lord” is first, central, and last. If one counts also the proper names of rulers in the chapter, one counts 33 uses. 33, of course, is the age at which not only Alexander but also Christ died (and, incidentally, the age at which Titus Quintius Flaminimus appeared in Greece; P 21, 24; de Alvarez commentary, p. 120). All which is to say, Machiavelli seems to be deliberately using terms with obvious religious connotations to indicate a hidden religious theme to this chapter.
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Cf. Strauss, p. 45: “[Machiavelli] frequently uses expressions like ‘I wish to leave it at this example.’ It
is always necessary to wonder why he preferred the example or the examples which he adduces: were they the most apt or suggestive examples?”
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This is Machiavelli’s ultimate answer to the classical opposition to conquest on the
grounds that the best men have better things to do, i.e., philosophizing.
But Machiavelli’s’ critique does not stop there. If we look again at Chapter 4, we see
that not only is the state of the Turk like the papacy, Machiavelli slyly indicates that it is
also identical to the rule of God himself. The state of the Turk is like the kingdom of
Darius, an absolute monarchy—that is, a despotism or tyranny. The kingdom of Darius
claimed to rule all mankind.
In “modern” times, only the kingdom of God, through his
viceroy the pope, claims to rule all mankind. Thus Machiavelli likens the rule of God
over man to the rule of Darius and to that of the Turk: God is a tyrant.
further indicates the kinship between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Darius
through his unusual repetition of the word “kingdom” in this chapter, as opposed to his
usually preferred term “principate,” and also by his unusual repetition of the word “lord”
instead of his otherwise preferred term “prince.”
It is worth asking ourselves at this point why Machiavelli remarks in Chapter 3 that
he wants “the province of Greece alone to serve as an example” of the conquest of
We should also look more carefully at Machiavelli’s persistent use
77
Cf. Mansfield, Virtue, p. 36.
78
Cf. de Alvarez commentary, 20-21 & 21, n. 6.
79
See, of course, D I 26 and Strauss, pp. 48-49.
80
The word “kingdom” appears nine times in this chapter (once in the title, eight times in the text)—by far
its highest density of usage in The Prince. Moreover, it occurs in only two chapter titles: this one and 24.
(“Principate,” on the other hand, occurs in ten titles. In all, terms signifying a political unit—principate,
kingdom or city—occur 13 times in chapter titles.) Machiavelli uses nine separate terms in this chapter to
refer to a thing that is governed or acquired (i.e., more or less, a “state). Those nine terms occur a total of
33 times; “kingdom” is both the first and the central usage. The word “lord” appears seven times in all.
Depending on certain ambiguities in the use of “lord” in Chapter 7, this is either highest number of uses of
any chapter or tied with chapter 7. We noted above (note 66) that NM uses four terms to identify rulers in
this chapter. Those four terms appear a total of 19 times, of which “lord” is first, central, and last. If one
counts also the proper names of rulers in the chapter, one counts 33 uses. 33, of course, is the age at which
not only Alexander but also Christ died (and, incidentally, the age at which Titus Quintius Flaminimus
appeared in Greece; P 21, 24; de Alvarez commentary, p. 120). All which is to say, Machiavelli seems to
be deliberately using terms with obvious religious connotations to indicate a hidden religious theme to this
chapter.
81
Cf. Strauss, p. 45: “[Machiavelli] frequently uses expressions like ‘I wish to leave it at this example.’ It
is always necessary to wonder why he preferred the example or the examples which he adduces: were they
the most apt or suggestive examples?”
49
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