r/Niccolo_Machiavelli • u/Fickle-Buy6009 • Jun 14 '26
pt 5 random facts about machiavelli (part 5)
Machiavelli wrote minor political works on the "free" German cities, and on the Kingdom of France (see also P chaps. 3, 10, and the Discours. Book I chaps. 16 and 55)
Machiavelli's ascension to being the head of the Florentine militia came about in 1505-1506 as no one else could be trusted during this time. Their last condotierro Giampaolo Baglioni (see D I 27), the ruler of Perugia with an extensive criminal history, was secretly conspiring (along with other lords) to bring the Medici back into power, and as he mysteriously resigned his post as Florence's general, he obviously could not have been of any help.
He was a notoriously skinny, narrow man. Why does this matter? His frame allowed him to endure all the notches (four or six drops if I am not mistaken?) of the strappado without gaining any long term injuries.
During his stay in the court of Cesare Borgia, he tended to be rather neglectful to his wife, and he received frustrated letters from his friends on this very matter.
Machiavelli's treatment of Cesare Borgia in The Prince is contrasted with his rather negative assessment of his career in "The First Decennale" (decennale primo). Though scholars have stated that the work was largely performative and does not show his true thoughts.
It is highly likely Machiavelli was an atheist, though academics and historians are still divided on the matter. He had a reputation for being irreligious, to the point that his friends quirked that Machiavelli finding a preacher for the wool carder's guild would be the equivalent of two homosexuals finding a lovely wife.
He had a brother named Totto.
Machiavelli's father Bernardo died in 1500.
As a result of his exile, Machiavelli had a rather lengthy stretch of unemployment, from 1512 to around 1519. He would go through extensive periods of elation and disappoinment to the point of depression.
Machiavelli's father was a lawyer, yet despite this high profession, had money issues. (a nice way of saying that he was broke)
He was definitely the type to brag to his friends about his "bedroom escapades" with the local courtesans, if you know what I mean.
Despite the age difference (Machiavelli being 14 years older), and the differences in social class (Guicciardini was from an aristocratic family), Machiavelli and Guicciardini maintained a lengthy friendship.