Renaissance and Political Terms

city-state

• a large metropolitan area with multiple cities

• a city with its own independent government, its own army, and its own territory

• a rural area governed by a local council

• a city that is part of a larger nation-state

Cosimo de’ Medici

• a political, economic, and social leader of Florence during the Renaissance

• a famous artist of the Renaissance

• a military general in ancient Rome

• a philosopher of the Enlightenment

patron

• a person who gives financial or other support to a person or activity

• a type of financial investment

• a person who opposes an activity

• a supporter of a political party

republic

• political rule shared by the people through their elected representatives

• a form of government where a monarch rules

• a system where the military controls the government

• a type of government where decisions are made by a single leader

humanism

• a philosophy emphasizing human, rather than divine, matters

• a belief in the supremacy of divine intervention

• a doctrine that prioritizes spiritual over material concerns

• a system that denies the importance of human experience

oligarchy

• rule by a few select people

• rule by the majority

• rule by a single individual

• rule by elected representatives

Niccolò Machiavelli

• writer of The Prince, which gives advice to political leaders

• author of The Republic, discussing justice and governance

• philosopher known for his work on ethics and morality

• historian who chronicled the rise and fall of empires

Lorenzo de’ Medici

• a leader in Florence and the grandson of Cosimo de’ Medici

• a famous artist from the Renaissance period

• a political rival of the Medici family

• the founder of the Medici Bank

Renaissance man

• a person with talents in many areas

• a person who only excels in one field

• a historical figure from the Renaissance period

• a person who is only interested in art