Pope Julius#

Summary#

Pope Julius II is presented as an exemplar of impetuous and bold leadership whose success depended on his actions matching the spirit of his times. He inherited a strengthened papacy from Alexander VI and expanded its temporal power by conquering Bologna, humbling the Venetians, and driving the French from Italy. Machiavelli uses Julius to illustrate both the dangers of auxiliary forces and the virtue of fiscal prudence, noting that despite using his reputation for liberality to gain the papacy, Julius funded his wars through thriftiness rather than burdening his subjects.

Mentioned In#

• II. Concerning Hereditary Principalities ↖ The Prince
• XI. Concerning Ecclesiastical Principalities ↖ The Prince
• XIII. Concerning Auxiliaries, Mixed Soldiery, and One’s Own ↖ The Prince
• XVI. Concerning Liberality and Meanness ↖ The Prince
• XXV. What Fortune Can Effect in Human Affairs and How to Withstand Her ↖ The Prince