A description of the methods adopted by the Duke Valentino when murdering Vitellozzo Vitelli, Oliverotto da Fermo, the Signor Pagolo, and the Duke di Gravina Orsini

by Niccolò Machiavelli, WK Mariott (Translator)

A Description of the methods adopted by the Duke Valentino when murdering Vitellozzo Vitelli, Oliverotto da Fermo, the Signor Pagolo, and the Duke di Gravina Orsini often abbreviated as The Description for reasons of brevity, is a work by Italian Renaissance political scientist and historian Niccolò Machiavelli. The work describes the methods used by Cesare Borgia to suppress members of the Orsini family, a princely family of Renaissance Rome. Both Vitellozzo Vitelli and Oliverotto da Fermo were strangled on the night of their arrest on 31 December 1502.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics

4 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1503

About the author

The Prince , book of Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian political theorist, in
1513 describes an indifferent ruler to moral considerations with determination to achieve and to maintain power.

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, a philosopher, musician, and poet, wrote plays. He figured centrally in component of the Renaissance, and people most widely know his realist treatises on the one hand and republicanism of Discourses on Livy .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%...

Reviews

[Adam McPhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oliverotto da Fermo had it coming

[Scott Raphael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe interesting if you know the history already, as a more personal account. Otherwise, it’s just a lot of names. Kind of dull to read.

[Irka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit - Cesare Borgia was a clever men and a master of the art of war - nothing was left for instance.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a short history lesson by Machiavelli. Overall a dry recitation of facts for what happened in history. I had it as an addendum in my copy of The Prince, I read it, it was ok, but not something I'd seek out again.

[C S · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is Italy in the 1500s was brutal. The embers of the Roman Empire burned past its fall and manifested in constant power struggles of smaller kingdoms. Everyone saw themselves as the rebirth of empire. But they never quite were..

[Alf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duke Valentino was not messing around. Machiavelli seems to praise his success as the result of his cunning but I would argue that those murders left a lot to chance. The fact that he pulled this off was very unlikely. Not to mention there is no way to know if an alliance would have benefited him more. Machiavelli deduces, that because he succeeded by following his methods, his victory was free of fortune. Regardless of the effectiveness of his plan, it would be hard to agree that not many chances were taken.

I give credit to Machiavelli for proposing, the simple and straightforward approach to power of, killing everyone who poses a threat. Different times, however, may have called for these measures to succeed. But his definition of success is quite vague. Machiavelli seems to only relate it with not being murdered by your subjects and keeping everyone under control. Where is the love Niccoló?