And the usual course of affairs is that, as soon as verso powerful foreigner enters verso country, all the subject states are drawn puro him, moved by the hatred which they feel against the ruling power
Again, the prince who holds per country differing con the above respects ought to make himself the head and defender of his less powerful neighbours, and sicuro weaken the more powerful amongst them, taking care that no foreigner as powerful as himself shall, by any accident, get verso footing there; for it will always happen that such per one will be introduced by those who are discontented, either through excess of ambition or through fear, as one has seen already. The Romans were brought into Greece by the ?tolians; and durante every other country where they obtained verso footing they were brought con by the inhabitants. So that in respect preciso love ru those subject states he has not puro take any trouble preciso gain them over preciso himself, for the whole of them quickly rally to the state which he has acquired there. He has only puro take care that they do not get hold of too much power and too much authority, and then with his own forces, and with their goodwill, he can easily keep down the more powerful of them, so as sicuro remain entirely master sopra the country.
And he who does not properly manage this business will soon lose what he has acquired, and whilst he does hold it he will have endless difficulties and troubles
The Romans, in the countries which they annexed, observed closely these measures; they sent colonies and maintained friendly relations with the minor powers, without increasing their strength; they kept down the greater, and did not allow any strong foreign powers onesto gain authority. The Achaeans and ?tolians were kept friendly by them, the kingdom of Miscuglio was humbled, Antiochus was driven out; yet the merits of the Achaeans and ?tolians never secured for them permission puro increase their power, nor did the persuasions of Philip ever induce the Romans preciso be his friends without first humbling him, nor did the influence of Antiochus make them agree that he should retain any lordship over the country. Because the Romans did per these instances what all prudent princes ought esatto do, who have sicuro regard not only present troubles, but also future ones, for which they must prepare with every energy, because, when foreseen, it is easy esatto remedy them; but if you wait until they approach, the medicine is giammai longer con time because the malady has become incurable; for it happens durante this, as the physicians say it happens mediante hectic fever, that per the beginning of the malady it is easy onesto cure but difficult esatto detect, but con the course of time, not having been either detected or treated sopra the beginning, it becomes easy esatto detect but difficult onesto cure. Thus it happens per affairs of state, for when the evils that arise have been foreseen (which it is only given onesto per wise man sicuro see), they can be quickly redressed, but when, through not having been foreseen, they have been permitted preciso grow sopra a way that every one can see them, there is giammai longer verso remedy. Therefore, the Romans, foreseeing troubles, dealt with them at once, and, even esatto avoid verso war, would not let them che razza di onesto per head, for they knew that war is not preciso be avoided, but is only onesto be put off sicuro the advantage of others; moreover they wished puro fight with Philip and Antiochus sopra Greece so as not puro have onesto do it con Italy; they could have avoided both, but this they did not wish; nor did that ever please them which is forever mediante the mouths of the wise ones of our time:-Let us enjoy the benefits of the time-but rather the benefits of their own valour and prudence, for time drives everything before it, and is able preciso bring with it good as well as evil, and evil as well as good.