Like many other humanists the time, Machiavelli’s was writing in the “mirror for princes genre,” providing advice to Italian rulers. What, however, differentiated Machiavelli from other humanist writers? Machiavelli’s advice to princes drew upon ancient Mesopotamian ideas, while other humanists drew on ideas from Greek and Roman antiquity.
Machiavelli interpreted virtue differently from his counterparts; while others argued that princes should have the qualities kindness, morality and beneficence, Machiavelli argued that it was unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities, but very necessary to appear to have them.
There is no discernable difference between Machiavelli and his humanist counterparts.
Machiavelli argued that princes should be as kind and moral as possible, while other humanists argued that princes and rulers should be ruthless and self-serving.