Abstract

Studying some historical examples about the sessions of the ancient Roman Senate discussed by Machiavelli on the base of Livius historical account, this article propose a perspective about Machiavelli’s interpretation of Livius political categories, in particular the notion of nobilitas and its relationship with the traditional patriciate. The cases studied are: the disastrous military campaign of the centurion Marcus Centenius Paenula, the institution of the Senate by Romulus, the role of the tribunus plebis and the juridctional function of the Senate (in the process against Gaius Maenius and Marcus Fulvius).