CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2017
| Author | Mulki, Jonathan Andres |
|---|---|
| Title | Power, But Not Glory: The Example of Agathocles of Syracuse in Machiavelli's Prince |
| Summary | In The Prince’s chapter 8, Niccolò Machiavelli introduces the case of Agathocles of Syracuse, an ancient ruler who succeeded in acquiring and maintaining power. However, Machiavelli refuses to praise his deeds and condemns him. This constitutes one of the most striking enigmas in Machiavelli’s work. The present thesis conducts an interpretative reading on the ambiguous case of Agathocles, supported by the approaches of contemporary commentators who give simultaneous attention to the content of Machiavelli’s thought and the specific literary form in which they are introduced. The result of the research proves that Machiavelli intentionally draws an ironic and contradictory explanation around Agathocles, with the purpose of building a novel meeting point between instrumental and moral teachings, which, at the same time, are mirrored in two types of virtù. |
| Supervisor | Miklosi, Zoltan |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2017/mulki_jonathan.pdf |
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