Who is The Roman Empire/Republic from The Discourses and what is their importance? Discourses English & Literature The Roman Empire/Republic | The Discourses

The Discourses is ostensibly a commentary on Titus Livius's history of the Roman Empire. However, Livy lived from 59 B.C. to A.D. 17, and so his history is primarily a history of the Roman Republic extended back to 753 B.C. Livy was a supporter of the Roman republic and Machiavelli supported republic government generally. That said, Machiavelli believed that Roman liberty could have only been protected if the Roman army engaged in conquest, colonization and empire to neutralize threats to its freedom.