Chapter 6 elaborates on a theme begun in Chapter 5—that of personal ability. The Italian word Machiavelli uses is virtù, which does not have an exact English equivalent. He uses this word to mean many things, but usually not "virtue," which in English implies goodness and moral behavior. Virtù is closer in meaning to the Latin word for masculine strength, virtus, from which English gets the word "virility." Exactly what Machiavelli means by virtù is a subject of debate among scholars. Virtù can be ability, skill, energy, forcefulness, strength, ingenuity, courage, or determination. Virtù is the quality that distinguishes successful princes—or more accurately, successful innovators and conquerors. The examples Machiavelli provides are all legendary founders of great civilizations. When they found opportunities, they had the virtù to make the most of them. Machiavelli makes a point of observing, however, that virtù without opportunity to use it is wasted, but without virtù, opportunity is wasted.
The other theme of this chapter concerns the use of force. Machiavelli assumes that force or violence is an integral part of the state, and a ruler cannot do without it as a tool of government. He observes that after your followers lose faith in your innovative schemes, you must force them to have faith, or at least, to act as if they do by obeying you. His comment about unarmed prophets is based on the meteoric rise and fall of Savonarola, whose career Machiavelli had observed, and whose failure had led to the reestablishment of the Florentine republic in which Machiavelli served.
