Machiavelli for Medes
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queensthiefA Machiavellian Moment brought to you The Prince*, with regards to invasion by a greater power of a group of smaller powers:
"Such invaders are always helped by malcontents within the country, who are moved either by their own overweening ambition or fear, as happened in Greece, where the Aetolians were responsible for the invasion by the Romans. . .What usually happens is that, as soon as a strong invader attacks a country, all the less powerful men rally to him, because they are enviously hostile to the ruler who has held sway over them." (10)
The Aetolians jumped out at me, of course--but the whole thing reminded me rather of Attolia's barons, the 'scared little mice, waiting for their own familiar cat'--who aren't necessarily yet won over to Gen's side. One hopes they keep preferring Irene and her king to the Medes.
* Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought, ed. Quentin Skinner and trans. Russell Price, 1988.
"Such invaders are always helped by malcontents within the country, who are moved either by their own overweening ambition or fear, as happened in Greece, where the Aetolians were responsible for the invasion by the Romans. . .What usually happens is that, as soon as a strong invader attacks a country, all the less powerful men rally to him, because they are enviously hostile to the ruler who has held sway over them." (10)
The Aetolians jumped out at me, of course--but the whole thing reminded me rather of Attolia's barons, the 'scared little mice, waiting for their own familiar cat'--who aren't necessarily yet won over to Gen's side. One hopes they keep preferring Irene and her king to the Medes.
* Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought, ed. Quentin Skinner and trans. Russell Price, 1988.
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