- "Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are. This is as it should be."
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was a Florentine diplomat, historian and philosopher. In his most famous work, The Prince, he argued that rulers should be willing to engage in morally questionable acts — such as deceit, manipulation, and fearmongering — for the good of the state. His pragmatic, controversial and much debated ideas have left a lasting impact on political philosophy to the present day. He is a leader in Civilization VII.
Intro[]
A spider in his web, or a writer at his desk, you, Niccolo Machiavelli, see the world as it is, untempered by convention or sentimentality. To succeed in this world requires unconscionable acts, and it is a brave heart that can be made a stone. The time has come to set your plans in motion.
In-Game[]
Machiavelli has the 
Diplomatic and 
Economic 
Attributes. His default colors are light blue and white.
His leader ability is Il Principe. It grants him +3 
Influence per Age, and 50 
Gold per Age when his 
Diplomatic Action proposals are accepted, doubled if they are rejected. He also can ignore the Relationship requirements for declaring 
Formal Wars, and can Levy 
Military Units from 
City-States he is not suzerain of.
His agenda is The Spider. His Relationship with other players increases by a Medium Amount for each War they are involved with, as long as they are not at war with him.
Strategy[]
When the game lists his attribute as "Diplomatic", they are not kidding. Machiavelli is fantastic at growing Influence quickly, and being able to spend it just as well. While his high Influence certainly helps him lead a calm game, his ability to levy units without being Suzerain of city-states, and being able to declare formal wars without having to spend Influence on sanctions lets him take a war footing remarkably easily.
Antiquity Age[]
Machavelli's go-to in the Antiquity Age is and always will be Greece. An extra +3 Influence on the palace is incredibly helpful. On top of that, the Parthenon gives another +2 Influence if placed on rough terrain. In the 
Capital alone, you have the opportunity to earn another 8 Influence on top of your staring 10, almost double every other civ, and that's not taking into account your Monument (+1 more), the Diplomatic Attribute opener (+1 more), and the Oratory 
Social Policy from Code of Laws (+2 more). Greek Machiavelli is absolutely wallowing in Influence, and the Greek 
Civics help you out even further. Xenia (unlocked at Ekklesia) gives +50% Influence towards initiating and continuing befriending independents, and the Delian and Peloponnesian Leagues (both at Symmachia Mastery) gives +30% Influence to initiating Endeavors and Sanctions (respectively). You barely have to spend any Influence to do many things that can bankrupt other civs.
If pairing Machiavelli with Greece makes the game too easy, he is also proficient in the art of warfare and can do so with many different civs. Achaemenid Persia is probably the easiest to sync with; Hamarana Council gives your levied and produced infantry units extra 
Combat Strength, and Hazarapatis gives extra 
Movement to your units, getting them to where they need to go faster. The Maya do all the things the Maya tend to do. Rush to get the Uwaybil K'uh up, then pump out whatever you want with the extra 
Production. Make sure to save up some Influence for the Exploration Age.
Exploration Age[]
Machiavelli suffers a bit in the Exploration Age. While the Antiquity and Modern Ages both have civs that Machiavelli quickly slots into, the Exploration Age is a bit tougher. The Chola can work well if you built up your coastal 
Settlements. You can spam the Improve Trade Relations action and send out Merchants like there's no tomorrow, and the Kalam and Ottru work well if you still want to stay militaristic. Otherwise, work with what you have - if you manage to become the Suzerain of some city-states early on, continue on that path, but ultimately the Exploration Age is just something to wade through.
Modern Age[]
Siam. It's as easy as that. Itsaraphab (the action) costs a lot, but being able to become Suzerain of a city-state instantly is invaluable, and the Siamese traditions help too. Prasetharat (unlocked with Mandala) gives +20% Influence towards Diplomatic Actions with city-states, State Railway (unlocked with Nine Gems) gives +2 Influence on all Gold Buildings, letting your Influence stack further and further. Combine this with the traditions like Xenia and whatever you've achieved in the Exploration Age, and you'll be swimming in Influence.
If you don't want to pair Machiavelli with Siam, America can continue the high- Influence trend Machiavelli wants. Robber Baron and Lend-Lease as traditions both work well, Lend-lease giving Influence for 
Trade Routes, and Robber Baron giving it for 
Resources.
Machavelli's military fronts continue in Meiji Japan and Prussia, both giving solid bonuses to a military push in abilities and traditions, but by this point in the game, military victories should be pretty easy to get to. Just make sure not to start your conquest until your opponent has chosen an Ideology, so you can increase the points from capturing their Settlements.
Conclusion[]
Machiavelli is maybe the most versatile leader in the game. His high Influence production allows you to really go whichever direction you want. Whether that be improving trade relations for an Economic Victory, levying city-state units for conquest, or making the most of Suzerain bonuses for Scientific and Cultural Victories, Machiavelli always has plenty to offer.
Lines[]
Machiavelli is voiced by Michele Cory. He speaks modern Italian.
| Line | Quote (English translation) | Quote (Italian) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quote | Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are. This is as it should be. (lit. "Everyone sees what we appear to be, few know who we really are. This is how it is to be.") | Ciascheduno vede ciò che sembriamo essere, pochi sanno in vero chi siamo. Questo è come a da essere. | This quote comes from The Prince. |
| Greeting | Niccolo Machiavelli, at your service. How might you be of service to me? I mean… how might I be of service to you? (lit. "Niccolò Machiavelli, to serve you. How can you serve me? Hehe, understand, in what way could I be at your service?") | Niccolò Machiavelli, per servirvi. In qual modo potrete voi servire me? Hehe, intendete, in qual modo potrei essere io al servizio vostro? | |
| Attacked | Hahahaha! You think me a fox; I am also a lion. | Hahahaha! Mi credete una volpe? Son anche lione! | The line is a reference to one of Machiavelli's maxims in The Prince, in which he says that "one must be a fox in order to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten off wolves." |
| Declares War | To be caught unarmed is the worst fault. (lit. "Being caught without weapons is the worst ruin.") | L'essere colti senz'arme è la peggiore ruina. | |
| Accepts Player's Deal | This works into my plans splendidly. (lit. "And this fits well with my plans.") | E questo ben si accorda con li progetti miei. | |
| Rejects Player's Deal | There is no profit in it. | Non c'è in esso alcun guadagno. | |
| Defeat | A struggle. A fall. I am no prince, but only a writer. I return to my writing desk in obscurity. (lit. "Difficulty, a ruin. I am no prince but a mere scribe. Let me return to the darkness of my writing desk.") | Difficoltà, una ruina. Non son prence ma un mero scriba. Lasciatemi tornare all'oscurità del mio scrittoio. |
Leader Path[]
| Level | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| 2 |  Discorsi sopra Livio |
| 3 | Diplomatic Attribute Node |
| 4 | Exploration Diplomatic Legacy Card
|
| Exploration Economic Legacy Card | |
| 5 |  Dell'Arte della Guerra |
| 6 | Machiavelli Badge 1
|
Machiavelli Banner
| |
| 7 | Economic Attribute Node
|
| 8 | Modern Diplomatic Legacy Card
|
| Modern Economic Legacy Card | |
| 9 |  Il Principe |
| 10 | Machiavelli Badge 2
|
The Prince
|
Civilopedia entry[]
One approach to power is the medieval focus on idealized rulers who anticipate the kingdom of God, forever striving for perfection. Machiavelli epitomizes the opposite: brutal acquisitions of power, based not on what should happen but on what does. Machiavelli can be considered one of the first modern political philosophers. This is also why his name is synonymous with backstabbing, end-oriented, and manipulative strategies.
To understand Machiavelli’s world, one must start with the great waves that flowed over Western Europe in the late Middle Ages. In Spain, the last of the Arab caliphates had been driven out, and the country was looking for new places to push conquest. In the wake of the eastern Arab empires, new Turkish powers appeared and pressed Byzantium to the brink.
However, the biggest world-shaking force was biological: the Black Death. The plague reshaped the world. In China, it shattered the Mongol Empire, which had ensured the Silk Road's seamless flow. In Europe, it ended the feudal system's ready supply of cheap agricultural labor. And in Italy, the devastation allowed people to rethink the role of merchant kings and noble families. These figures were already influential and intimately linked with the power struggles at the Vatican, but now they were at the central nexus of trade and power.
The “Renaissance” refers to the rediscovery of classical texts by Europeans (mainly Italians). This shift led to new, humanist ways of seeing the world that ended many notions of monarchy and encouraged people to rethink important questions such as how to rule.
Niccolò Machiavelli is often synonymous with a particular kind of realpolitik – the strategic amassing of power and influence unhindered by morality or principle. But this reputation is slightly unjustified. Machiavelli was much more than his political ideology; he was a playwright, comic, translator, and philosopher in his own right, and produced more than the text that came to define him: “The Prince.”
In “The Prince,” Machiavelli outlines a strategy for a new ruler. His recommendations are shocking in their cold pragmatism. Machiavelli focused on reconstructing the grounds for power as a means of keeping it. For instance, while it might be ideal for a ruler to maintain the love of his subjects, the best alternative is to be feared. A prince should strive to be honest; if this is impossible, then he should lie and keep the appearance of honesty. From a Machiavellian perspective, certain measures – such as wiping out powerful rival families or instilling fear in the population – are necessities in some situations. In short, “The Prince” is a guidebook to being a ruthless, manipulative, despicable – but successful – ruler.
Machiavelli came from a line of lawyers in the Florentine Republic. He steadily moved up in the administrative ranks and even conducted some minor diplomacy – something in high order in an era when families like the Medici and Borgias were conquering and brutalizing each other’s communities. In 1509, Machiavelli led a small force of local Florentine militia to take the city of Pisa, but he quickly faced reprisals from the pope. In disgrace, Machiavelli’s patron family resigned from the leadership of Florence and ended the Republic. Soon after, the former strongmen – the infamous Medici – returned to the city and had Machiavelli imprisoned and tortured.
After three weeks of hanging on “the rope,” Machiavelli was released and lived out his days on a family farm in the countryside, where he completed his writing. His cynical view was informed by his exposure to ruthless politics during a time when new ideas (such as republicanism) took root as the trappings of the Middle Ages began to dissolve – and a period where pious popes raised armies and had their foes executed.
Machiavelli reshaped how we think about power and control, moving away from high-minded ideals towards practical considerations. He could be considered in contrast with a person like Confucius, someone who had been in a very similar position as a court advisor (though to a far larger empire in a far earlier time). Confucius thought there should be a strict code of conduct focused on respect for tradition and goodwill towards others, and that following this code would mean that rulers would prosper. Machiavelli is the opposite – a modernist and pragmatist. His brutal (or brutally honest) stance earned him the enmity of other famous historical figures. Prussia’s Friedrich II penned the “Anti-Machiavelli,” which sought to extol the virtues of the enlightened despot over the manipulative prince, but was undercut by Prussia’s own power-hungry status.
Perhaps Machiavelli's reputation is undeserved. He addressed his book to the Medici family – his torturers and banishers. Later readers may note his more sympathetic attitude towards republics in “Discourses on Livy.” One can picture an elder Machiavelli, exiled in his country home, bearing the scars of torture, writing a cynical and bitter discourse on how to exercise power without conscience before adding his torturers’ name in the dedication, saying to the Medicis, “Here, here is who you really are."
Regardless, Machiavelli is considered one of the first modernist political philosophers who tried to think strategically and systematically about how populations function. His works could be considered satire; it is a dark statement that such a dystopic view of the world has become the foundation of much of our modern politics.
Trivia[]
- Machiavelli's leader ability is the Italian title of his famous treatise, while his agenda is a common nickname referring to a cunning, deceptive person.
Gallery[]
.png "Machiavelli three-quarter length (Civ7).png (357 KB)")
Videos[]
First Look- Machiavelli - Civilization VII
First Look: Machiavelli
Related achievements[]
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See also[]
- (Niccolò) Machiavelli in other games