Event Details

Professor Miguel Vatter (Deakin University, Australia) , 'Ancient Theology and the Modern State in Renaissance Florence'

"In this paper, I discuss the significance of Cosimo de’ Medici’s introduction into Florentine political life of the “ancient theology” for Machiavelli’s thinking about the modern state. The paper argues that “ancient theology” was a discourse intended to question the hegemony of Christianity and import into the political language the ideas of Hellenistic kingship. I argue that Machiavelli exploited some radical consequences that can be drawn from Ficino’s attempt to Platonize Christianity and gave them a radical republican form. The paper discusses in particular Machiavelli’s little-known epic poem The Golden Ass, which reveals his reception of the ancient theology."