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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, Reform, Security, and the Elimination of Rivals, On Conspiracies, The Need of Adaptation to Environment.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Machiavelli identify as the three divisions of armies of his day?
(a) Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery.
(b) Cavalry, Vanguard, and Artillery.
(c) Vanguard, Battle Corps, and Rearguard.
(d) Battle Corps, Navy, and Ordinance.

2. Of what should Princes be most ashamed in Machiavelli's view?
(a) Missing opportunities to conquer other cities.
(b) Being discovered to be self-absorbed and not devoted to building the strength of their cities.
(c) Consuming his wealth in debauchery.
(d) Lacking their own soldiers for defense and offense.

3. Who does Machiavelli consider to have an advantage in battle?
(a) The Artillery.
(b) The Cavalry.
(c) The attacker.
(d) The largest army.

4. What did Machiavelli establish as the cycle of governing forms?
(a) Anarchy to democracy to oligarchy to monarchy to anarchy.
(b) Democracy to republic go aristocracy to oligarchy to anarchy to democracy.
(c) Aristocracy to republic to oligarchy to monarchy to aristocracy.
(d) Monarchy (principality) to aristocracy to oligarchy to democracy to monarchy.

5. In Book 1, Section 46, Machiavelli credits the ruin of Republics on citizens who jump from one ambition to another. What was the phrase that Sallust put in the mouth of Caesar that explains how such ambitions begin?
(a) "All evil examples have their origins in good beginnings."
(b) "Vini. Vidi. Vici."
(c) "Beware the Ides of March."
(d) "I see the better things, and approve; I follow the worse."

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Machiavelli, what was one negative consequence of the Roman Senate's decision to pay soldiers out of public money?

2. What can be inferred of Machiavelli's idea of virtue from reading the review of the first three kings of Rome as he begins his discourse of weak Princes and excellent Princes?

3. To what does Machiavelli compare great kingdoms and republics from history?

4. According to Machiavelli in Section 1 of Book One, who are the two types of people who build cities?

5. In Book 1, Section 37, what does Machiavelli claim to be the foundation of well-ordered Republics?

(see the answer key)

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