Pagina 156 di 310

But let us come to Alexander, who was a man of such great

goodness, that among the other praises which are accorded him is

this, that in the fourteen years he held the empire no one was

ever put to death by him unjudged; nevertheless, being considered

effeminate and a man who allowed himself to be governed by his

mother, he became despised, the army conspired against him, and

murdered him.

Turning now to the opposite characters of Commodus, Severus,

Antoninus Caracalla, and Maximinus, you will find them all cruel

and rapacious-men who, to satisfy their soldiers, did not

hesitate to commit every kind of iniquity against the people; and

all, except Severus, came to a bad end; but in Severus there was

so much valour that, keeping the soldiers friendly, although the

people were oppressed by him, he reigned successfully; for his

valour made him so much admired in the sight of the soldiers and

people that the latter were kept in a way astonished and awed and

the former respectful and satisfied. And because the actions of

this man, as a new prince, were great, I wish to show briefly

that he knew well how to counterfeit the fox and the lion, which

natures, as I said above, it is necessary for a prince to

imitate.