Prince Character List

Prince Character List

          Because The Prince is a political commentary, not a work of fiction, Machiavelli does not use "characters" in the sense of a novel or short story. Instead, he draws his examples from the current political and social events, as well as from ancient history. His "characters" are the political leaders of his time. He mentions far too many individuals to be listed here, but several make repeated appearances in The Prince, and it is helpful to keep them and their relationships in mind.

v The Sforza family

1.     Francesco Sforza Mercenary general who became Duke of Milan.

2.     Ludovico Sforza Also called "Il Moro," the Moor. Son of Francesco Sforza and Duke of Milan, he encouraged King Charles VIII of France to invade Italy.

3.     Caterina Sforza Riario Ludovico's niece, the illegitimate daughter of Gian Galeazzo Sforza.

4.     Gian Galeazzo Sforza Ruler of the cities of Forli and Imola; called "The Amazon of Forli."

v The Borgia family

1.     Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia) Corrupt and decadent leader of the church, who shamelessly maneuvered his many illegitimate children into positions of power.

2.     Cesare Borgia Alexander VI's son, Duke of Valentinois in France, and conquerer of the Romagna region in Italy. Machiavelli's chief example of an ideal prince.

3.     The Medici family, rulers of Florence

4.     Lorenzo de Medici Grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent. The Prince is dedicated to him.

5.     Pope Leo X (Giovanni de Medici) Pope at the time The Prince was written. His election resulted in Machiavelli's release from prison.

Others

1.     Pope Julius II Warrior pope who succeeded Alexander VI. Noted for his defense of the temporal and spiritual power of the Catholic church.

2.     Girolamo Savonarola Charismatic preacher and prophet who ruled Florence after the Medici family was removed from power.

3.     King Ferdinand Ruler of Spain. Better known to American students as the husband of Queen Isabella, who financed Christopher Columbus' voyages to the new world.

4.     King Charles VIII Ruler of France who invaded Italy at the urging of Ludovico Sforza, but was quickly driven out.

5.     King Louis XII Charles' successor. Invader of Italy and its main foreign dominator immediately prior to the time during which The Prince was written.

6.     Emperor Maximilian II Ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, another European power with designs on Italy.

Ø Character Analysis of The Medici Family

          The Medici family were the most powerful citizens of Florence, leaders of the largest bank in Europe, and through strategic marriage alliances, joined many of Europe's royal families.

v Giovanni di Bicci de Medici

          The founder of the family fortunes was Giovanni di Bicci de Medici (1360-1429). Under his leadership, the family bank blossomed, and he soon became the richest man in Florence. Banking was a relative innovation during the period, and the Medici were its most successful practitioners.’

v Cosimo

           Giovanni's son, Cosimo (1389-1464), called Cosimo the Elder, succeeded him as leader of the bank. Though nominally an ordinary Florentine citizen, Cosimo skillfully manipulated Florence's political institutions to his family's benefit, using his wealth and connections to pack the governmental bodies with Medici supporters, until he was all but official ruler of Florence.

v Piero

          His son Piero (1416-1469) briefly succeeded him, but it was Piero's son Lorenzo (1449-1492), called Lorenzo the Magnificent, who presided over the Medici golden age and, by extension, the golden age of Florence. He earned his nickname by spending lavishly on artistic and architectural projects to beautify Florence and on splendid public festivals to entertain its citizens. Like his father and grandfather, he maintained control of Florence by making sure that his supporters were appointed to key positions in the government, so that he remained technically an ordinary citizen while living like a prince.

          In 1478, he survived an assassination attempt by the Pazzi, a rival banking family supported by his enemy, Pope Sixtus IV. He was attacked as he attended church services at the cathedral of Florence. His brother Giovanni was killed, but Lorenzo suffered only minor wounds. The conspirators were hunted down and vengefully executed; the noted artist Sandro Boticelli commemorated the executions in a series of murals. A war with Sixtus followed, in which Lorenzo turned for help to the French and finally ended the war with a dramatic personal visit to the Pope's chief ally, Ferrante of Naples. Subsequently, Lorenzo's position was completely secure, and he became an important stabilizing influence on the Italian states, maintaining a network of formal alliances and friendly personal relationships which helped to keep the peace on the Italian peninsula. Unfortunately, he also neglected management of the family bank, which suffered huge losses near the end of his lifetime. Lorenzo's lavish spending and competition from younger rival banks sapped the family fortune, but the family's influence and reputation remained.

          Lorenzo's son Piero (1472-1503) succeeded him as acknowledged ruler of Florence, but proved as unpopular as his father had been popular. When Charles VIII of France invaded Italy in 1494, Piero initially denied him passage through Florentine territory. But as Charles' army approached the city, Piero panicked. He went to the French camp and surrendered Florence to Charles without a struggle. Already disenchanted with Piero and outraged by his concessions to the French, the Florentines rebelled. A democratic faction led by Friar Girolamo Savonarola drove the Medici out of the city and declared it a republic. The Medici would not return until the fall of the next republic, in which Machiavelli served as secretary, in 1512.

          The Medici rose to power through their immense wealth and their skill in arranging alliances rather than through military conquest, making them unique among Italian princes of their time. In particular, they systematically married into almost all the great royal families of Europe. Lorenzo the Magnificent's granddaughter Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) became queen mother of France. The Medici also produced two popes, Leo X and Clement VII, who focused their attention on promoting the family's power and influence.