Cesare Borgia

1 9.6

An Italian leader and soldier from the late 1400s used by Machiavelli as a model in The Prince

proper noun
/ˈtʃɛzəreɪ ˈbɔrdʒə/

: Cesare Borgia

Machiavelli used Cesare Borgia as a key example in his treatise on political power.

Examples

Many historians consider Cesare Borgia a prototype of the ruthless Renaissance leader.
Many historians regard Cesare Borgia as a key figure in Renaissance politics.
Many historians consider Cesare Borgia a prototype of the ruthless Renaissance leader.
The rise and fall of Cesare Borgia continue to fascinate scholars and writers alike.
Did Cesare Borgia truly inspire Machiavelli's ideas?
Machiavelli used Cesare Borgia as a key example in his treatise on political power.
The rise and fall of Cesare Borgia continue to fascinate scholars and writers alike.

Surface Forms

Cesare Borgia main

Morphology

Cesare + Borgia

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the components 'Cesare' and 'Borgia' are personal names without lexical meanings that would allow a learner to infer the biographical sense (cardinal, military leader, model for Machiavelli). Understanding this reference requires world/historical knowledge rather than compositional knowledge of the parts, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words would not be able to derive the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Cesare Borgia was a real Italian leader in the late 1400s who was both a church official and a strong, often cruel, military commander. Because he used smart and sometimes harsh methods to gain and keep power, Machiavelli used him as the model in his book 'The Prince', so today saying Cesare Borgia often means a ruler or person who is 'ruthless' and 'shrewd'.