George of Trebizond and Niccolò Machiavelli on the Spartan Constitution

• In Event: Rethinking Machiavelli through His Philosophical Sources

Abstract

George of Trebizond held that the founding fathers of Venice had studied Plato, since the Venetian mixed constitution was a perfect example of the mixed constitution’s original description in the Platonic Laws, where the Athenian philosopher praised the Spartan polity. George of Trebizond's argument contributed to the reappraisal of the Spartan constitution in early modern Europe. Later Machiavelli argued in support of the mixed constitution and praised Sparta more than any other Greek state, although he supported Rome’s political superiority. Machiavelli extolled Lycurgus, who gave Sparta durable laws. In this paper I seek to explore the ways George of Trebizond and Machiavelli approached the Spartan constitution and their contribution to the birth of the political myth of Sparta in the Renaissance. In addition I attempt to explore the different ways in which they treated the ancient sources in order to formulate their own views on the Spartan constitution.

Author

• Georgios Steiris, University of Athens