# Furius Camillus — Discourses on Livy character guide > Furius Camillus in Discourses on Livy by Niccolò Machiavelli. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Camillus **First appearance:** 0004-i ## Snapshot The Roman general who saved the city from the Gauls and then urged the senate to settle Latium with either total mercy or total destruction—never half-measures. ## Who they are Camillus is Machiavelli's model of the prudent captain who secures both the city's walls and its discipline, enrolling a third army to defend Rome rather than trusting an armed multitude. His speech on the Latins—offering clemency or annihilation, nothing in between—illustrates the Roman genius for decisive policy that Machiavelli contrasts bitterly with Florence's dithering. He matters because he shows that greatness in a republic requires both military foresight and the political courage to choose. ## In the story ### [Discourses on Livy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/discourses-on-livy) Camillus is referenced as a model of virtuous leadership and military skill, whose exile and recall highlight the ingratitude of republics. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/viii) Hero who rescued Rome from the Gauls; his glory provoked Manlius Capitolinus's jealousy. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xii) Approved and confirmed the faith of the soldiers regarding the omen at Veii. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xiii) Named dictator during the siege of Veii, leading to its capture. ### [Chapter XXIX: Whether a people or a prince is the more ungrateful](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxix) Banished for wrongs against the commons but later recalled and honored as a prince. ### [LV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/lv) His vow of a tenth of the Veientine spoil to Apollo is cited as an example of the senate's trust in the people's honesty. ### [Book II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/book-ii) Roman general and dictator, key figure in the recovery after the Gallic sack. ### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxiii) Delivers the decisive speech to the Senate on how to treat the conquered Latins, advocating either destruction or incorporation. ### [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxix) Banned to Ardea by Fortune so that he could later rescue Rome; his absence contributed to the disaster. ### [On the Strength of Arms vs. Gold](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxx) Arrives with his army just as the Romans are weighing out gold to ransom themselves from the Gauls, preventing the ignominy of being a ransomed people. ### [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxii) Implied in the reference to the siege of Veii, which was reduced by mining. ### [Chapter I: The Necessity of Renewal in Republics and Sects](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/i) His worth and excellence were recognized after the Gallic sack, leading to his reinstatement as leader. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/viii) Mentioned as the object of Manlius's jealousy; his honors provoked Manlius's desire for power. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xii) At the capture of Veii, he ordered his men to spare the unarmed, making the surrender easier and avoiding driving the defenders to desperation. ### [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) Roman commander who refused the treacherous offer of the schoolmaster, instead returning the boys and humiliating the master, thereby winning Falerii through humanity. ### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxii) Mentioned in connection with the jealousy that severity can provoke when combined with other virtues, leading to his banishment. ### [Why Camillus was banished from Rome](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxiii) His virtues and faults are analyzed; his sternness, pride, and actions regarding Veientine plunder led to his banishment. ### [On Envy, Authority, and the Defense of a City](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxx) Tribune with consular authority who assumes sole direction of affairs, organizes three armies for defense, and exemplifies how a great man extinguishes envy through proven ability and public service. ### [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xxxi) Exemplifies the constant spirit of a great man, declaring his courage came not with his dictatorship nor went with his exile; he encourages his soldiers before battle by reminding them to do as they have learned and been accustomed. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/characters/furius_camillus - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/characters