Andria (Machiavelli) Andria (Machiavelli) Andria is the first play written by Niccolò Machiavelli, published in the period 1517-1520. It is a translation of a play written by the Latin comedy writer Terence, who had originally taken it from the Greek dramatist Menander. It is one of the examples of Machiavelli as a comedy writer, along with "The Mandrake" and the "Clizia". The play has been considered by some scholars semi-autobiographical. The story is about an old man, Simone, who wants his son, Panfilo, to marry Filumena, the daughter of his neighbour Cremete. Panfilo has, however, a secret love affair with Glicerio, a
Machiavelli as a dramatist because a stable and prosperous country will always benefit the majority. Machiavelli uses the example of Agathocles the Sicilian. Agathocles had the entire senate of Syracuse killed in order to seize control of the government. Machiavelli admits that this is a way to gain power, but whether this cruelty was justified depends upon what Agathocles did with it. If he used his new power to bring wealth and success to Syracuse then he would have done well, but if Syracuse suffered under his rule, his murders would not have been justified. Thus by Machiavelli's logic the ends can justify the