# Discourses on Livy — Chapters explained > Chapter companions for Discourses on Livy by Niccolò Machiavelli. - [Dedication](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/dedication.md): Machiavelli dedicates his Discourses to Zanobi Buondelmonti and Cosimo Rucellai, offering his work as the greatest gift he can give, drawn from long experience and study. He contrasts his choice of dedicating to worthy p - [Discourses on Livy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/discourses-on-livy.md): Machiavelli's Discourses on Livy is a commentary on the first ten books of Livy's history of Rome, exploring the political and military institutions that made Rome great. The work examines the interplay of liberty, class - [Book I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/book-i.md): Machiavelli introduces his project of recovering the political wisdom of ancient Rome through Livy's history, arguing that the study of ancient republics can provide lessons for contemporary political life. He discusses - [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/i.md): Machiavelli discusses the origins of cities, distinguishing between those founded by natives and those by strangers, and uses Rome as a prime example of a city founded in freedom. He emphasizes the importance of a founde - [Of the various kinds of government; and to which of them the Roman commonwealth belonged.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/ii.md): Machiavelli discusses the three pure forms of government (monarchy, aristocracy, democracy) and their corrupt counterparts (tyranny, oligarchy, anarchy), arguing that each is unstable alone. He praises mixed government, > 143 more chapter companions — [open a free preview](https://www.betterreads.dev/reader?bookId=discourses_on_livy_se_844kb&preview=1) to unlock the rest. - [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/iii.md) - [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/iv.md) - [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/v.md) - [Chapter VI: Whether it was possible in Rome to contrive such a government as would have composed the differences between the commons and the senate](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/vi.md) - [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/vii.md) - [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/viii.md) - [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/ix.md) - [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/x.md) - [Of the religion of the Romans](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xi.md) - [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xii.md) - [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xiii.md) - [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xiv.md) - [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xv.md) - [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xvi.md) - [Chapter XVII: That a corrupt people obtaining freedom can hardly preserve it](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xvii.md) - [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xviii.md) - [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xix.md) - [That the consecutive reigns of two valiant princes produce great results: and that well-ordered commonwealths are assured of a succession of valiant rulers by whom their power and growth are rapidly extended.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xx.md) - [That it is a great reproach to a prince or to a commonwealth to be without a national army](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxi.md) - [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxii.md) - [That we should never hazard our whole fortunes where we put not forth our entire strength; for which reason to guard a defile is often hurtful.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxiii.md) - [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxiv.md) - [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxv.md) - [Chapter XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxvi.md) - [Chapter XXVII: That men seldom know how to be wholly good or wholly bad](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxvii.md) - [Chapter XXVIII: Whence it came that the Romans were less ungrateful to their citizens than were the Athenians.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxviii.md) - [Chapter XXIX: Whether a people or a prince is the more ungrateful](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxix.md) - [How Princes and Commonwealths May Avoid the Vice of Ingratitude](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxx.md) - [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxi.md) - [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxii.md) - [Chapter XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxiii.md) - [XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxiv.md) - [Why the creation of the Decemvirate in Rome, although brought about by the free and open suffrage of the citizens, was hurtful to the liberties of that republic.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxv.md) - [XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxvi.md) - [XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxvii.md) - [XXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxviii.md) - [XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxix.md) - [XL: Of the creation of the Decemvirate in Rome, and what therein is to be noted.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xl.md) - [XLI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xli.md) - [XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlii.md) - [XLIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xliii.md) - [XLIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xliv.md) - [Chapter XLV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlv.md) - [XLVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlvi.md) - [XLVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlvii.md) - [XLVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlviii.md) - [XLIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlix.md) - [Chapter L](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/l.md) - [LI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/li.md) - [LII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/lii.md) - [LIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/liii.md) - [LIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/liv.md) - [LV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/lv.md) - [LVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/lvi.md) - [Chapter LVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/lvii.md) - [LVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/lviii.md) - [LIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/lix.md) - [LX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/lx.md) - [Book II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/book-ii.md) - [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/i.md) - [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/ii.md) - [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/iii.md) - [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/iv.md) - [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/v.md) - [Of the methods followed by the Romans in making war](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/vi.md) - [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/vii.md) - [Why certain nations leave their ancestral seats and overflow the countries of others.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/viii.md) - [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/ix.md) - [Chapter X: The True Sinews of War](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/x.md) - [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xi.md) - [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xii.md) - [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xiii.md) - [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xiv.md) - [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xv.md) - [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xvi.md) - [Chapter XVII: What importance the armies of the present day should allow to artillery; and whether the commonly received opinion concerning it be just.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xvii.md) - [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xviii.md) - [Chapter XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xix.md) - [Of the dangers incurred by princes or republics who resort to auxiliary or mercenary arms](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xx.md) - [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxi.md) - [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxii.md) - [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxiii.md) - [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxiv.md) - [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxv.md) - [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxvi.md) - [Chapter XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxvii.md) - [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxviii.md) - [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxix.md) - [On the Strength of Arms vs. Gold](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxx.md) - [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxi.md) - [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxii.md) - [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxiii.md) - [Book III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/book-iii.md) - [Chapter I: The Necessity of Renewal in Republics and Sects](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/i.md) - [Chapter II: That on occasion it is wise to feign folly](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/ii.md) - [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/iii.md) - [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/iv.md) - [How an hereditary king may come to lose his kingdom](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/v.md) - [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/vi.md) - [Why it is that changes from freedom to servitude, and from servitude to freedom, are sometimes made without bloodshed, but at other times reek with blood.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/vii.md) - [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/viii.md) - [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/ix.md) - [That a captain cannot escape battle when his enemy forces it on him at all risks](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/x.md) - [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xi.md) - [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xii.md) - [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xiii.md) - [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xiv.md) - [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xv.md) - [Chapter XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xvi.md) - [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xvii.md) - [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xviii.md) - [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xix.md) - [How one humane act availed more with the men of Falerii, than all the might of the Roman arms](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xx.md) - [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxi.md) - [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxii.md) - [Why Camillus was banished from Rome](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxiii.md) - [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxiv.md) - [Of the poverty of Cincinnatus and of many other Roman citizens](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxv.md) - [How women are a cause of the ruin of states](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxvi.md) - [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxvii.md) - [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxviii.md) - [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxix.md) - [On Envy, Authority, and the Defense of a City](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxx.md) - [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxi.md) - [Of the methods which some have used to make peace impossible](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxii.md) - [Chapter XXXIII: That to insure victory in battle you must inspire your men with confidence in one another and in you](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxiii.md) - [XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxiv.md) - [Chapter XXXV: Of the danger incurred in being the first to recommend new measures; and that the more unusual the measures the greater the danger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxv.md) - [XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxvi.md) - [XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxvii.md) - [Of the qualities of a captain in whom his soldiers can confide](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxviii.md) - [XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxix.md) - [XL](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xl.md) - [XLI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xli.md) - [XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlii.md) - [XLIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xliii.md) - [XLIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xliv.md) - [XLV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlv.md) - [XLVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlvi.md) - [XLVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlvii.md) - [XLVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlviii.md) - [XLIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xlix.md) - [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/endnotes.md) HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters