Abstract
This article explores the implications of understanding the State of Arauco in Part One of Alonso de Ercilla's La Araucana (1569) as a republican form of political community. I begin by discussing how scholastic and humanistic tropes of barbarism employed in the opening two cantos give way to a description of a non-urban society that nevertheless has certain resemblances to the mixed government of Venice. The description of the Araucanian citizen militia intersects both with contemporary calls for reform of the Spanish military at the outset of the wars in Flanders and with the militaristic model of the republican state favoured by Niccolo Machiavelli. The decline of Araucanian military fortunes and virtue is analysed according to their transition from a policy of self-defence to one of aggressive expansion. This critique of republicanism also presents certain parallels to, and an implicit interrogation of, the Spanish model of empire.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
