Sallust, Machiavelli and the Divorce of virtus from res publica

Abstract

Montesquieu famously stated that virtue is the principle of republican government. This article examines how virtue is dissociated from res publica in the works of Sallust, the great Roman republican historian, and Machiavelli, usually regarded as the central figure of the republican tradition. Both thinkers cut the crucial link between virtue and republic, ascribing the former to the main villain of the tradition, Caesar. Furthermore, virtue is simultaneously dissociated from being bonus/buono, a good man/good citizen. The paper examines Sallust's idea of virtus, and then demonstrates how closely Machiavelli follows him, and how he reaches a similar conclusion. Implications for understanding Machiavelli's virtu within a framework of republics are shown: it is impossible for a citizen to exhibit virtue and remain good in a truly corrupted republic - in such circumstances one can become virtuous only by working against the public good/res publica. Show more