Summary of the Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli Summary of the Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli THE fame of Niccolo Machiavelli rests mainly on his II Principe, written probably about 1514, but not published until 1532, five years after the death of the author. Machiavelli's name has long been used in terms of reproach, due largely to incomplete understanding of his method. But there is no division among the critics as to the precision of his thought and the clarity of his style. ALL states and governments are either republics or princedoms.
Princedoms are either hereditary or new.
Hereditary states are maintained with far less difficulty than new states, but in new princedoms difficulties abound. And first if the princedom be joined on to ancient dominions of the prince, so as to form a mixed princedom, rebellion is a danger, for men are always ready to change masters. Such new states, when they are of the same province and tongue as the ancient dominions of the prince, are easily retained. It is enough to have rooted out the line of the reigning prince. But where the language and usages differ the difficulty is multiplied.