[Loud Mime]

I have no answer for your question. Perhaps somebody on this forum may present their knowledge on the matter.

Northern Italy - Are you referring to the history that surrounds Machiavelli’s writings? Some of his cited political acts amazed me.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Northern Italy - Are you referring to the history that surrounds Machiavelli’s writings? Some of his cited political acts amazed me.

Machiavelli would probably qualify as "modern times" from TJ's perspective. Venice (consistently) and certain other of the Italian city-states (less consistently) were true-to-life Republics throughout a good part of the High and Late Middle Ages, even before the Renaissance.