Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius, Book 1: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius, Book 1, credited to Niccolò Machiavelli, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius, Book 1 by Niccolò Machiavelli. (Translated by Ninian Hill Thomson.) Read in English by Pamela Nagami; Dave Gillespie; merendo07; Brad Murphy; Ciufi Galeazzi; Eva Staes; Donavan Olsen; Lucretia B.; jenno; Ann Boulais; Hypatia In "Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius", posthumous work by the author of The Prince, Machiavelli discusses the useful lessons that could be learnt from the past for his present. As the title mentions, the subject of the work is the first ten books of Livy's Ab urbe condita, which cover the expansion of Rome from the legendary monarchy of Romulus to the end of the Third Samnite War (293 BCE). The whole work contains three books, with 142 numbered chapters - perhaps not a coincidence, since Livy's history also contained 142 books. In the first book, the author discusses things that happened inside of Rome as the result of public counsel. - Summary by Leni

Recording facts

• Recording title: Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius, Book 1
• Author credits: Niccolò Machiavelli
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 61
• Listed recording duration: 6:06:00

Catalogue topics

• Florence
• republic
• livy

Opening tracks: first 24 of 61

1. 00 - Preface — 8:32
2. 01 - CHAPTER I.Of the Beginnings of Cities in general, and in particular of that of Rome — 11:10
3. 02 - CHAPTER II. Of the various kinds of Government; and to which of them the Roman Commonwealth belonged. — 17:07
4. 03 - CHAPTER III. Of the Accidents which led in Rome to the creation of Tribunes of the People; whereby the Republic was made more perfect. — 3:44
5. 04 - CHAPTER IV. That the Dissensions between the Senate and Commons of Rome, made Rome free and powerful. — 5:52
6. 05 - 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 greater cause of Commotions. — 7:45
7. 06 - 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. — 14:45
8. 07 - CHAPTER VII. That to preserve Liberty in a State there must exist the Right to accuse. — 9:13
9. 08 - CHAPTER VIII. That Calumny is as hurtful in a Commonwealth as the power to accuse is useful. — 8:26
10. 09 - 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. — 8:02
11. 10 - CHAPTER X. That in proportion as the Founder of a Kingdom or Commonwealth merits Praise, he who founds a Tyranny deserves Blame. — 10:21
12. 11 - CHAPTER XI. Of the Religion of the Romans. — 7:10
13. 12 - 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. — 6:33
14. 13 - 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. — 5:11
15. 14 - 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 Religion they punished. — 4:15
16. 15 - CHAPTER XV. How the Samnites, as a last resource in their broken Fortunes, had recourse to Religion. — 4:04
17. 16 - CHAPTER XVI. That a People accustomed to live under a Prince, if by any accident it become free, can hardly preserve that Freedom. — 9:03
18. 17 - CHAPTER XVII. That a corrupt People obtaining Freedom can hardly preserve it. — 6:01
19. 18 - CHAPTER XVIII. How a Free Government existing in a corrupt City may be preserved, or not existing may be created. — 9:04
20. 19 - CHAPTER XIX. After a strong Prince a weak Prince may maintain himself: but after one weak Prince no Kingdom can stand a second. — 4:53
21. 20 - 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 are rapidly extended. — 1:58
22. 21 - CHAPTER XXI. That it is a great reproach to a Prince or to a Commonwealth to be without a national Army. — 3:36
23. 22 - CHAPTER XXII. What is to be noted in the combat of the three Roman Horatii and the three Alban Curiatii. — 2:34
24. 23 - 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. — 5:26

Listen to this recording

Open the complete recording and player on Internet Archive. The player includes the full track list and available download formats.

Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.