TIL Part of N.Machiavelli's diplomatic mission to Cesare Borgia included sending intel back to his government, even down to Borgia's personal habits. He noticed that he had inhuman energy and could go several nights working sleepless but occasionaly would "fall to his bed" and refuse to see anyone

[u/Ainsley-Sorsby]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesare_Borgia#Personal_life

[u/WilliamWeaverfish]

Alternatively, it's a case of a hard worker getting tired

He had "moments" of sloth, not a depressive period

Not everything needs to be pathologised

[u/Ok_Peak_9395 → u/WilliamWeaverfish]

Hard worker doesn’t equal “inexhaustible energy” lol

[u/Ainsley-Sorsby → u/Ok_Peak_9395]

Yeah, going through Machiavelli's reports themselves, i havn't seen any direct observations yet, but he describes stuff like this:

Your Lordships will have learned from my letter of the 5th that the Duke had gone to Salarolo to confer with those French gentlemen. During his absence I received yours of the 5th. His Excellency returned late yesterday evening, and today, after having reviewed the Swiss, who begin to arrive, he could not give me an audience until the first hour of the night. https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/detmold-the-historical-political-and-diplomatic-writings-vol-3

and later, on the same report:

About two hours after this conversation with the Duke an agent of the Bentivogli came to me and told me that he had just had an audience from the Duke, and that shortly after my leaving the court the ratification of the treaty arrived; but that the Duke was nevertheless anxious to conclude a separate treaty with Bologna, and that he had commissioned him at once to send a messenger to the Protonotario to have him come here immediately. He has not yet arrived, having injured one of his toes.

so basically he describes someone who, the day after a long trip, had a full schedule until 1AM, and even two hours later, he was still busy talking to people and dispatching messengers. I would say that definitely tracks as an indication of having ubnormal levels of energy, lol

[u/lacostewhite → u/Ainsley-Sorsby]

Side question: how did they tell time? They didn't have clocks back then. If anything, there would be church bells rung every hour?

[u/GingerCraig → u/lacostewhite]

They had clocks . but using Italian Time.

[u/Ainsley-Sorsby → u/lacostewhite]

Church bells work, but they also had a whole bunch of different clocks, just not always mechanical ones. Sun dials and hour glasses being the most obvious ones