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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Book Three, The Examples of Rome's Great Men, Sundry Remarks on Strategy, Tactics, New Devices and Discipline, Administrative Posts, Administrative Methods: The Rival Claims of Severity and Good Fellowship.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Machiavelli believe inspired the expansion of the Roman Empire?
(a) Virtue.
(b) Keeping Citizens in poverty.
(c) Harsh Captains guiding the military.
(d) Aggression and murder.

2. What does Machiavelli announce as the purpose of Book Two of "The Discourses" in the preface?
(a) How to use truth to persuade Citizens to support the power of the Prince.
(b) How to secure freedom for an Empire by keeping the military active.
(c) What Roman people did to aggrandize the Empire.
(d) How to secure power by expanding it.

3. What does Machiavelli examine in Chapter 1 of Book 2?
(a) Why fortune is more important that virtue.
(b) How to develop fortune and virtue.
(c) Whether the Roman Empire was built upon fortune or virtue.
(d) How virtue can destroy fortune.

4. When Machiavelli writes, "For sometimes of necessity our judgment is the truth, as human affairs are always in motion, either ascending or descending," what is he writing about what he believes about truth?
(a) Truth is not as important as the people you make relationships with.
(b) You can't make sound judgments without having a firm grasp on the truth.
(c) Machiavelli considers truth to be relative.
(d) Truth is irrelevant to the reason for making judgments.

5. How does Machiavelli recommend a Republic deal with enemies that spring up within an empire?
(a) Princes should name appoint them to offices to leave their actions open to public scrutiny.
(b) He advises Princes to allow his supporters to conspire to assassinate the enemies.
(c) He recommends that efforts be made to temporize (compromise) them rather than crush them.
(d) He advocates smearing them with public proclamations about the threat they pose.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who does Machiavelli credit with protecting Rome from the ambitions of the Tribunes?

2. What does "Crescit interea Roma Albae ruinis" mean?

3. How does Machiavelli suggest that Princes and other leaders deal with acts that offend their citizens?

4. According to Machiavelli, how did the Agrarian Laws violate the foundation of well-ordered Republics?

5. What does Machiavelli consider to be the worst example to be provided by leaders in a Republic?

(see the answer key)

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