511 Quotes by Niccolò Machiavelli

For among other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible; which is one of those disgraceful things which a prince must guard against.

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.

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.

For titles do not reflect honor on men, but rather men on their titles. [It., Perche non i titoli illustrano gli uomini, ma gli uomini i titoli.]

Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.

For as good habits of the people require good laws to support them, so laws, to be observed, need good habits on the part of the people.

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

A prince being thus obliged to know well how to act as a beast must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from snares, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognise snares, and a lion to frighten wolves. Those that wish to be only lions do not understand this.

Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.