Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius, Book 1

1. 1 PrefaceRead by Pamela Nagami 8m
2. 2 CHAPTER I.Of the Beginnings of Cities in general, and in particular of that of RomeRead by Dave Gillespie 11m
3. 3 CHAPTER II. Of the various kinds of Government; and to which of them the Roman Commonwealth belonged.Read by Dave Gillespie 17m
4. 4 CHAPTER III. Of the Accidents which led in Rome to the creation of Tribunes of the People; whereby the Republic was made more perfect.Read by Dave Gillespie 3m
5. 5 CHAPTER IV. That the Dissensions between the Senate and Commons of Rome, made Rome free and powerful.Read by Dave Gillespie 5m
6. 6 CHAPTER V. Whether the Guardianship of public Freedom is safer in the hands of the Commons or of the Nobles; and whether those who seek to acquire Power or they who seek to maintain it are the greaterRead by Dave Gillespie 7m
7. 7 CHAPTER VI. Whether it was possible in Rome to contrive such a Government as would have composed the Differences between the Commons and the Senate.Read by Dave Gillespie 14m
8. 8 CHAPTER VII. That to preserve Liberty in a State there must exist the Right to accuse.Read by Dave Gillespie 9m
9. 9 CHAPTER VIII. That Calumny is as hurtful in a Commonwealth as the power to accuse is useful.Read by Dave Gillespie 8m
10. 10 CHAPTER IX. That to give new Institutions to a Commonwealth, or to reconstruct old Institutions on an entirely new basis, must be the work of one Man.Read by Dave Gillespie 8m
11. 11 CHAPTER X. That in proportion as the Founder of a Kingdom or Commonwealth merits Praise, he who founds a Tyranny deserves Blame.Read by Dave Gillespie 10m
12. 12 CHAPTER XI. Of the Religion of the Romans.Read by merendo07 7m
13. 13 CHAPTER XII. That it is of much moment to make account of Religion; and that Italy, through the Roman Church, being wanting therein, has been ruined.Read by merendo07 6m
14. 14 CHAPTER XIII. Of the use the Romans made of Religion in giving Institutions to their City, in carrying out their Enterprises, and in quelling Tumults.Read by Brad Murphy 5m
15. 15 CHAPTER XIV. That the Romans interpreted the Auspices to meet the occasion; and made a prudent show of observing the Rites of Religion even when forced to disregard them; and any who rashly slighted RRead by merendo07 4m
16. 16 CHAPTER XV. How the Samnites, as a last resource in their broken Fortunes, had recourse to Religion.Read by merendo07 4m
17. 17 CHAPTER XVI. That a People accustomed to live under a Prince, if by any accident it become free, can hardly preserve that Freedom.Read by Ciufi Galeazzi 9m
18. 18 CHAPTER XVII. That a corrupt People obtaining Freedom can hardly preserve it.Read by Ciufi Galeazzi 6m
19. 19 CHAPTER XVIII. How a Free Government existing in a corrupt City may be preserved, or not existing may be created.Read by Ciufi Galeazzi 9m
20. 20 CHAPTER XIX. After a strong Prince a weak Prince may maintain himself: but after one weak Prince no Kingdom can stand a second.Read by Eva Staes 4m
21. 21 CHAPTER XX. That the consecutive Reigns of two valiant Princes produce great results: and that well-ordered Commonwealths are assured of a Succession of valiant Rulers by whom their Power and Growth aRead by Donavan Olsen 1m
22. 22 CHAPTER XXI. That it is a great reproach to a Prince or to a Commonwealth to be without a national Army.Read by Donavan Olsen 3m
23. 23 CHAPTER XXII. What is to be noted in the combat of the three Roman Horatii and the three Alban Curiatii.Read by Donavan Olsen 2m
24. 24 CHAPTER XXIII. That we should never hazard our whole Fortunes where we put not forth our entire Strength; for which reason to guard a Defile is often hurtful.Read by Donavan Olsen 5m
25. 25 CHAPTER XXIV. That well-ordered States always provide Rewards and Punishments for their Citizens; and never set off Deserts against Misdeeds.Read by Lucretia B. 4m
26. 26 CHAPTER XXV. That he who would reform the Institutions of a free State, must retain at least the semblance of old Ways.Read by Lucretia B. 3m
27. 27 CHAPTER XXVI. A new Prince in a City or Province of which he has taken Possession, ought to make Everything new.Read by Ciufi Galeazzi 2m
28. 28 CHAPTER XXVII. That Men seldom know how to be wholly good or wholly bad.Read by Ciufi Galeazzi 3m
29. 29 CHAPTER XXVIII. Whence it came that the Romans were less ungrateful to their Citizens than were the Athenians.Read by Ciufi Galeazzi 3m
30. 30 CHAPTER XXIX. Whether a People or a Prince is the more ungrateful.Read by jenno 9m
31. 31 CHAPTER XXX. How Princes and Commonwealths may avoid the vice of Ingratitude; and how a Captain or Citizen may escape being undone by it.Read by jenno 5m
32. 32 CHAPTER XXXI. That the Roman Captains were never punished with extreme severity for Misconduct; and where loss resulted to the Republic merely through their Ignorance or Want of Judgment, were not punRead by merendo07 4m
33. 33 CHAPTER XXXII. That a Prince or Commonwealth should not delay conferring Benefits until they are themselves in difficulties.Read by merendo07 2m
34. 34 CHAPTER XXXIII. When a Mischief has grown up in, or against a State, it is safer to temporize with than to meet it with Violence.Read by merendo07 6m
35. 35 CHAPTER XXXIV. That the authority of the Dictator did good and not harm to the Roman Republic: and that it is not those Powers which are given by the free suffrages of the People, but those which ambiRead by jenno 8m
36. 36 CHAPTER XXXV. Why the Creation of the Decemvirate in Rome, although brought about by the free and open Suffrage of the Citizens, was hurtful to the Liberties of that RepublicRead by jenno 5m
37. 37 CHAPTER XXXVI. That Citizens who have held the higher Offices of a Commonwealth should not disdain the lower.Read by jenno 3m
38. 38 CHAPTER XXXVII. Of the Mischief bred in Rome by the Agrarian Law: and how it is a great source of disorder in a Commonwealth to pass a Law opposed to ancient Usage and with stringent retrospective EffRead by jenno 10m
39. 39 CHAPTER XXXVIII. That weak Republics are irresolute and undecided; and that the course they may take depends more on Necessity than Choice.Read by merendo07 6m
40. 40 CHAPTER XXXIX. That often the same Accidents are seen to befall different Nations.Read by merendo07 4m
41. 41 CHAPTER XL. Of the creation of the Decemvirate in Rome, and what therein is to be noted. Wherein among other Matters is shown how the same Causes may lead to the Safety or to the Ruin of a CommonwealtRead by merendo07 12m
42. 42 CHAPTER XLI. That it is unwise to pass at a bound from leniency to severity, or to a haughty bearing from a humble.Read by Ann Boulais 2m
43. 43 CHAPTER XLII. How easily Men become corrupted.Read by Eva Staes 1m
44. 44 CHAPTER XLIII. That Men fighting in their own Cause make good and resolute Soldiers.Read by Ann Boulais 2m
45. 45 CHAPTER XLIV. That the Multitude is helpless without a Head: and that we should not with the same breath threaten and ask leave.Read by Ann Boulais 2m
46. 46 CHAPTER XLV. That it is of evil example, especially in the Maker of a Law, not to observe the Law when made: and that daily to renew acts of injustice in a City is most hurtful to the Governor.Read by merendo07 4m
47. 47 CHAPTER XLVI. That Men climb from one step of Ambition to another, seeking at first to escape Injury and then to injure others.Read by merendo07 4m
48. 48 CHAPTER XLVII. That though Men deceive themselves in Generalities, in Particulars they judge truly.Read by merendo07 7m
49. 49 CHAPTER XLVIII. He who would not have an Office bestowed on some worthless or wicked Person, should contrive that it be solicited by one who is utterly worthless and wicked, or else by one who is in tRead by merendo07 1m
50. 50 CHAPTER XLIX. That if Cities which, like Rome, had their beginning in Freedom, have had difficulty in framing such Laws as would preserve their Freedom, Cities which at the first have been in SubjectiRead by merendo07 5m
51. 51 CHAPTER L. That neither any Council nor any Magistrate should have power to bring the Government of a City to a stay.Read by merendo07 3m
52. 52 CHAPTER LI. What a Prince or Republic does of Necessity, should seem to be done by Choice.Read by merendo07 2m
53. 53 CHAPTER LII. That to check the arrogance of a Citizen who is growing too powerful in a State, there is no safer Method, or less open to objection, than to forestall him in those Ways whereby he seeks Read by Hypatia 5m
54. 54 CHAPTER LIII. That the People, deceived by a false show of Advantage, often desire what would be their Ruin; and that large Hopes and brave Promises easily move them.Read by Hypatia 8m
55. 55 CHAPTER LIV. Of the boundless Authority which a great Man may use to restrain an excited Multitude.Read by Hypatia 3m
56. 56 CHAPTER LV. That Government is easily carried on in a City wherein the body of the People is not corrupted: and that a Princedom is impossible where Equality prevails, and a Republic where it does notRead by merendo07 10m
57. 57 CHAPTER LVI. That when great Calamities are about to befall a City or Country, Signs are seen to presage, and Seers arise who foretell them.Read by Hypatia 2m
58. 58 CHAPTER LVII. That the People are strong collectively, but individually weak.Read by Eva Staes 3m
59. 59 CHAPTER LVIII. That a People is wiser and more constant than a PrinceRead by Eva Staes 12m
60. 60 CHAPTER LIX. To what Leagues or Alliances we may most trust; whether those we make with Commonwealths or those we make with Princes.Read by Hypatia 5m
61. 61 CHAPTER LX. That the Consulship and all the other Magistracies in Rome were given without respect to Age.Read by Hypatia 3m

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