Machiavelli

[Cranyx]

I've always liked how Ubisoft make almost every major historical figure into an affiliation with either Assassins or Templars, but there was one that was always unsettling to me.

Why is Machiavelli an assassin? His whole philosophy is how important power is and doing everything possible to retain it and gain more; if that doesn't align with the Templars, I don't know what does.

 

[Latinidiot]

He wrote The Prince on opposites day or something, I believe that was the book that described those ways of power.
What Ido know is tht he was an enemy of the Medici family, so that's the only thing I don't get in the AC mythos.

 

[Redingold]

Maybe he's not actually an Assassin, but he just wants the Templars out of the way so that he can step into the power vacuum their absence would create.

 

[Zyst]

Oh sorry sorry sorry; Hope that didn't disturb you too much there. It was the sound of books... pages being turned. So, that's just what I was doing, just reading, uh... books. So not a moron. Anyway, just finished the last one, just now, the hardest one. Machiavelli. Do not know what all the fuss was about - understood it perfectly. Have you read that one?

 

[KillKill]

He wrote The Prince on opposites day or something, I believe that was the book that described those ways of power.
What Ido know is tht he was an enemy of the Medici family, so that's the only thing I don't get in the AC mythos.

Your right there. The Prince was meant as a satire of sorts, the Medicis had his legs broken so I doubt he was their biggest fan...

 

[Johann610]

Machiavelli classically wrote in favor of--and quite a lot of that--democracy or republic (in the Civ sense), but was moved to write "The Prince" after witnessing the Hell that Italy went through in his day. If that answers your question. I noticed Mass Effect mentioned him too; so, recurring theme?

 

[Cranyx]

He wrote The Prince on opposites day or something, I believe that was the book that described those ways of power.
What Ido know is tht he was an enemy of the Medici family, so that's the only thing I don't get in the AC mythos.

That's true, in fact he was a good friend of the Borgia; he seems a perfect candidate to be working against the Assassins.

 

[internetzealot1]

Because Ubisoft just wants to cram in as many historical figures as they can.

 

[Trivun]

Actually, whether he was an enemy of the Medicis or not, he was certainly loyal to them for a time at least, and particularly to the city state of Florence. He even came up with a plan alongside Leonardo da Vinci to steal the motherfucking Arno River from Pisa! Not kidding here, I'm being deadly serious. He was exceptionally loyal to his city, and though he may not have been a fan of the Medici family I don't think he was quite as bad with them as some say, at least for part of his life, and likewise I don't think he was quite as big a fan of the Borgia as some say either. Also, it turns out he didn't agree necessarily with what he wrote in The Prince, he actually wrote the entire treatise as a satire of the politcal landscape that the Italian city states were ruled under at the time. He didn't agree with it as a principle, he simply observed it happening, so him being allied with the Assassins actually makes perfect sense in the AC games.

 

[Cranyx]

I suppose that it makes sense when you look at The Prince as a satire, and that would imply him calling the Borgia "a perfect politician" an insult rather than a compliment; but one thing that still confuses me is at one point he shouts to Ezio "I'll write a book about you!" was that supposed to be referencing The Prince? because that wouldn't make any sense.

 

[Atmos Duality]

I suppose that it makes sense when you look at The Prince as a satire...

Considering the context in which it was written I'd say that "satire" is a bit of an understatement. (Machiavelli was in exile and quite unhappy with the state of his life when he sent the book; as his prefaced-letter to Lorenzo the Magnificent, the original recipient of the book, suggests)

He took the bitterness of his current life, and channeled it into writing a text that is so cold in its reasoning and dry in its tone that future leaders (and some notorious ones) took it quite literally.

 

[Giest4life]

I've always liked how Ubisoft make almost every major historical figure into an affiliation with either Assassins or Templars, but there was one that was always unsettling to me.

Why is Machiavelli an assassin? His whole philosophy is how important power is and doing everything possible to retain it and gain more; if that doesn't align with the Templars, I don't know what does.

Machiavelli was actually a Florentine diplomat who say his life's work go down the drain when France (Louis XIV, I believe it was) defeated Florence to install a puppet government. He wrote the book to advise the grandson of Lorenzo de Medici.....and I see your point.

EDIT: The French emperor was actually Charles VIII and it was the son of Lorenzo de Medici who lost Florence to the French.

Considering the context in which it was written I'd say that "satire" is a bit of an understatement. (Machiavelli was in exile and quite unhappy with the state of his life when he sent the book; as his prefaced-letter to Lorenzo the Magnificent, the original recipient of the book, suggests)

He took the bitterness of his current life, and channeled it into writing a text that is so cold in its reasoning and dry in its tone that future leaders (and some notorious ones) took it quite literally.

He puts Lorenzo "the Magnificent" out of politeness. It was not intended for the original Lorenzo the Magnificent, son of Piero de Medici. Machiavelli's Lorenzo "the magnificent" was son of Piero the unfortunate, the wanker who lost out to the French.

 

[Atmos Duality]

He puts Lorenzo "the Magnificent" out of politeness. It was not intended for the original Lorenzo the Magnificent, son of Piero de Medici. Machiavelli's Lorenzo "the magnificent" was son of Piero the unfortunate, the wanker who lost out to the French.

Thanks for the spot of clarity. My original point still stands.

 

[Giest4life]

He puts Lorenzo "the Magnificent" out of politeness. It was not intended for the original Lorenzo the Magnificent, son of Piero de Medici. Machiavelli's Lorenzo "the magnificent" was son of Piero the unfortunate, the wanker who lost out to the French.

Thanks for the spot of clarity. My original point still stands.

It's pretty annoying when translators, editors, or publishers don't mention the crucial difference. Even in my copy of the book, the introduction doesn't even mention it and there isn't any footnote on the text to explain that, either.

 

[Stall]

Machiavelli classically wrote in favor of--and quite a lot of that--democracy or republic (in the Civ sense), but was moved to write "The Prince" after witnessing the Hell that Italy went through in his day. If that answers your question. I noticed Mass Effect mentioned him too; so, recurring theme?

Some historians speculate that Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a joke, and intended it to be social satire. If that was true, then Machiavelli might just be the greatest troll in history.