Original artwork, not a still
A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Machiavelli is telling would-be rulers to study the great and copy them, even if they can never match them, in the same way an archer aims above the target. Quoted today as career advice: pick the best role model available, and you will land closer than if you start from nothing.
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In context
Spoilers for The PrinceShow the scene
The line comes from Chapter VI of Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince, the chapter on new dominions won by a ruler's own arms and ability. It appears in the English translation by Luigi Ricci, which matches the site's wording; other translations phrase it differently (W. K. Marriott has 'a wise man ought always to follow the paths beaten by great men'). Machiavelli says people walk almost always in paths trodden by others and cannot copy them exactly, so a prudent ruler should imitate the best, to get at least some tinge of their greatness. He adds the image of the clever archer who aims higher than the mark, then names Moses, Cyrus, Romulus and Theseus as the highest examples. The book was being written in 1513, but was not printed until 1532, five years after his death.
Sources (3)
- The Prince, tr. Luigi Ricci (Project Gutenberg #57037)Chapter VIReference checked
- The Prince, tr. W. K. Marriott (Project Gutenberg #1232)Chapter VIReference checked
- Wikipedia: The Princelead sectionReference checked
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