Abstract

Machiavelli analyses the 'ordini' of Rome and discovers they don't look like neither at aristotelian constitutional ideals nor at polibian ones. The absence of 'meson' and the presence of 'chance' make the 'constitution' of Rome unique. Rome was able to remain a 'mixed republic', because the way its institutions governed the struggles between Senate and Plebs didn't neutralize them. Following this analysis, Machiavelli realizes, that Rome cannot be the model to put Florence in order again, because of the presence of 'mezzani'.