Niccolò Machiavelli：The Prince, Excerpt 6

But in maintaining armed men there in place of colonies one spends much more, having to consume on the garrison all the income from the state, so that the acquisition turns into a loss, and many more are exasperated, because the whole state is injured; through the shifting of the garrison up and down all become acquainted with hardship, and all become hostile, and they are enemies who, whilst beaten on their own ground, are yet able to do hurt. For every reason, therefore, such guards are as useless as a colony is useful.

Source： https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232
Locator：Excerpt 6 · Verified：2026-10-19 · Verification：Short excerpt

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