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Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes about Art

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If you only notice human proceedings, you may observe that all who attain great power and riches, make use of either force or fraud; and what they have acquired either by deceit or violence, in order to conceal the

If you only notice human proceedings, you may observe that all who attain great power and riches, make use of either force or fraud; and what they have acquired either by deceit or violence, in order to conceal the disgraceful methods of attainment, they endeavor to sanctify with the false title of honest gains.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Order
Niccolo Machiavelli (2018). “History of Florence and the Affairs of Italy”, p.115, Ozymandias Press

There is nothing as likely to succeed as what the enemy believes you cannot attempt.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Believe

You must know, then, that there are two methods of fighting, the one by law, the other by force: the first method is that of men, the second of beasts; but as the first method is often insufficient, one must have recourse to the second.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Fighting
Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.55, Knickerbocker Classics

A battle that you win cancels any other bad action of yours. In the same way, by losing one, all the good things worked by you before become vain.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Winning

A prince... must learn from the fox and the lion... One must be a fox in order to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten off wolves. Those who act simply as lions are stupid. So it follows that a prudent ruler cannot, and must not, honour his word when it places him at a disadvantage and when the reasons for which he made his promise no longer exist.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Stupid

Few men are brave by nature, but good discipline and experience make many so.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Men
"The Art of War". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, as translated by Neal Wood (1965), 1520.

There is simply no comparison between a man who is armed and one who is not. It is simply unreasonable to expect that an armed man should obey one who is unarmed, or that an unarmed man should remain safe and secure when his servants are armed.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Men

In war, discipline can do more than fury.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Discipline

Knowing how to fight made men more bold, because no one fears doing what it seems to him he has learned to do. Therefore, the ancients wanted their citizens to be trained in every warlike action.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Fighting

The greatest remedy that is used against a plan of the enemy is to do voluntarily what he plans that you do by force.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Enemy

Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are, and those few dare not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Majesty
Niccolo Machiavelli (2010). “The Prince”, p.73, FastPencil Inc

Princes should delegate to others the enactment of unpopular measures and keep in their own hands the means of winning favours.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Mean

The people resemble a wild beast, which, naturally fierce and accustomed to live in the woods, has been brought up, as it were, in a prison and in servitude, and having by accident got its liberty, not being accustomed to search for its food, and not knowing where to conceal itself, easily becomes the prey of the first who seeks to incarcerate it again.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Knowing
"Discourses on Livy" by Niccolò Machiavelli, book 1, ch. 16, 1517.

A prudent man... must behave like those archers who, if they are skillful, when the target seems too distant, know the capabilities of their bow and aim a good deal higher than their objective, not in order to shoot so high but so that by aiming high they can reach the target.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Archer

Those who either from imprudence or want of sagacity avoid doing so, are always overwhelmed with servitude and poverty; for faithful servants are always servants, and honest men are always poor; nor do any ever escape from servitude but the bold and faithless, or from poverty, but the rapacious and fraudulent.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Men
Niccolo Machiavelli (2018). “History of Florence and the Affairs of Italy”, p.115, Ozymandias Press

I assert once again as a truth to which history as a whole bears witness that men may second their fortune, but cannot oppose it; that they may weave its warp, but cannot break it. Yet they should never give up, because there is always hope, though they know not the end and more towards it along roads which cross one another and as yet are unexplored; and since there is hope, they should not despair, no matter what fortune brings or in what travail they find themselves.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, Giving Up, War
"Discourses on Livy" by Niccolò Machiavelli, book 2, ch. 29, as translated by LJ Walker and B Crick, 1517.

So in all human affairs one notices, if one examines them closely, that it is impossible to remove one inconvenience without another emerging.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Impossible
"Discourses on Livy" by Niccolò Machiavelli, book 1, ch. 3, as translated by LJ Walker and B Crick, 1517.

Necessities can be many, but the one that is stronger is that which constrains you to win or to die.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Winning

The reason is that nature has so created men that they are able to desire everything but are not able to attain everything: so that the desire being always greater than the acquisition, there results discontent with the possession and little satisfaction to themselves from it. From this arises the changes in their fortunes; for as men desire, some to have more, some in fear of losing their acquisition, there ensues enmity and war, from which results the ruin of that province and the elevation of another.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Men
"Discourses on Livy". Book by Niccolo Machiavelli, Book 1, Ch. 37, (as translated by LJ Walker and B Crick, 1517.

And above all you ought to guard against leading an army to fight which is afraid or which is not confident of victory. For the greatest sign of an impending loss is when one does not believe one can win.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Believe

The Romans never allowed a trouble spot to remain simply to avoid going to war over it, because they knew that wars don't just go away, they are only postponed to someone else's advantage. Therefore, they made war with Philip and Antiochus in Greece, in order not to have to fight them in Italy... They never went by that saying which you constantly hear from the wiseacres of our day, that time heals all things. They trusted rather their own character and prudence- knowing perfectly well that time contains the seeds of all things, good as well as bad.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Character
"The Prince". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, ch. 3, 1513.

It makes him contemptible to be considered fickle, frivolous, effeminate, mean-spirited, irresolute, from all of which a prince should guard himself as from a rock; and he should endeavour to show in his actions greatness, courage, gravity, and fortitude; and in his private dealings with his subjects let him show that his judgments are irrevocable, and maintain himself in such reputation that no one can hope either to deceive him or to get round him.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Mean
Niccolo Machiavelli (2015). “The Prince”, p.80, Xist Publishing

In the same manner, having been reduced by disorder, and sunk to their utmost state of depression, unable to descend lower, they, of necessity, reascend; and thus from good they gradually decline to evil, and from evil again return to good. The reason is, that valor produces peace; peace, repose; repose, disorder; disorder, ruin; so from disorder order springs; from order virtue, and from this, glory and good fortune.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, Spring, War
"Florentine Histories" by Niccolò Machiavelli, book V, chapter 1, 1526.

And when he is obliged to take the life of any one, to do so when there is a proper justification and manifest reason for it; but above all he must abstain from taking the property of others, for men forget more easily the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, Father, War
Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.53, Race Point Publishing

A prince ought to have two fears, one from within, on account of his subjects, the other from without, on account of external powers.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Two
Niccolo Machiavelli (2015). “The Prince”, p.80, Xist Publishing

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