'Mixed Constitution' in the Republic of Florence in the beginnings of the 16th Century

Abstract

A single and specific interpretation of the mixed constitution, which Polybius applied to Sparta and Rome, has prevailed in the western tradition. However, before Polybius, Greek political thought produced previous and less rigid versions of the idea of mixing principles or institutions from different political constitutions, especially those of Plato and Aristotle. Sixteenth-century Florentine theoreticians, whom I analyse in this article, wrote shortly after the publication of the Latin translation of Polybius’ Book VI. The writings of Machiavelli, Guicciardini, or Giannotti were motivated by their interests in preserving the republic against the threat of “tyranny”. With this objective in mind, they did not just apply the Polybian idea of mixed constitution, but they also made use of the theoretical solutions provided by the Greek thinkers of the late Classical period.