Discourses on Livy · Theme
Class Conflict and Political Order
How Discourses on Livy develops Class Conflict and Political Order.
The book examines the inherent tension between the nobles' desire to dominate and the commons' desire not to be dominated, showing how these tumults in Rome led to beneficial laws and institutions rather than chaos.
Where it surfaces
- Discourses on Livy
The Discourses highlight the productive role of conflict between the patricians and plebeians in securing Roman freedom and stability.
- Of the various kinds of government; and to which of them the Roman commonwealth belonged.
The chapter argues that Rome's perfect constitution resulted from the 'contests between the commons and the senate,' turning discord into stability.
- III
The conflict between the nobles and the commons after the Tarquins' expulsion, leading to the creation of tribunes.
- IV
Machiavelli defends the dissensions between the nobles and the commons as the prime cause of Roman freedom, arguing that conflict between these factions produced laws favorable to liberty.
- V
The chapter centers on the struggle between the nobles and the commons over who should guard public freedom, highlighting the inherent tensions and ambitions of each class.
- 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
The chapter centers on the necessity of class conflict between the commons and senate for Rome's expansion, arguing that such tumults, while inconvenient, were unavoidable for achieving greatness.
- Chapter VIII
Manlius appeals to the commons against the nobles, highlighting the class tensions that calumny can inflame.
- XIII
The struggle between nobles and plebeians over the tribuneship and the Terentillian law is central, with religion used by the nobles to maintain control.
- XXXVII
The Agrarian Law epitomizes the struggle between commons and nobles over wealth, which Machiavelli argues is more dangerous than disputes over honors.
- XLVII
The struggle between Roman nobles and commons over consular authority and the Capuan class tensions illustrate how class conflict shapes political outcomes.
- LV
The distinction between egalitarian republics and hierarchical principalities is tied to the presence or absence of 'gentlemen'—a class that disrupts equality and necessitates monarchical rule.
- LX
The necessity of extending hope for the consulship to the commons to maintain order and achieve great results.
- XXV
The chapter examines how internal divisions between the Roman commons and nobles, though seemingly a weakness, can be overcome by external threats, leading to unity and strength.
- XI
The tribunes represent the commons' power against the nobles; Appius's method is a mechanism to manage class tension within the republic.
- Of the poverty of Cincinnatus and of many other Roman citizens
The resistance to agrarian law and the persistence of poverty among the elite highlight the tension between wealth and political power in Rome.
- How women are a cause of the ruin of states
The dispute between plebeian and noble suitors escalates into civil strife, showing how class divisions can destabilize a state.
- XXVII
The division of cities into factions (e.g., Panciatichi and Cancellieri in Pistoja) is presented as a source of disorder that must be suppressed to maintain political order.
