Bruni (1370–1444), the leading civic humanist of the Italian Renaissance, served as apostolic secretary to four popes (1405–1414) and chancellor of Florence (1427–1444). His History of the Florentine People is generally considered the first modern work of history. This edition makes it available for the first time in English translation. Introduction ix Maps xxii HISTORY OF THE FLORENTINE PEOPLE Preface 2(6) Book I 8(100) Foundation of Florentia by Sulla's veterans 1(6) The Catilinarian conspiracy 7(3) How Rome overshadowed Florentia 10(2) History of the Etruscans 12(8) Rome's debt to Etruscan culture 20(1) Etruria's rivalry with, and eventual defeat by, Rome 21(16) Decline of the Roman Empire and its causes 37(4) Barbarian invasions 41(1) The Goths 41(14) Attila and the Huns 55(4) The Vandals 59(1) Odoacer and Theodosius, king of the Goths 60(4) The Lombard Kingdom 64(4) Charlemagne and the revival of the Western Empire 68(7) Revival of city life 75(1) Florentia destroyed by Totila the Goth, not Attila the Hun 76(4) The struggle between the popes and the emperors and its effects in Tuscany 80(2) Emperor Frederick II and the exacerbation of partisanship 82(26) Book II 108(128) The death of Frederick II and the emergence of the Florentine People as a political force 2(1) Struggle against Ghibellines in Pistoia, Pisa and Figline 3(7) Defeat of Pistoia 10(2) Defeat of Volterra 12(4) Building of the Palace of the Podesta 16(3) The rise of Manfred 19(6) The insurrection of the Uberti and their expulsion from Florence 25(1) Alliance of the exiles with the Sienese 26(2) The speech of Farinata before Manfred 28(2) Manfred aids the Florentine exiles and the Sienese 30(2) Their defeat at the hands of the Florentines 32(2) Manfred sends reinforcements 34(1) The Florentine exiles and the Sienese lay a trap 35(4) Speech of Tegghiaio Adimari before the Anziani 39(9) His advice is rejected, and Florence prepares to fight Siena 48(7) Speech of Manfred's commander to the men of Siena 55(1) The battle of Montaperti 56(5) Reaction in Florence to the defeat of the allied forces 61(1) The Guelfs go into exile; the end of the Primo Popolo 62(3) Florence under Ghibelline rule 65(2) The debate at Empoli over the destruction of Florence 67(2) The speech of Farinata 69(5) Expulsion of Guelf forces from Tuscany 74(6) Emigration of Florentine Guelfs to Emilia-Romagna and their military successes there 80(3) The pope makes Charles of Anjou King of Sicily; Tuscan Guelfism revives 83(3) The Florentine Guelfs join Charles of Anjou 86(2) Speech of the Florentine commander to Charles 88(5) The Battle of Benevento 93(4) Ghibelline power in Florence weakens 97(3) The Ghibelline nobles attempt a counter-coup, but Guido Novello is expelled from Florence 100(3) The restoration of popular power 103(1) The return of the Guelf exiles 104(1) The origins of the Guelf and Ghibelline factions 105(5) A new threat from the young Emperor Conradin 110(2) The pope appoints Charles governor of Tuscany 112(5) The Parte Guelfa is established 117(1) The Florentines and Charles attack and capture the Ghibelline base at Poggibonsi 118(118) Book III 236(94) Charles of Anjou faced with twin threats 1(1) Revolts against the Angevins in Rome and in the Kingdom of Sicily 2(5) Conradin descends upon Italy 7(2) Charles' knights ambushed near Arezzo 9(4) The Battle of Tagliacozzo 13(1) Conradin's flight, capture and execution 14(1) The Florentine Guelfs renew the struggle against Ghibellines in Tuscany 15(6) Charles makes peace between Florence and Pisa 21(3) Gregory X attempts to pacify Florence 24(1) His speech to the Florentines, urging them to receive back the Ghibelline exiles 25(6) An angry reply from the Florentine leadership 31(11) Uprisings in Pisa 42(3) Further dealings of Gregory X with Florence under interdict 45(3) The Florentines and the Lucchesi renew the war against Pisa 48(4) The mission of Cardinal Latino to Florence 52(6) The Priorate is established 58(4) The Sicilian Vespers 62(3) Charles moves to quell the uprising, supported by the Florentines 65(1) His defeat by Peter of Aragon 66(2) Alliance of Florence, Genoa and Lucca against Pisa 68(3) A new circuit of walls is laid out in Florence 71(1) Death of Charles of Anjou 72(1) The beginnings of the war with Arezzo 73(4) Oration of the Aretine Guelfs before the Florentine Priors 77(4) Defeat of the Sienese at the hands of the Aretines 81(2) Further threats from Arezzo and Pisa 83(247) Book IV 330(143) The Aretine war continues 1(4) The Battle of Campaldino 5(6) Miraculous arrival in Florence of the news of victory 11(5) The office of the Standard-Bearer of Justice is created 16(4) Renewal of war against Arezzo and Pisa 20(6) The struggle between the nobility and the People 26(2) Speech of Giano della Bella recommending the Ordinances of Justice 28(7) Peace negotiations with Pisa 35(5) Renewed domestic strife, and the expulsion of Giano della Bella from Florence 40(6) The building of the Palazzo Vecchio 46(3) Beginnings of the struggle between the Blacks and the Whites 49(8) The poet Dante attempts to make peace during his priorate 57(5) Charles of Valois comes to Italy, heralded by a comet 62(1) He is received as a peacemaker in Florence, but behaves like a tyrant 63(1) The exiled Corso Donati returns to Florence 64(3) Dante is exiled 67(9) Renewed strife between the Cerchi and the Donati 76(3) Cardinal Niccolo da Prato attempts to make peace 79(1) He promotes a plan to establish twenty companies of civic militia, each with its own standard-bearer 80(7) The heart of the city is burned in a great fire during factional troubles 87(2) The exiles attack Florence at the behest of Niccolo of Prato 89(5) Robert of Anjou is made commander-in-chief of the Florentine league in Tuscany 94(1) The siege of Pistoia 95(4) A new magistracy, the Executor of Justice, is created 99(1) The mission of Cardinal Napoleone degli Orsini is resisted by the Florentines 100(4) The expulsion and death of Corso Donati 104(6) Pistoia defends itself against Lucca, with Florentine encouragement 110(5) Robert of Anjou becomes King 115(1) Henry VII of Luxembourg becomes Emperor and sends a legation to Florence demanding obedience 116(4) The Florentines debate whether they should send ambassadors to Henry 120(3) Henry crosses the Alps; the Florentines prepare to defend themselves against him 123(2) The malicious amnesty of the jurist Baldo D'Aguglione 125(348) Note on the Text and Translation 473(6) Notes to the Text 479(8) Notes to the Translation 487(18) Bibliography 505(2) Index 507